THE ZOCALO TODAY, May 21, 2005

WHAT'S NEW

TSUNAMI RELIEF

UCLA's Enigma club combines Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Gaming
and Real Science to bring a day of movie screenings, panels, vendors
and gaming to the University of California, Los Angeles campus on
May 28th, 2005 to benefit tsunami relief efforts.
Guests include:

* author Harlan Ellison
* Bab5 writer/producer J. Michael Stracynski
* Walter Koenig (Bester from Bab5, Chekov from the original Star
Trek)
* Conner Trinneer (Trip Tucker from Enterprise)
* Battlestar Galactica executive producer (and longtime ST
writer/producer) Ronald D. Moore
* comic book legend Len Wein
* Blizzard Entertainment's Vice President of Creative Development,
Chris Metzen
* Elfquest artist Wendy Pini
* and many, many more from the fields of movies, video game
development, comics, etc. etc.

We'll also have a free screening of Marina Sirtis' new
movie, "Spectres" (and a couple of other movies as well.) More
people are being added to the guest list, so be sure to check out
http://www.enigmacon.org to the latest information.

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI - YARD SALE - NOT OVER

There have been some fantastic items up during the JMS Yard Sale and
there are more to come. Visit
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZbabylon5auctions to see items are
listed under the seller name of "babylon5auctions". The descriptions
are as much fun to read -- as watching the selling competition. Can
you believe what the uniform jacket went for???? Items available now
for bidding include more producer's script books, Captain Gideon's
com link from CRUSADE and other props used during the series.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW
PAT TALLMAN:
Pat's sister Mary is working to make a difference -- she has signed
up to run in two triathalons in Illinois to help raise funds for
cancer research. I have posted Mary's letter out at
<http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/pat-tallman.shtml>. Read about Mary's
efforts and how you can help make a difference too.

MIRA FURLAN:
Mira will be one of the LOST guests at the LOST FAN CONVENTION in
Burbank, California, on Saturday, June 11, 2005! Others from the
cast attending will be EMILIE de RAVIN Claire Littleton - Sunday ;
JORGE GARCIA Hugo "Hurley" Reyes - Saturday; WILLIAM MAPOTHER Ethan
Rom - Saturday; JOHN TERRY Dr. Christian Shephard - Sunday, and from
the LOST Production Team: Executive Producers DAMON LINDELOF and
BRYAN BURK appearing on Sunday. For more information, go to
http://www.creationent.com/cal/lost.htm.

JOHN COPELAND:
John Copeland's ALIEN PLANET premiered May 14 at 8pm ET/PT on the
Discovery Channel. John's next special, THE SCIENCE OF STAR WARS,
aired on May 17th. For more information, go to
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/alienplanet/splash.html.

SPECIAL CAST ACTIVITIES: To learn more about what cast members are
doing away from the tube, go to CAST ACTIVITIES page.
IN MEMORY OF: While Rick (Biggs) and Tim (Choate) are no longer with
us, we will not forget their wonderful personalities and talent. Be
sure to visit http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/memory.shtml the In
Memory Of Page for more information about memorial efforts. Until we
met again, in a place where no shadows fall.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:

With most of the shows having ended for this season (there are still
a few to go), what did you think? Did you like the ending for
SMALLVILLE, CSI, ENTERPRISE – any show that you watch regularly?
Share your thoughts about how these shows ended this year. Drop a
note to sgbruckner@... and I'll post comments on the
http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/discussion.shtml Discussion Page for
everyone to share.

NEW BOOKS COMING

MOONSTONE'S KOLCHAK BOOK
Moonstone Books has announced an October release for Kolchak: The
Night Stalker Chronicles, a 320-page book with 26 new short stories
and spot illustrations.

The book coincides with the new Kolchak television series on ABC.

Contributors include Max Allan Collins, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Ed
Gorman, Elaine Bergstrom, PN Elrod, Robert Weinberg, Brett Matthews,
CJ Henderson, Mark Dawidziak, Richard Valley, James Bates, Peter
David, Chuck Dixon, Steven Grant, Mike W. Barr, Gary Phillips,Fred
Van Lente, Adi Tantimedh, Martin Powell, Clay and Susan Griffith,
James Kuhoric and Jason Henderson.

