THE ZOCALO TODAY – May 8, 2005

WHAT'S NEW

JMS IN BRISTOL NEXT WEEKEND:
Here's a note from the B5 moderated newsgroup about an upcoming
convention appearance:

Just wanted to let our British friends know that I'll be at the
Comics Expo in Bristol the weekend of May 14th, appearing at a
couple of panels and doing signings and generally looking for
trouble.

This is my first time visiting the other coast of the United
Kingdom, so I'm looking forward to seeing what's there to be seen.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:

While a few of you sent along comments about momentos you treasure
from Babylon 5, I thought it might be a wonderful time to think
about those moments we remember most -- the scene/s that you feel
are "the" most significant or emotional or treasured -- to you. I
know it is hard to single out one or two, but now that we've had
some time to reflect on the series and the change is has had on
science fiction in general, see what you can come up with.

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will
post them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy.
There are some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic
you want to respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

BILL MUMY: LIVE ROCK N ROLL - THE JENERATORS
For your entertainment pleasure... Saturday - 9:15 pm - MAY 14th
(The band will not be playing in June, so catch them now or you'll
have to wait until summertime!)

Rusty's Surf Ranch
on the Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, California

RESERVATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED - CALL 310-393-7437 - * ONE SET ONLY *
Tom Hebenstreit, Miguel Ferrer, David Jolliffe, Bill Mumy, Chris
Ross, Gary Stockdale,

Come on out and pick up a copy of the band's brand new cd, "Pony
Up"!

JOHN COPELAND:
John Copeland has been very busy with projects for the Discovery
Channel. He produced 2 shows coming on the Discovery channel next
month. Alien Planet will air on May 14 -- it is a 2 hour special and
will be on at 8pm and again at 10pm. The other is on May 17th called
the Science of StarWars.

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI - YARD SALE/CONVENTION APPEARANCES:
The item up at e-bay now is unique. Item number: 4726824325 is a
Nakaleen Feeder sculpture used during the making of "Grail". You
will want to drop over to see the item -- and to read JMS'
recollection of why the sculpture was necessary. Oh yes, along with
the sculpture, you can have coffee with JMS -- so that he can pass
the sculpture to the winner safely. This is worth a bid in itself.

Joe announced a "yard sale" of materials he will be making available
at ebay.com over the next several weeks. Be sure to visit
www.ebay.com and search on seller "babylon5auctions" to find some
truly unique materials straight from the Great Maker.

Joe will be a special guest at this year's SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON, July
14-17, 2005. Go to http://www.comic-con.org/cci/ for more details
about the event.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS IN MAY
Theodore Bikel - May 2
Michael O'Hare - May 6
Stephen Furst - May 8
Melissa Gilbert-Boxleitner - May 8
Bruce Boxleitner - May 12
Andreas Katsulas - May 18
Andrea Thompson - May 22
Doug Wise - May 21
Douglas Netter - May 23
Paul Winfield - May 22
Roy Dotrice - May 26
Harlan Ellison - May 27

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected
with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include
everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

NEW DVDS COMING YOU WAY

CONSTANTINE:
Warner Home Video has announced a July 19 release for Constantine on
DVD. The film, starring Keanu Reeves in an adaptation of DC Comics'
Hellblazer, has made $74.1 million domestically at the box office.
The Deluxe Edition includes audio commentaries (director Francis
Lawrence, producer Akiva Goldsman and screenwriters Kevin Brodbin
and Frank Capello), 18 minutes of deleted scenes (including an
alternate ending) with optional commentary by director Francis
Lawrence, "The Production From Hell," "Imagining the Underworld"
(includes a 'Demon Face' Easter Egg), "Foresight: The Power of Pre-
Visualization" and "Conjuring Constantine" featurettes, A Perfect
Circle's "Passive" music video, theatrical trailers, DVD-ROM content
and a collectible Hellblazer comic.

Warner describes the film in this way:
"Based on the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels and
written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, Constantine tells the
story of John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has literally
been to hell and back. When he teams up with skeptical policewoman
Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her
twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of
demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of
contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of
otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek
to find their own peace at whatever cost."

The DVD will feature 18 minutes of additional scenes.

