THE ZOCALO TODAY – October 28, 2006

BABYLON: THE LOST TALES UPDATE

Update from JMS:
Date: 10/26/2006 1:01:01 AM
Well, tomorrow I head back to LA for meetings on other projects for
two days, then it's back to Vancouver again on Sunday to continue
prep. So far everything's laying out very cleanly. We have an EFX
house on board now, which was the last big step to be undertaken. It
wasn't until the last day or so that we could really get into the CGI
issues, which are huge on these stories.

And in regard to that...the initial goal was to try and do three big
stories in one DVD. So I wrote three scripts, featuring Sheridan,
Lochley, Galen and Garibaldi. (I wanted to focus on the human
characters initially so we'd have more time for prosthetics R&D for
the next one.) The stories, as noted previously, were huge...all over
the map, from Minbar, to Earth, Mars, the future, the distant past, as
well as B5 itself obviously. We're also going to be trying some new
production technologies, again trying to stay ahead of the tech curve,
the way B5 has always stayed ahead on these things.

And over the last few days, as we began to bring on crew and lay out
the production, looking at just how complicated these mini-movies were
going to be, the idea of making three of these monsters began to
become a bit much for us to pull off on out first time out the gate,
especially since I'm still kind of new as a director. So we decided to
postpone one of the three to the next DVD, and lengthen the other two
to make up the difference. Given that the Garibaldi story was the most
complicated visually and technically, also the most difficult from a
CGi perspective, that's the one that got pushed until, potentially,
next time.

And if the sales are anywhere near what WB expects, and I think they
will be, there's no question that there will be more of these down the
road. So we're gong to focus in on those two stories and knock them
out of the park. Same length, same running time, and now even bigger
than at first anticipated since the budget on number three will now be
applied to the other two.

Part of what we're doing is to re-think the look of B5 to some degree.
The show was created using 1993 technology, video toasters and amigas,
and was to some extent limited by the paradigms and production methods
we used in that. But it's now 13 years later, and while I will keep
the feel of the show the same, and the silhouettes and designs,
there's no reason to limit the look of the feel to what we could do
six years ago (from when we stopped). So we're going to invest a lot
of time, effort and money into really re-imagining some of the visuals
at the present level -- looking at shows like Battlestar and the like
-- and bringing those tools into B5 while still maintaining the feel
of the show.

I also managed to work in a nice nod to Andreas and Richard in the two
mini-movies.

So with that...the team is now in place, the last personnel have been
hired, and as soon as I get back to Vancouver, I get to take off the
producer's hat and put on the director's hat.

Babylon Podcast: Show #38
by Summer —
Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Jeffrey's staying in Buffalo this week, in search of snow that's oddly
missing. Typically, the snow hits several hours after he leaves town.
What we don't know is why Jeff's causing snow to fall everywhere, but
only after he leaves town. Tim and Summer can only giggle at the
unique predicament. The crew also fuels the "Lost Tales" rumor mills,
as best as the most insatiably curious fans can. We aren't helping one
bit… yet.

Tim and Summer continue the Season 2 episode discussion with
"Revelations", a busy yet important episode, in that many secrets from
the first season are brought to light, and the seeds for more secrets
are sown.

G'Kar is still on a mission to uncover what really happened in
Quadrant 37, and barely escapes with his life; Delenn emerges from her
cocoon, a completely different being from the one who entered it;
Garibaldi is awakened from his coma still unaware of who shot him or
whether the plot he stumbled across was foiled; Sheridan's sister
arrives with an unrevealed message from the past, and all of that
merely scratches the surface of what happens in this episode.
Tim and Summer debate and discuss what they can before time runs out.
Go to Babylon Podcast to listen to all of the previous broadcasts or
visit Podcasts for the collection.

CALENDARS

ONE-TIME ONLY SALE: $5 off all calendars through Saturday only.

We just launched our 2007 calendars and the quality this year is top
notch. We're talking thick, glossy paper hung on a durable coil
binding (read "no staples").

For the first time we are offering a concept art calendar, which is
oversized, in addition to an ALL- NEW quote calendar with 12
completely fresh quotes.