The 320-page book will measure 6" x 9" and will cost $18.95. It
features a cover by Doug Klauba.

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times #117: SMALLVILLE -- This issue looks at the fourth season
and the latest events in the lives of Clark Kent, Lex Luthor and
others. Also in this issue, STARGATE SG-1's Robert Cooper reveals
what treats are in store for the revamped, unstoppable Sci-Fi
juggernaut.

TV Zone Special #63: DOCTOR WHO: "You can wait 16 years for a new
Doctor, and then two come along. We take a sensational voyage
through the new series with a wealth of interviews and features,
plus a glimpse of things to come for David Tennant in Season 2!" THE
DEAD ZONE is coming back and This issue has an interview with
producer Robert Petrovich who reveals challenging aspects of the new
season?s shoot, and why it should appeal to new and long-term fans.

COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

AUGUST COMICS:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #523
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, penciled by Mike Deodato, cover
by Terry Dodson.
"Moving Up." It's the sensational Spider-Man versus the horrendous
hordes of Hydra as the villainous organization makes its final push
to seize control of the country! Standing in the way? Everyone's
favorite wall-crawler. But will Spidey have enough left in the tank
to take out the group of terrorists and save the day? Part 5 of 6.
32 pages, $2.50, in stores on Aug. 3.

FANTASTIC FOUR #530
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Mike McKone.
It's a reunion with destiny as the Fantastic Four once more brave
the hazards of outer space for a rendezvous with a fateful cosmic
storm ? And the secret that lies therein!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 24.

SUPREME POWER #18
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Gary Frank.
"Exhibit R: The Statement of Mark Milton." Hyperion's world is
turned upside down when his dark secret is exposed to the entire
world. But the worst is yet to come... Next month's news will blow
you away!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 31.

STRANGE: BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS TPB
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Sara "Samm" Barnes, penciled
by Brandon Peterson, cover by Peterson.
Brash young surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange is on a collision course
with destiny -- a journey that will force him to search the deepest
corners of his own heart?and the outer reaches of the cosmos!
Masters of the comic-book medium J. Michael Straczynski, Samm Barnes
and Brandon Peterson chronicle the adventures of the Master of the
Mystic Arts in the year's most highly anticipated origin story!
Collects Strange #1-6.
144 pages, $17.99.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA:
Dynamic Forces, the parent company of Dynamite Entertainment,
announced on Thursday an agreement with Universal Studios Consumer
Product Group to release comics based on the modern version of
Battlestar Galactica. The comic series will launch this fall. No
creators were announced.

"We are confident in Dynamite Entertainment's ability to develop and
distribute high-quality comics that will build off of the strength
and staying power of this great property," said Cynthia Modders,
senior vice president of sales and retail development at Universal
Studios Consumer Products Group.

Battlestar Galactica was re-imagined by Sci Fi Channel and NBC
Universal Television Studio in December 2003 in the form of a four-
hour mini-series event. Battlestar Galactica became the most-watched
cable miniseries of the year and led Sci Fi to continue with a one-
hour weekly series.

SERENITY #1
by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews & Will Conrad
This mini-series is based on Serenity - the big-budget feature
follow-up to Josh Whedon's cult-hit TV show Firefly - which follows
the story of a rag-tag crew of mercenaries, outlaws, fugitives, and
one law-abiding prostitute running across the fringes of space. The
crew of Serenity once again find themselves broke and on the wrong
side of a number of very large firearms, making the first issue a
case study in how to mix intense, Whedon-style character interaction
with cinematic action and violence.

WHAT'S NEW IN SCIENCE FICTION THIS WEEK:
Desperate Housewives 15.8
Medium 9.1
Lost 8.5
Alias 5.4
Smallville 2.8
Charmed 2.4
Enterprise 1.7
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 4/25/05 - 5/1/05.

STAR WARS:
Reuters reports that only hours after it officially opened in
theaters, STAR WARS: EPISODE III--REVENGE OF THE SITH had found its
way onto illegal file-sharing networks on the Internet in the form
of at least two pirated digital files. Sad to see the hard work of
so many being exploited in this way.