WHAT'S NEW IN SCIENCE FICTION

SEASON FINALE DETAILS:
I am a big fan of all the CSI series. We have known a little about
the season finale of CSI coming up on Thursday night. Now we have
more details on CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. According to
CSIFiles.com:

"10-7," the MIAMI season-ending episode, will finish the story arc
that was started earlier this year, when lead character Horatio
Caine discovered his long-thought-dead brother Raymond, an
undercover cop, was still alive. In this episode, the CSIs
investigate a terrorist group that is planning a hit on Miami. When
they find one of the group members slain, they have the murder
weapon processed for fingerprints - and to Horatio's shock, the
prints are his brother's. The episode is set to air on Monday, May
23.

On Wednesday, May 18, CBS will air the first-season finale of CSI:
NEW YORK "What You See Is What You See." The episode will open in
the local coffee shop of lead character Mac Taylor, the place where
he likes his Saturday mornings reading Sports Illustrated over
breakfast. Only this morning, things turn out different, as Mac
witnesses a shooting inside the shop, and then is forced to let the
shooter escape while he takes care of the victim. Mac vows to track
down the shooter, but soon runs into problems when he discovers the
man wasn't there by accident - he was wearing a wire, and was
working as an informant for the FBI.

SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME:
On Friday, Steven Spielberg and stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen
were among the luminaries of the science fiction world inducted into
the Science Fiction Hall of Fame for their contribution to the
medium of fact, fiction and fantasy. The induction ceremony, which
also honored author Philip K. Dick and artist Chesley Bonestell, was
the first for the year-old Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame,
a pet project of Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen. Spielberg,
whose science fiction films include "Close Encounters of the Third
Kind," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "Jurassic Park," said he was
humbled to join the group. "It (science fiction) really is the only
genre that lets you use your imagination without limitations,"
Spielberg said in a pre-taped acceptance speech. Harryhausen, known
for animating tiny figures for classic science fiction films such
as "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and "Jason and the Argonauts,"
was unable to make the trip from London, where he lives.

STAR WARS:
On May 15, the Festival de Cannes will honor George Lucas with the
Trophy of the 58th Festival in recognition of his cinematographic
career. Organizers said that Lucas will receive the award on the
same day that his film "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the
Sith" has its world premiere at Cannes. Festival artistic director
Thierry Fremaux will present the award at a special reception on
board the Queen Mary 2, the world's largest ocean liner, which will
be anchored in the bay off Cannes for the event. The presentation
will be preceded by a special screening of a film in homage to
Lucas, directed by festival president Gilles Jacob.

MASTERS OF HORROR:
John Carpenter he will be helmer on the MASTERS OF HORROR, a TV
series in which he will be one of many directing an episode.
Carpenter who is sometimes referred to as "the master of horror"
himself by fans, talked excitedly about his upcoming project and
some of the challenges he'll endure. "It's a little series we're
doing for Showtime. We each have an hour. Each of us has an hour to
shoot in ten days. And the first director they got was John Landis.
He's now way over budget and way over schedule. So there may not be
anymore 'Masters of Horror'. He may do them in", Carpenter said
jokingly. Carpenter's episode may not be out as soon as originally
hoped. "Dario Argento starts next week. They pushed me later on the
schedule because they're going to take all the money out of my show
and put it in everybody else's". Masters of Horror is not scheduled
to be out until 2006 and Carpenter plans to begin shooting this
summer. "The story was written by Drew McWeeny? It's
called 'Cigarette Burns' and I've never seen anything else like it.
It's real unique? I'll be shooting in July at some point. It'll be
fun to do".

STARGATE SG-1:
In a recent interview at the Saturn Awards this week, former
FARSCAPE star Claudia Black talked about her character in the
upcoming ninth season of STARGATE SG-1. Black reprises the role of
the mischievous Vala first introduced in last season's "Prometheus
Unbound." "I've come to make Michael Shanks' life a misery. The
character I'm playing is sort of the hair-pulling variety. She's
really infuriating, but, I hope, funny." FARSCAPE's Ben Browder
joins the regular SG-1 cast as Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell. But
Browder said that he won't share much screen time with his former
Farscape on-screen flame. "They're trying to keep us apart," Browder
said. "But we'll break them down eventually. They've got to give us
one [scene together]!" Browder said that the SG-1 cast has been
nothing but welcoming. "The interesting thing about joining a show
that's been going on for such a long time is, really, when you work
on a show after a period of time, it's actually refreshing to have
new people come in and mix it up," he said. "At least, that was I
think our experience on Farscape. As long as they didn't take me
away from scenes with [Black], that was fine. So they've been very
gracious and welcoming. You know, it would be hard to ask for much
more in regards to the cast taking us in." STARGATE SG-1 has resumed
production at its base in Vancouver, B.C., and returns to SCI FI
Channel in July.