BABYLON 5 CONCEPT ART ITEMS
*13 new quotes (and they all use the B5 font)
* $1.99 buttons
* $2.99 magnets
* License plate frames
* Declaration of Principles posters
* B5 Concept Logo clock
...and quote mugs with a completely fresh look.

SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINES

Cult Times #134: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Jamie Bamber talks about Lee
'Apollo' Adama and what lies ahead for his character. SMALLVILLE's
Michael Rosenbaum looks back at the encroaching darkness in Lex
Luthor's life as he prepares for a sixth year playing the billionaire
playboy. Will he finally turn evil? CHARMED's Brian Krause takes a
look back at eight seasons of magical mayhem, and the man who played
Leo through most of the show's run. Anthony Michael Hall from THE DEAD
ZONE reveals how playing Johnny Smith has made him a better actor, and
looks forward to fresh challenges in the sixth season of the
Supernatural show

STARBURST #343: TORCHWOOD EXCLUSIVE - Executive producer Julie Gardner
chats about the making of the exciting new Doctor Who spin-off series
starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles. Star Trek 40th Anniversary –
Producer Sky Conway talks about the making of the celebratory
three-part Trek series for the web which reunites stars of the
original show, including Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and many
more! STARGATE: Producer N John Smith discusses the future of the
franchise with Atlantis, and looks ahead to the final episodes of SG-1
after its 10 year run! CASINO ROYALE - Go behind the scenes with stunt
co-ordinator Gary Powell on the shooting of an action- packed sequence
for the latest in the James Bond series!

TV Zone #208: STARGATE - In the last days of production on Stargate
SG-1, producers and writers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie talk about
the hard decisions they're having to make about the future direction
of Stargate Atlantis. HOUSE - Hugh Laurie, the British star who's made
it big in America as the irascible medic, talks about the problem of
pain, and how he's adjusting to playing one role for so long…

WHAT'S NEW IN SCIENCE FICTION THIS WEEK:

BE SURE TO ADJUST YOUR CLOCKS TONIGHT
We in the U.S. move into Standard Time tonight, reclaiming the hour of
sleep lost this spring.

JERICHO
Todays news actually makes the story of JERICHO more compelling. With
North Korea's weapons testing in the news, the drama of JERICHO seems
quite timely and I have to admit, it has made me think about what I
have in the house and how we would react in the situation faced by the
characters in JERICHO. Executive producer Jon Turteltaub does admit
that his aim is to create intriguing stories that come via an
examination of the way that the different characters -- survivors left
isolated in a small Kansas town -- react in a crisis situation. It's
those choices -- many of which have arisen as a result of "societal
conventions being stripped away" -- that intrigue Turteltaub, a
feature film director who helmed "National Treasure" and next directs
its sequel, as he gets deeper into his first foray into television.

ARTHUR HILL DIES
Many of you will remember Arthur Hill from different roles he
portrayed over the years. For SF fans, he credits include The
Andromeda Strain, Something Wicked This Way Comes and One Magic
Christmas. Other roless were "Owen Marshall" -- co-starring with Lee
Majors back in 1971-74. He was also a Tony winner in 1962 for his
performance as George in the original production of Edward Albee's
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" He played the embattled character
for 15 months on Broadway and an additional three months in London.
The list of credits goes on and on. He died Sunday at a Pacific
Palisades, Calif., care facility after a long battle with Alzheimer's
disease.

NUMBER THIRTEEN
According to Production Weekly, Ben Kingsley will join Ewan McGregor,
Emily Mortimer and Dan Fogler in the indie thriller "Number Thirteen"
which Chase Palmer wrote and will direct. The film is a fictional
mystery surrounding Alfred Hitchcock's lost and unfinished first film,
"Number Thirteen." Fogler will play the young director, who gets
caught up in a Hitchcockian dilemma when he ends up in a love triangle
with two crew members while making the film. When the lead actor turns
up dead, the editor suspects the director and tries to uncover the
truth. Shooting begins in February.