STAR WARS: EPISODE III---REVENGE OF THE SITH appears headed to
record box office, with the first midnight shows alone grossing
about $16.5 million. Variety reported approximately 2,900 of the
3,661 theaters where EPISODE III opened on May 19 screened the film
at midnight. The $16.5 million figure is for just the first shows of
the night and does not include any second or third presentations in
the early dawn hours. First day grosses are expected today.

SPIDER-MAN 3:
Variety reports that Topher Grace is joining the cast of SPIDER-MAN
3, alongside returning stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James
Franco. Thomas Haden Church has also been cast as an as-yet-unnamed
villain. Spider-Man 3 is slated to open May 4, 2007, with production
beginning early next year. Grace (That '70s Show) will also play a
Spidey nemesis, though his character is being kept under tight
wraps. SPIDER-MAN 3 will be the first movie in the Marvel franchise
in which the webslinger will face not one but two enemies. SPIDER-
MAN 3 is written by Alvin Sargent, who also penned the second entry,
and again directed by Sam Raimi.

TOP SF&F NETWORK SHOWS:
Desperate Housewives 15.8
Medium 9.1
Lost 8.5
Alias 5.4
Smallville 2.8
Charmed 2.4
Enterprise 1.7
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 4/25/05 - 5/1/05.

SPIDER-MAN 3:
Variety reports that Topher Grace is joining the cast of SPIDER-MAN
3, alongside returning stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James
Franco. Thomas Haden Church has also been cast as an as-yet-unnamed
villain. Spider-Man 3 is slated to open May 4, 2007, with production
beginning early next year. Grace (That '70s Show) will also play a
Spidey nemesis, though his character is being kept under tight
wraps. SPIDER-MAN 3 will be the first movie in the Marvel franchise
in which the webslinger will face not one but two enemies. SPIDER-
MAN 3 is written by Alvin Sargent, who also penned the second entry,
and again directed by Sam Raimi.

THE 4400
In a recent interview, Jacqueline McKenzie, who co-stars as Diana
Skouris on USA's THE 4400 said the show's upcoming second season
picks up six months after the events of the first-season finale. The
series follows Department of Homeland Security agents Skouris and
Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch of Steven Spielberg Presents Taken) as
they investigate the 4,400 people who were abducted and suddenly
return, some with mysterious mutant abilities, after having been
away for periods ranging from weeks to decades. "In terms of the
character and where I stand, she's very devoted to her work, and
there are a lot of questions that need answering," McKenzie (Deep
Blue Sea) said. "Everybody is just at the start of this huge process
of trying to unravel what's going on with the 4,400, where they've
been and why they're back and what they're trying to do with us in
the present. And we're trying to work out what messages they're
sending us." THE 4400 debuted last July on USA Network and was both
a critical and ratings success, prompting the network to commission
13 additional hours for season two. McKenzie said that she was not
too surprised that the show caught on. "When I read it, I thought it
was a very exciting piece. The concept was really, really different,
and then when I worked on it and saw what [pilot episode director]
Yves Simoneau was doing with the material, how he was shooting it, I
thought it was wonderful. And then when I saw the cut of it I just
thought it was brilliant. I thought it was very original, and I
said, 'This should be a hit.' And it was. So I wasn't so much
surprised as I was really pleased." The 4400 will begin its second
season on June 5 with a two-hour premiere, "Wake-up Call."

NIGHT SKIES:
According to Zap2It.com, Jason Connery will star in the independent
SF film NIGHT SKIES, playing the sole survivor of a group of six
campers who have what seems to be an alien encounter in Arizona. The
film also stars A.J. Cook, Ashley Peldon, George Stulz, Joe Sikora
and Gwendolyn Yeo.