HARRY POTTER:
Over at The Leaky Cauldron you'll find trailers AND the latest Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire poster! Opening in theaters on
November 18th, the fourth installment in the "Harry Potter"
franchise is directed by Mike Newell, written by Steve Kloves and
again stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. On
Saturday, ABC's showing of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
will include a first look at film clips, cast interviews and behind-
the-scenes footage from the fourth film. The teaser trailer will be
released shortly after online.

16 BLOCKS:
Principal photography has commenced on the Richard Donner-directed
16 BLOCKS. Starring Bruce Willis and the recently announced Mos Def
(The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), the story is based on a
screenplay written by Richard Wenk. 16 BLOCKS follows Jack Mosley
(Willis), an aging cop assigned the mundane task of escorting a fast-
talking, wise-cracking young witness (MOS DEF) to the courthouse --
sixteen city blocks away -- and the action-packed thrill ride that
takes place in those "sixteen blocks."

THE DEAD ZONE/THE 4400:
The TV Guide reports that on June 12, the DEAD ZONE returns to USA
Network. It will be paired with new episodes of THE 4400.

THE DARK IS RISING:
According to Variety, Walden Media has bought the film rights to
Susan Cooper's five-book fantasy series THE DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE.
Walden said its first feature in the series will be based on the
second book, THE DARK IS RISING, centering on a modern-day boy who
learns on his 11th birthday that he's the Sign Seeker, the last of a
group of immortals who have dedicated their lives to fighting forces
of the Dark. THE DARK IS RISING was first published in 1973. The
other books in the series are Over Sea, Under Stone; Greenwitch; The
Grey King; and Silver on the Tree.

STAR WARS: THE RETURN OF THE SITH:
Reviews for REVENGE OF THE SITH are popping up around the Internet
and so far everyone seems to have enjoyed the film a great deal. And
TheForce.net said, "To put it simply, it's probably the best of the
prequels. If you were to ask me to rank all of the films, I'd
probably put them in the following order from best to worst: The
Empire Strikes Back, A New Hope, Revenge of the Sith, Return of the
Jedi, Attack of the Clones, The Phantom Menace." Read other reviews
of the movie over at www.cinescape.com .

THE INCREDIBLES:
Reuters reports that Pixar Animation Studios said on Thursday its
latest release, THE INCREDIBLES, sold 17.7 million home video and
DVD units domestically since its March release. Pixar Chief
Financial Officer Simon Bax said the film has sold 5.7 million units
internationally and was on track to become the company's second-best-
selling release, behind "Finding Nemo."

MEDIUM:
Variety reports that Paramount has sold the NBC paranormal series
MEDIUM to the BBC, which has U.K. terrestrial rights. The network
picked up the series, which stars Patricia Arquette, despite a
government warning not to buy U.S. content unless it serves
a "public purpose." It's the first time the BBC has bought a U.S.
series for its main terrestrial network, BBC1, since Band Of
Brothers in 2001. Medium is likely to air in a post-10:30 p.m.
weekday slot, starting this summer.

THRESHOLD:
During an interview conducted at the Saturn Awards, Brannon Braga,
former Star Trek: Enterprise executive producer, talked about
THRESHOLD, a series he is working on with Blade writer David S.
Goyer, Harry Potter producer David Heyman, Mark Rosen and Bragi
Schut. Braga said he and the others are awaiting word from CBS on
whether the show will be picked up. "The status of the pilot is
we're done. We've finished it, and we're waiting to hear what
happens. I don't want to jinx it, though. The next couple of weeks.
It's a psychological thriller, science ficiton show. It's
contemporary sci fi about aliens amongst us. But more emphasis on
the psychological suspense and less emphasis on the effects-heavy
type of genre piece." THRESHOLD begins with the discovery of an
extraterrestrial spacecraft in the middle of the ocean. Molly Anne
Caffrey (Carla Gugino), a physician and former NASA employee, is
recruited to await the planet's first contact, along with a
carefully assembled team made up of a brilliant physicist, a
language and communications expert and a covert operative, the
document said. Together they implement Operation: Threshold, charged
with finding out the purpose of the landing and the fate of the
ship's crew and preparing for the worst-case scenario of an alien
invasion. The cast includes Charles S. Dutton and Star Trek: The
Next Generation's Brent Spiner, as well as Robert Benedict , House
of Wax's Brian Van Holt and Lost's William Mapother.