BLUR
According to the Hollywood Reporter, veteran writer-producer Rockne S.
O'Bannon has teamed with producer Warren Littlefield and reality
wizards Magical Elves for BLUR, a fantasy drama project set up at ABC
and Touchstone TV. O'Bannon (SCI FI Channel's THE TRIANGLE) has also
sold a one-hour spec script titled PRINCE, about a malevolent but
intelligent dog, to Showtime. BLUR is set behind the scenes of a
company that specializes in creating elaborate fantasies for its
clients. It is inspired by the real-life company Vascorp, whose
executives are expected to receive executive-consultant credits on the
show. PRINCE is described as the "anti-Lassie," about a family with a
brilliant but evil dog. In addition to picking up the O'Bannon spec,
Showtime has ordered a second script of the project, which O'Bannon is
writing and executive-producing. O'Bannon wrote the 1988 feature ALIEN
NATION, which spawned a slew of TV movies and a TV series. He also
created SCI FI's FARSCAPE.

STAR WARS WEEKEND – NOVEMBER 10
Cinemax will air all six of the Star Wars films in order during a
"Cinemax Star Wars Weekend Marathon," starting at midnight Nov. 10,
and will broadcast all of the films for the first time in
high-definition versions.

THE KEEP
Variety reports that StillKing Films has acquired film rights to
Jennifer Egan's supernatural novel THE KEEP, with Ehren Kruger (THE
RING) set to adapt. THE KEEP, published by Knopf in August, is a
supernatural thriller set in a haunted castle in which a woman is
seduced by a mysterious prisoner. StillKing is a Prague-based
financing and production outfit that's served as co-producer on
projects including the latest James Bond movie, CASINO ROYALE, as well
as THE ILLUSIONIST, VAN HELSING and other films. Kruger and Daniel
Bobker will produce the project, along with StillKing's Matthew
Stillman; the banner's production president, David Minkowski,
executive-produces.

GUIDLING LIGHT SUPER HERO
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Comics has partnered with
CBS' daytime soap opera GUIDING LIGHT to produce an episode in which a
character is zapped by an electrical current and becomes infused with
superpowers, including the ability to levitate and to conduct
electricity. The episode, set to air Nov. 1, involves the show's
Harley Davidson Cooper character, played by Beth Ehlers. As part of
the deal, Marvel will produce an eight-page insert for some of its top
comic titles that involves Marvel characters descending on Light's
fictional town of Springfield to determine whether the new superhero
is friend or foe.

FEAR.NET
FEARnet, a multimedia horror movie service, launches appropriately
enough this coming Halloween. Called "the first multiplatform horror
network," FEARnet will offer more than 1,000 horror movies from the
Sony and Lionsgate libraries as video on demand, online and over
mobile devices. Among the network's offerings: Bram Stoker's Dracula,
Flatliners, Night of the Living Dead, Swamp Thing, Texas Chainsaw: The
Next Generation, Single White Female, Children of the Living Dead and
The Blob. FEARnet On Demand will feature about 200 titles a year, with
more than 70 hours of programming a month. Online, FEARnet.com will
offer a video-rich environment packed with free movies, interactive
community features and fresh original content. FEARnet.com will also
offer nine free feature-length films and 200 shorts for free
streaming, as well as more than 50 downloadable movies to buy or rent
a month. On mobile devices, users can visit mobile.FEARnet.com or
wap.FEARnet.com, a WAP-enabled Web site for mobile access, which
includes news, reviews and real-time polling.

THE CLEANER
According to Production Weekly, Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to
play the lead role in a thriller named THE CLEANER. The script,
written by Matthew Aldrich, centers on Jackson's character Tom, an
extremely hygienic man who uses this urge in his professional life as
a crime scene cleaner. When he somehow becomes involved in a job he
later finds out was a covered up murder, he gets tied in to a web of
deception, that unearth his own family's long buried pain and secrets.
Seven weeks of continuous filming is set to kick off this coming January.

MARVEL STAMPS
The U.S. Post Office has released a look at it's upcoming Marvel
stamps. The stamps will complement those previously released for DC.
Each hero has one cameo stamp and another showcasing a single issue in
the characters history. Characters include: Spider-Man, the Hulk,
Namor, the Thing, Captain America, Silver Surfer, Spider-Woman, Iron
Man, Elektra, and Wolverine.