X-MEN 3:
Avi Arad, Marvel entertainment chief announced that that Kelsey
Grammer will plays Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy/Beast in the upcoming
third X-Men film and also confirmed earlier reports that Vinnie
Jones has signed to play the villainous Juggernaut. Grammer, best
known to audiences as TV's Frasier Crane, will play the blue-furred
biochemist, whose strength and agility are matched by his genius
intellect. Beast will play a prominent role in the third X-Men film,
whose story is being kept under wraps. Casting will be announced in
a matter of days for two new mutant characters: the winged Angel and
Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, who can phase through solid matter. Both
roles will be played by North American actors, Arad said in an
interview. Variety reported that Maggie Grace (ABC's Lost) was in
talks to play Kitty Pryde. Shooting begins in Vancouver, B.C. in
July, with an eye to a release on Memorial Day 2006. The film will
bring back the main cast from the previous two films, including
Halle Berry, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Patrick Stewart and Ian
McKellen, Arad said. "Everybody's coming back," he said,
adding: "And Matthew Vaughn [Layer Cake] brings a lot of fresh air
to the table. Very, very smart filmmaker. He's working on the script
with the screenwriters, with Zak [Penn] and Simon [Kinberg], and all
of us are very involved in it. This is, I'm telling you, ...
huge. ... It's better than one and two combined. That's a big
statement. ... The main concept, the theme of the movie, it's just
scary, brilliant and thought-provoking."

THE RIDDLER DIES:
Frank Gorshin, who is best known for his role as the Riddler on the
BATMAN TV series, has died at age 72. Gorshin was on the show, which
ran form 1966 to 1969. He described the experience as a catalyst for
him. "But after I did that, I became a headliner in Vegas, so I
can't put it down," he told the Associated Press in 2002. Adam West
said in a statement, "Frank will be missed. He was a friend and
fascinating character." Gorshin's final performance will be
broadcast on Thursday's CBS series CSI.

CSI: THE MOVIE?
Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of CSI, told CSIFiles.com that he is
thinking of taking the crime franchise to the big screen. In an
interview with the Australian Sun-Herald, Zuiker said, "I hope that
comes true because I have some ideas about that. I can't really
verbalize them, but I think there's a way to make it work." Zuiker
also discusses the on going rumors about CSI star William Petersen
wanting to leave the show, at first just saying that Petersen has
been very important to the franchise, but then adding that "the show
will go on, [and] whether we lose actors or not, the concept will
move forward."

FANTASTIC FOUR:
Yahoo! Movies has already posted the new FANTASTIC FOUR trailer in
both QuickTime and Windows Media format. The trailer will play in
theaters with "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith," which
opens at midnight. SoundtrackNet has up coverage of the FANTASTIC
FOUR scoring session as well.

SERENITY/FIREFLY:
Creator of TV's FIREFLY and its upcoming movie, SERENITY -- Joss
Whedon, has penned a prequel comic series, based in part on an
animated project that never got off the ground. The three-issue Dark
Horse Serenity miniseries hits comic shops on July 6. (See COMICS
section for a preview.) "We had talked about doing an animated
Serenity prequel, because Universal was into that," Whedon said in
an interview. "Brett Matthews [Whedon's comic co-writer] and I
worked on a story, and then Universal decided not to go ahead with
the project. We thought, 'Well, we have exactly the story we want to
tell, and it's almost like a prequel to the Serenity movie.' And so
we said, 'Comics might be the place to tell this story.'" The
Serenity comics tell the story of a heist gone wrong and old enemies
out for revenge. Along the way Capt. Malcolm Reynolds (played in the
film by Nathan Fillion) finds himself the target of a conspiracy
between government and mercenary forces, and Reynolds' ragtag crew
must try to unite behind their compromised leader. The comics will
feature art by Will Conrad and Laura Martin. Each issue will also
feature three different covers by such top artists as John Cassaday,
J.G. Jones, Bryan Hitch, Joe Quesada, Josh Middleton and Jo Chen.
Whedon said that it was a challenge to bring the Firefly/Serenity
universe to the printed page. "You want everybody who has never seen
the show to be able to enter this universe and get these
characters," Whedon said. "But the big challenge was to find a
compelling reason to put this between covers. We wanted to tell an
adventure about these people that doesn't just say, 'They did this,
and then they shot at these guys.' We needed a story that would let
you know something about these characters that you might not already
know." Will there be future Serenity comics? "It all depends,"
Whedon said. "The comic is kind of a bridge between the TV show and
the movie. For the truly faithful, this comic will take them from
one place to the other. Hopefully it will be fun for those who never
got into the TV show and don't know much about the movie. If the
film does well, then there might be interest in more comics. If the
movie doesn't do so well, and the comic is a big hit, that might be
the place where the Serenity story will be told from now on." The
big-screen Serenity, which Whedon wrote and directed, hits theaters
on Sept. 30.