FLIGHTPLAN:
According to Music from the Movies, James Horner has taken over the
reigns for scoring of the upcoming Jodie Foster thriller FLIGHTPLAN
from Rachel Portman. Hired by the producers who – according to a
source at Walt Disney Pictures – ultimately decided that they would
be more comfortable with a composer that they have a long,
successful history with. Horner will record the score for the film
in July. Rachel Portman is still onboard the prestigious OLIVER
TWIST project for Roman Polanski. Her score for the film was
recently recorded in Prague.

BLADE:
Reuters reports that the "Blade" franchise is headed for the tube.
Spike TV president Doug Herzog announced the network will adapt the
theatrical franchise "Blade" as a series for early next year. New
Line Television and Marvel Studios will produce the project, with
David Goyer, writer-director of "Blade: Trinity," executive
producing. Goyer is not expected to write the pilot.

SKYPORT:
Gary Goldman, MINORITY REPORT screenwriter, has sold a pitch based
on Curt Siodmak's 1959 sci-fi novel SKYPORT to Warner Bros. SKYPORT
follows a scientist's quest to build an orbiting space city. The
author, best known for his Universal Pictures creation the Wolfman,
died in 2000. "We saw that the material could be reworked into a
disaster movie along the lines of 'The Towering Inferno,' " said
Goldman..."

THE HEAVEN PROJECT:
Mandeville Films will produce THE HEAVEN PROJECT for the D.H. Blair
Film Capital Fund. Written and to be directed by John Glenn, the
thriller follows a reformed criminal who wants to be reunited with
his family. Armada Pictures Intl. handles international sales and
will debut the project in Cannes. THE HEAVEN PROJECT is currently
casting for a September start. The film will mark Glenn's
directorial debut.

UNDERWORLD II
Luma Pictures has signed on as lead visual effects house for
Lakeshore Entertainment/Screen Gems' UNDERWORLD II. The visual
effects work for UNDERWORLD II is expected to be more ambitious than
for the first film and will feature CG creatures. Luma is expected
to deliver digital matte paintings, CG set extensions, green screen
composites, particle effects and other visuals to enhance the film.
The film is currently in production with Len Wiseman again
directing...

SPIDER-MAN:
In a recent interview with SCI FI Wire, SPIDER-MAN helmer Sam Raimi
revealed that Sony Pictures has plans to make a total of six films
in the superhero franchise. Raimi even dropped that he might be
willing to direct them all. He says, "I've heard Amy Pascal
[chairman of Sony's motion picture group] say she wants to make six
Spider-Man pictures. ... So I think she's a woman of her word. And
if she says there'll be six, there'll be six. ... If they were to
ask me, and if I felt as passionate as I feel now about the
character and had this great hunger and desire to tell the story,
which I really do now, you couldn't keep me away from it." Raimi is
currently in preproduction on SPIDER-MAN 3, which he says will
partially deal with Peter's emotional journey as he deals with the
death of Uncle Ben. "The task that I had was to try and understand
where he was when we last left him ... at the end of SPIDER-MAN 2,
trying to figure out what he lacked as a human being, as far as
where he was immature and what he had not learned," Raimi said.
SIDEWAYS star Thomas Haden Church has joined the cast as the
villain, but nobody's saying who that is yet. Raimi added, "We had
to choose a villain that represented a proper obstacle in the path
of that growth. He says the identity of the bad guy is being
withheld until Sony and Marvel can make a big presentation for the
fans."SPIDER-MAN 3 is set for a May 4, 2007 release. Production on
the film is scheduled to begin early next year.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: 3:
Scarlett Johansson and Carrie-Anne Moss have departed MISSION:
IMPOSSIBLE 3 - if only because of the stinging delay it's suffered
says J.J. Abrams. The LOST and ALIAS creator says the script has
since been reworked, and he's yet to announce replacements for the
lovely lasses. Abrams says it's going to be a big-scale movie filmed
in some eye-popping locales. "I just got back from a big location
scout and we're deep in prep. We start shooting in July. All over
the world. It was insane, but it's a trip. Literally, it was a trip.
I'm so excited, it's just a blast." Abrams says working with Tom
Cruise on the film is a joy. "He has incredible insight into story
and his willingness to be experimental and take the franchise in a
different direction is truly inspiring".