LOST/FIREFLY-SERENITY
SERENITY star Nathan Fillion guest-stars on the Nov. 8 episode of
ABC's LOST, "I Do," which also marks the decision by Kate (Evangeline
Lilly) to hook up with either Jack (Matthew Fox) or Sawyer (Josh
Holloway). Fillion will play a character named Kevin in the episode,
which is the last new one for a while as the series takes a 13-week
hiatus, returning in February. In "I Do," Jack makes a decision
regarding Ben's (Michael Emerson) offer, Kate feels helpless when it
looks like an angry Pickett (Michael Bowen) is going to make good on
his threat to kill Sawyer, and Locke (Terry O'Quinn) discovers a
hidden message that may guide him through the next steps on his
journey to unlocking the secrets of the island. "I Do" was written by
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed by Tucker Gates. It airs
at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

MEDIUM
NBC's MEDIUM returns at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Nov. 15 with a two-hour season
premiere, "Four Dreams," which will feature guest star Thomas Jane,
the real-life husband of star Patricia Arquette. Jane will play Clay
Bicks, an old lover of Allison's (Arquette), a danger-loving
photographer who, in the moment after his own death, is delivered to
Allison's door, unaware that he has died. Clay then takes up residence
in the Dubois house, which does not sit well with Allison's husband,
Joe (Jake Weber). The season premiere will feature animation by Van
Partible (Johnny Bravo), which makes up the dreams of Allison's
daughter Bridgette (Maria Lark). "Four Dreams" is written by creator
and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron and co-executive producer
Javier Grillo-Marxuach (formerly of Lost). Following the premiere,
MEDIUM movies into its new timeslot, Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Variety reports that Fox Animation will adapt Roald Dahl's classic
children's book FANTASTIC MR. FOX into a film that will mix several
forms of animation, primarily stop-motion. Wes Anderson and Noah
Baumbach adapted the book; Anderson will direct and produce with Scott
Rudin. The book tells the story of a fox who uses his wits and cunning
to outfox three dimwitted farmers who tire of sharing their chickens.
The project was originally bought by Joe Roth and Revolution Studios
in 2004. When Revolution folded, Fox Animation president Chris
Meledandri moved in on the project. FOX marks the director's first
feature foray into animation. Anderson plans to make Fox in England.

HOUDINI
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Walden Media has attached Mark
Waters to develop an adventure film about a 14-year-old boy who
discovers he is a descendant of Harry Houdini. The film centers on a
young boy, who upon hearing the news of his lineage, embarks on a
journey to unravel the secrets of Houdini's past, uncovering a legacy
the famed magician was trying to protect. "Houdini has exerted a
fascination on people for the last hundred years," said Jason Hoffs,
who will be producing with his wife. "The movie takes place in the
present, but our lead character and the audience will learn some of
the secrets of what Houdini was really up to." A screenwriter has yet
to be picked for the film.

LORD OF THE RINGS
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that MGM is attempting to acquire the
full rights to produce two prequel films to THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The
news came from MGM's chief operating officer Rick Sands at the
ShowEast Icon Awards. There is no information about how far along or
likely a deal is, only that MGM is in discussions with New Line
Cinema. Sands also said the fourth TERMINATOR film would be called,
"Terminator blah blah, not Four. It's like the 'Batman' or 'Superman'
franchise in that it lends itself to having different actors in the
roles."

NEW CSI CAST MEMBER
Liev Schreiber, star of "The Omen 666" and "The Manchurian Candidate,"
has agreed to play a recurring role on the hit series. Schreiber will
play a seasoned CSI who has established a strong reputation in various
police departments across the country before joining the veteran team
at the Las Vegas Crime Lab. He will first appear in the series'
twelfth episode, to be broadcast in January 2007 on the CBS Television
Network. "I'm a huge Liev Schreiber fan. On stage or in film, I think
he's one of the finest actors of his generation," says Carol
Mendelsohn, executive producer of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
"We first sat down with Liev earlier this summer to discuss the
possibility of him appearing as a recurring character on CSI. We knew
it was a long shot, he really doesn't do television. But he was
patient and I think amused, as we promised that we'd create a
character for him that he couldn't refuse to play. Excitingly for us,
he collaborated in this process. And we've got a wonderful, complex
character as a result. Everyone at CSI -- writers, cast, crew -- is
honored to have him on the show and is looking forward to working with
him." "After meeting the people who run CSI, it immediately becomes
apparent why it has consistently been one of the top shows on
television. I am a fan, how could I say no?" says Schreiber.