THE WB CHANGES:
The WB announced that it will move SMALLVILLE to Thursdays at 8:00
p.m. ET/PT, and add the SF series SUPERNATURAL to its fall lineup on
Tuesdays at 9 p.m. The frog network has renewed CHARMED for an
eighth season. In its new timeslot, SMALLVILLE will go head-to-head
with ABC's ALIAS, which also moves to Thursdays at 8 in the fall.

SUPERNATURAL
SUPERNATURAL will star Jared Padalecki (House of Wax) and Jensen
Ackles (Smallville, Dark Angel) as brothers seeking out evil in dark
alleys and small towns all across America. It launches in a timeslot
that has proven to be good luck for the network -- Tuesday at
9:00pm. "Nine o'clock Tuesday for The WB has been by far the most
prolific time slot for launching new hits such as Dawson's Creek,
Felicity, Angel, Smallville and One Tree Hill," WB Entertainment
president David Janollari said from the stage at Madison Square
Garden. "From the minute [co-executive producers] Eric Kripke
[Boogeyman] and McG [Charlie's Angels] pitched us Supernatural, we
thought it could be our next breakout hit. When David Nutter
[Smallville, Dark Angel], the preeminent director in this genre,
came on board to direct and executive produce, we knew we had
something special."

CHARITY AUCTION:
Fans of Stargate SG-1 star Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) are
sponsoring an online auction of collectibles and autographed
memorabilia to benefit charity. The auction is sponsored by the
Michael Shanks Online Web site to benefit one of Shanks' favorite
charities, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

LABYRINTH:
Warners announced yesterday that Warner Bros. Pictures International
has acquired distribution rights for Spain and Latin American to
Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," scheduled to begin
production in the summer for a 2006 theatrical release. The Spanish-
language horror drama will be produced by Telecinco via its
production arm Estudios Picasso, headed by Alvaro Augustin, and new
Spanish company OMM, formed by Alfonso Cuaron, del Toro and Frida
Torresblanco. Set to star are Sergi Lopez and Maribel Verdu in a
story that takes place during Spain's Franco era. The deal reunites
the studio with Cuaron, who directed "Harry Potter and the Prisoner
of Azkaban."

THRESHOLD:
Tis the season when network begin greenlighting new series for the
coming year. Variety reports that CBS has given the go-ahead to the
SF drama THRESHOLD, depicting how the government responds to an
alien threat. BLADE: TRINITY director David S. Goyer and Harry
Potter producer David Heyman are among the producers on the hourlong
drama, which also includes former Star Trek: Enterprise co-creator
Brannon Braga.

GHOST WHISPERER
CBS is ordering THE GHOST WHISPERER, an hour inspired by self-
described psychic James Van Praagh, in which Jennifer Love Hewitt
plays a young newlywed who talks to the dead. CBS will announce its
schedule to advertisers in New York this week.

SCARLETT:
According to TrekToday, Lifetime Television has ordered a pilot for
SCARLETT, a new series developed by former Star Trek: The Next
Generation writers Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Hans Beimler, about an
Anne Rice-like gothic horror writer who moves into an old mansion in
New Orleans and finds her fictional characters coming to life, or so
she thinks.

FATHOM:
FATHOM, an action-adventure drama with a genre twist, has made the
cut and will air as part of NBC's 2005-2006 fall television slate.
Ever wonder what life would be like if a new form of sea life began
to appear in locales all over the earth? In this expansive drama,
those who are about to find out include some naval officers in the
South Antarctic Sea, a family in San Diego, scientists from the
Oceanographic Institute in Monterey, and fishermen in the Gulf of
Mexico. The seemingly innocent creatures they find are beautiful and
kids may even want to play with them -- but is there something more
to them? One thing's for sure - they're full of surprises as viewers
can embark on this unfathomable journey to discover what might be
lurking in the sea. NBC made the announcement as part of its upfront
presentation to advertisers in New York on May 16. Created by Josh
and Jonas Pate of GvsE renown, Fathom stars Lake Bell (Boston
Legal), Jay R. Ferguson (Judging Amy), Rade Serbedzija (Batman
Begins) and Carter Jenkins (Unfabulous). NBC will launch FATHOM in
the fall, running the show at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Mondays and using it
as the lead-in to Las Vegas and Medium.