SATURN AWARDS:
The 31st Annual Saturn Awards were given yesterday in Los Angeles.
SPIDER-MAN 2 walked away with a total of five trophies best fantasy
film, the most for any movie this year. The Marvel Comics adaptation
also garnered awards for best actor (Tobey Maguire), best director
(Sam Raimi), best writer (Alvin Sargent) and best special effects.
Among TV series, LOST took home awards for best network television
series and best supporting actor (Terry O'Quinn). SCI FI Channel's
original miniseries FARSCAPE: PEACEKEEPER WARS received three
Saturns: best television presentation, best actor (Ben Browder) and
best actress (Claudia Black). SCI FI's STARGATE SG-1 won the award
for best syndicated or cable television series and for best
supporting actress on TV (Amanda Tapping). Below are some of the
awards given. A full listing can be found at www.scifi.com
Best Science Fiction Film: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Fantasy Film: Spider-Man 2
Best Horror Film: Shaun of the Dead
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Best Animated Film: The Incredibles
Best Actor: Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man 2)
Best Actress: Blanchard Ryan (Open Water)
Best Supporting Actor: David Carradine (Kill Bill: Vol. 2)
Best Supporting Actress: Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill: Vol. 2)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Emmy Rossum (Phantom of the
Opera)
Best Director: Sam Raimi (Spider-Man 2)
Best Writer: Alvin Sargent (Spider-Man 2)
Best Music: Alan Silvestri (Van Helsing)
Best Network Television Series: Lost
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Stargate SG-1
Best Television Presentation: Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars
Best Actor on Television: Ben Browder (Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars)
Best Actress on Television: Claudia Black (Farscape: Peacekeeper
Wars)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Terry O'Quinn (Lost)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG-
1)
The Life Career Award: Tom Rothman
The Life Career Award: Stephen J. Cannell
The Filmmakers Showcase Award: Kerry Conran
The Special Recognition Award: Star Trek
A GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND FISHING
Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to star in Warner Independent
Pictures' A GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND FISHING, according to the
Hollywood Reporter. The script, written by Marc Klein, is based on
stories from Melissa Bank's book of the same name. The story centers
on a young New York book editor, to be played by Geller, who always
has defined herself by the type of man she can get. When she meets
and ensnares the affections of an older, very powerful and extremely
sophisticated man, she thinks her problems are solved when they've
only just begun.

THE LEGEND OF ZORRO:
While THE LEGEND OF ZORRO is not scheduled to come to theaters until
October 28 (way too long to wait on this one), you'll be able to
enjoy a terrific trailer over at
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thelegendofzorro.html. This movie
has been produced by Columbia Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment --
and the trailer has the same energy and excitement as the original.
Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are re-united with
director Martin Campbell in the sequel to 1998's The Mask of Zorro.
The year is 1850 and our swashbuckling crusader is challenged by the
most dangerous mission of his life. After fighting to help
California become the 31st state of the Union, Zorro (Banderas) must
live up to the promise he made his wife Elena (Zeta-Jones) - to give
up his secret identity and live a normal life as Alejandro de la
Vega. When he hesitates, it threatens to tear them apart. Now, the
same forces that conspired to keep California from becoming part of
the United States are plotting to unleash a threat that has been 500
years in the making, a threat that could change the course of
history forever. And only Zorro can stop it.

CRISIS:
John Leguizamo (Spawn, Moulin Rouge!, Assault on Precinct 13) will
star as the lead character, Bruce Lombardo, in an adaptation of the
graphic novel CRISIS, created, written and illustrated by Star Wars
artist Matt Busch. The project is currently in development at Rebel
Films. In CRISIS, the city of Detroit is filled with terror, as it
appears the Zodiac serial killer has returned with a new prophecy
after years of silence. Bruce Lombardo, special ops for the Macomb
County Sheriff Department, follows the Zodiac's encrypted puzzles
though a series of tight situations. However, Lombardo's action-
paced world turns upside down when he tragically loses his legs.
Forced to use classic methods of logic and deduction, Lombardo has a
newfound passion to catch the vicious killer, leading him to many
levels of cliffhanging excitement.

HARRY POTTER:
USA Today reports that Daniel Radcliffe, the 15-year-old who plays
Harry Potter, will definitely be back as Harry in the fifth
movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", which starts
filming next year. Radcliffe says of his role in "Goblet of Fire",
the upcoming fourth film - "Harry is more of a teenager in this
film, and he's more vulnerable to emotions." He said, "The physical
requirements were much tougher this time. Goblet is more of an
action thriller than the previous three because it centers on an
elaborate physical contest, the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

MARCO POLO
Variety reports that Warner Bros. Pictures has set KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
screenwriter William Monahan to write MARCO POLO, a historical epic
based on Polo's autobiography "Travels" that will be a star vehicle
for Matt Damon. The trade paper says a deal is being negotiated for
Damon to play Polo, who ventured farther into Asia than any
Westerner before him. His journey took 24 years, during which Polo
became a confidante of Kublai Khan and witness to many technological
advances of China and Mongolia.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Production Weekly reports that Italian helmer Gabriele Muccino has
come aboard to direct Will Smith in Columbia Pictures' THE PURSUIT
OF HAPPYNESS. The project is based on the true-life rags-to-riches
tale of investment banker Chris Gardner. Gardner's story, which
aired as a segment on ABC's 20/20 in January, has gained national
attention and was hotly pursued by several Hollywood producers and
studios. It is a real-life tale of survival over life's toughest
challenges. After a chain of circumstances left Gardner jobless and
homeless at age 30, he found himself and his baby son living in a
bathroom at a San Francisco train station. Gardner continued to
fight toward his goal of becoming a broker, eventually landing a job
as a trainee and rising through the ranks at such companies as Dean
Witter and Bear Stearns to his current standing -- partner and owner
of the Chicago-based minority brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co. and
self-made millionaire. Steve Conrad, who wrote The Weather Man,
penned the film's script. The project will begin filming in the San
Francisco area this August.

TURISTAS
According to Variety, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR star Melissa George will
join Josh Duhamel in the suspense thriller TURISTAS for 2929
Productions and Stone Village Pictures. Directed by John Stockwell,
the story centers on a group of young adventure travelers who must
cope with the aftermath of a bus accident that maroons them in a
remote Brazilian beach town. The film is scheduled to begin
principal photography in Brazil on May 25.

MORK AND MINDY
In a recent interview with SKY, Robin Williams said that he's keen
to bring MORK AND MINDY to the silver screen. "It's still a great
story and ahead of its time", says Williams. In the series, which
ran from 1978-1982, Williams played A wacky alien who comes to Earth
and falls for pretty young Mindy McConnell, played by Pam Dawber.
Producer Garry Marshall ["Happy Days"] came up with the idea of the
orignal series during a chat with an ABC exec. He introduced the
character of Mork, by way of a guest appearance, on his hit
series "Happy Days". Will Williams return in the red jump-suit
again? "I may be a little old but do aliens really age?"

STAR WARS:
Composer John Williams completes the Star Wars saga with his
stirring score for Revenge of the Sith. The signature theme that
encompasses the drama, betrayal, and excitement of the film's
climactic acts has been developed as a music video, entitled A Hero
Falls. Featuring footage from Episode III, the music chronicles
Anakin's descent to the dark side and the final confrontation with
his former mentor and friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi. A Hero Falls is also
one of 16 similar videos that are included in a bonus 70-minute DVD
that accompanies the Episode III soundtrack release from Sony
Classical. John Williams has selected the compositions that tell the
entire story of the saga in Star Wars: A Musical Journey. To watch
the music video and other video trailers for the movie, go to
http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/release/trailer/10.html.

SHREK 4:
Variety reports that Justin Timberlake will provide the voice of
Artie, King Harold's rebellious nephew, in DreamWorks' Shrek 3.
DreamWorks plans a May 2007 release for Shrek 3, which brings back
voice stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio
Banderas. DreamWorks is also reportedly working on Shrek 4, with Tim
Sullivan writing a screenplay.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

May 13-15, 2005
Motor City Comic Con
Place: Novi Expo Center
City: Novi, MI
Babylon 5 Guests: Jeffrey Combs, Jason Carter, Ken Foree
Other Guests include: Robert Beltran, Dwight Schultz, Dirk Benedict,
Gary Jones, Nana Visitor and more
For more information, go to
http://www.motorcityconventions.com/motor_city_comic_con/

May 13-15, 2005
Comics Expo 2
City: Bristol, England
Place: BRITISH EMPIRE AND COMMONWELTH EXHIBITION HALL and THE RAMADA
PLAZA
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, visit their website at
http://comicexpo.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

May 27-29, 2005
OFFICIAL STARGATE SG-1 CONVENTION TOUR
Location: London, England
Guests: Christopher Judge, Michael Shanks, Don S. Davis
For more information, go to: http://www.fansofstargate.com/

May 27-29, 2005
MARCON
Place: Hyatt Regency, Columbus OH
Media Guest: Richard Hatch
For more information, go to http://www.marcon.org/

That's about it for now. Be sure to visit the website
(http://www.isnnews.net) to get the latest in news from Babylon 5
and science fiction in general. Tell your friends about it as well.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day.
Talk to you soon,
Sandy

Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net