E-RING:
"CSI" Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Oscar-nominated Director Taylor
Hackford, and actors Benjamin Bratt and Dennis Hopper join forces in
this pulsating drama set inside the nation's ultimate fortress: the
Pentagon. It's a hub of highly explosive conflicts between American
military heroes and the civilians to whom they report -- a world
where crises can escalate into life-and-death climaxes, for
individuals or entire nations. Viewers witness critical decisions by
intelligence officers in the war room and the execution of these
decisions by covert special ops on the battlefield. The number-one
mission is survival of the state - an often-delicate balance between
protecting the homeland and protecting either all of mankind or the
life of a lone soldier.

SCI FI CHANNEL NEW SEASON

July 15 -- Put this date on your calendar! New episodes of STARGATE
ATLANTIS, STARGATE SG-1 and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA premiere on that
date -- SCI FI Fridays returns.

STARGATE SG-1 returns for a ninth season with new cast members Ben
Browder (Farscape), Emmy winner Beau Bridges, Oscar winner Lou
Gossett Jr. and former The X-Files star Mitch Pileggi. Bridges will
also appear in several episodes of STARGATE ATLANTIS. Gossett and
Browder's Farscape co-star Claudia Black join the cast of SG-1 in
recurring roles, and former Baywatch star Jason Momoa joins the cast
of Stargate Atlantis.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA comes back for a second season, with the entire
ensemble cast returning: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee
Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park.
Also resuming their roles are executive producer and writer Ronald
D. Moore and executive producer David Eick.

On July 27, SCI FI unveils a new SCI FI Wednesday block, starting at
8 p.m. ET with the new reality series MASTER BLASTERS. Does your
hobby require an FAA launch window? The new show pits crews of
amateur rocket scientists against SCI FI's Master Blasters, a team
headed by father-and-son rocket men Dan and Terry Stroud. The Master
Blasters team and their opposition are challenged to a space race of
a different kind: design, build and launch some very bizarre things
into the stratosphere.

At 9 p.m. GHOST HUNTERS is back for a second season. At 10 p.m., the
computer-animated TRIPPING THE TRIFT returns for year two, with the
addition of Carmen Electra in the role of the sexy, brilliant love
slave Six. Reprising their roles in the second season are Stephen
Root, Maurice LaMarche, Gayle Garfinkle, Rick Jones and John
Melendez.

DICK TRACY:
According to Variety, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Outlaw Productions
partners Bobby Newmyer and Scott Strauss have teamed in a deal with
the Tribune Co. to resurrect DICK TRACY and make him the centerpiece
of a TV series. But whether Tribune really has rights to DICK TRACY
is the subject of a lawsuit filed last week by Warren Beatty, who
claims he has rights to the comic book character. Nonetheless, the
producers are proceeding as though they have properly obtained
legitimate rights from Tribune. They plan to set a writer and then
approach studios with a contemporary take on the classic square-
jawed cop. While Beatty's 1990 film stayed in period mode, di
Bonaventura and Strauss want to give the TV series a contemporary
feel, comparable to what SMALLVILLE has done with the Superman
franchise. If the TV show works, they'll look to exploit the brand
with a feature.

THE HISTORIAN:
According to Variety, Sony Pictures Entertainment has bought the
film rights to the vampire tale THE HISTORIAN, Elizabeth Kostova's
upcoming first novel. Red Wagon partners Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher
will produce. The novel, to be published on June 14, centers on a
young woman who searches Europe for her missing father, who took on
the challenge of locating the grave of Vlad the Impaler, the
bloodthirsty feudal lord who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Along
the way, she comes across a slew of bloodsuckers who try to stop
her.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE:
MONSTER-IN-LAW took the number one spot at the box office this
weekend with a take of $24 million. Will Ferrell's KICKING AND
SCREAMING took the number two spot with $20.9 million worth of
ticket sales. Jet Li's UNLEASHED came in at number three with a take
$10.6 million. And the psychological thriller MINDHUNTERS had a
dismal opening with only $2 million worth of ticket sales. KINGDOM
OF HEAVEN fell to the No. 4 spot with a box office take of $9.6
million. Here are the top ten films at the box office this past
weekend:
1. Monster-in-Law - $24 million
2. Kicking & Screaming - $20.9 million
3. Unleashed Rogue Pictures - $10.6 million
4. Kingdom of Heaven - $9.6 million ($35 million)
5. Crash - $7.2 million ($19.8 million)
6. House of Wax -$6.3 million ($21.6 million)
7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - $4.8 million ($43.3
million)
8. The Interpreter - $4.38 million ($60.95 million)
9. XXX: State of the Union - $2.2 milllion ($24.4 million)
10. Mindhunters - $2 million

ICE STATION ZEBRA:
Do you remember this gripping thriller with Rock Hudson and Patrick
McGoohan? It appears a remake is in the offing. And Colin Farrell is
interested. Says Farrell, "The cinema's been missing seat-gripping
films like this. It's still a classic and I've always loved Rock. I
can't wait to get going on this one." Farrell would play a sub
commander on a perilous mission who must ferret out a Soviet agent
on his ship. The original film was based on the book by Alistair
MacLean.

RISE:
Michael Chiklis, 'The Thing' in the upcoming FANTASTIC FOUR, is
about to sign as the male lead in Sam Raimi's Ghost House thriller
RISE. The TV copper turned Cinematic superhero will play
a "detective tracking the same cult of Undead that left Lucy's
character in the morgue". Sebastian Gutierrez will direct the
project - which gets underway this Summer.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

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/

June 3-5, 2005
Wizard World, Philadelphia
Place: Philadelphia, PA
Site: Pennsylvania Convention Center
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
Other Guests: Jeremy Bulloch, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew (Star Wars)
For more information, visit
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/conventions/philadelphia.cfm

June 4-5, 2005
FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS
Place: Burbank Airport Hilton and Convention Center
Guests: Rob Zombie, Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Campbell, Wes Craven,
Tobe Hooper, Jennifer Tilly, Kelly Stables and many more
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/dod.htm.

June 11-12, 2005
LOST FAN CONVENTION
Place: Burbank, CA
Guests: EMILIE de RAVIN Claire Littleton - Sunday ; JORGE GARCIA
Hugo "Hurley" Reyes - Saturday; MIRA FURLAN Danielle Rousseau -
Saturday; WILLIAM MAPOTHER Ethan Rom - Saturday; JOHN TERRY Dr.
Christian Shephard - Sunda, and from the LOST Production Team:
Executive Producers DAMON LINDELOF and BRYAN BURK appearing on
Sunday.
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/lost.htm

June 25-26, 2005
THE OFFICIAL BATTLESTAR: GALACTICA Convention
Place: The Burbank Airport Hilton Hotel
Guests: KATEE SACKHOFF (LT. KARA ?STARBUCK? THRACE), JAMIE BAMBER
(CAPTAIN LEE ?APOLLO? ADAMA), JAMES CALLIS (DOCTOR GAIUS BALTAR),
TRICIA HELFER (Number Six), RONALD D. MOORE (Executive Producer/
Show Developer) and GABRIEL KOERNER (Visual effects Artist)
For more information, go to
http://www.creationent.com/cal/bsgbur.htm

June 25-26, 2005
LONDON FILM & COMIC CON
Location: London, England
Guests: to be announced
For more information, go to: http://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/

That's it for now. Be sure to drop over to the website
(http://www.isnnews.net) when you have a chance. It is updated
daily with whatever news I can find that I think you'll be
interested to read.

If you have suggestions for discussion topics – areas where you
would like more concentration – reviews of books, movies, DVDs,
etc., please send them along to share with readers of THE ZOCALO
TODAY.

I hope you all have a marvelous weekend.
Take care.
Sandy

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