LOST/DAY BREAK
After the November 8 episode, LOST will go into a 13-week hiatus --
returning for the second half of its third season on Feb. 7. LOST will
be replaced by the SF series DAY BREAK in the Wednesday 9 p.m.
timeslot, starting Nov. 15. The two-part season is designed to avoid
last season's midseason reruns. When LOST returns in February, it will
have 16 weeks of uninterrupted episodes.

BEOWULF 3-D
Variety reports that Robert Zemeckis' upcoming computer-animated
BEOWULF will be projected in 3-D at more than 1,000 theaters when it's
released in November 2007. The film, making use of 3-D motion-capture
digital technology, will be released through Paramount and Warner
Brothers and will take advantage of digital 3-D projection technology
used recently on MONSTER HOUSE, CHICKEN LITTLE and last weekend's
re-release of Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. The 3-D
release will take place on the same day as the BEOWULF release in
35mm. Zemeckis' POLAR EXPRESS, which was shot with similar motion-
capture technology, was a hit in IMAX 3-D in 2004 and in a re-release
during last year's holiday season. BEOWULF is based on the
12th-century Anglo-Saxon epic poem.

INKHEART
According to Variety, Andy Serkis, Helen Mirren, Rafi Gavron and
Sienna Guillory have joined the cast of New Line's upcoming family
fantasy film INKHEART, based on the first book of Cornelia Funke's
fantasy trilogy. They join star Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany and Jim
Broadbent in the tale of a father who brings characters from books to
life by reading stories aloud to his daughter. Serkis (The Lord of the
Rings) will play the villain, Capricorn. Mirren (The Queen) will
portray book collector Elinor Loredan. Iain Softley is directing
INKHEART from a screenplay by David Lindsay-Abaire. New Line recently
signed Barry Mendel to produce, along with Funke. Diana Pokorny is
executive-producing. Production begins next month in Italy and then
shifts to London.

THE REAPING - CAUTION REQUIRED
Warner Brothers has posted a promotion for its upcoming supernatural
film THE REAPING in which users can send friends a "plague" to
infiltrate their computer screens with frogs, lice, locusts, boils,
thunder and hail or blood, in keeping with the film's themes of the
Biblical plagues; THE REAPING opens March 30, 2007.

THE DARK IS RISING
Reports in Variety indicate that David Cunningham (The Path to 9/11)
has been tapped to direct THE DARK IS RISING, a fantasy film based on
Susan Cooper's book series. The film is being produced under the
co-financing alliance between Walden Media (The Chronicles of Narnia)
and 20th Century Fox reached in August. THE DARK IS RISING is part of
Cooper's five-book series, focusing on a youth who discovers at age 11
that he's a Sign Seeker, the last of a group of immortals dedicated to
fighting a growing presence of dark forces. Cunningham has already
headed to Romania, where he'll prep the film for an early 2007 start
and a Sept. 28, 2007, release.

GODZILLA
Classic Media will release new DVD editions of Mothra vs. Godzilla and
Godzilla Raids Again exclusively online, starting Nov. 7, well before
the discs hit retail store shelves next spring. Each title will
include both the original Japanese and American versions of the films;
special features will include audio commentaries, featurettes, poster
slide shows and English subtitles for the Japanese versions. GODZILLA
RAIDS AGAIN is the 1955 sequel to the original Godzilla movie and was
rushed to the theaters six months after the release of the first film.
Two new monsters emerged: the first similar to the original Godzilla,
which was killed by the oxygen destroyer in the first film, and a
second, spiny dinosaur called Anguirus. The massive battle begins on
Iwato Island, tumbles into the ocean and resurfaces on Osaka,
threatening to level the city under the monsters' rage. Mothra vs.
Godzilla was released in the United States in 1964 as Godzilla vs. The
Thing and was the fourth installment in the Godzilla series. This
sequel is considered by many fans as one of the best of the series.
When a giant egg washes up on the shores of Tokyo after a typhoon,
greedy businessmen seize the opportunity to exhibit the item at an
amusement park for profit. The shobijin, fairies from Infant Island,
come to plea for the egg's return to its rightful owner, Mothra, but
the men refuse the request. Soon, Godzilla awakens and begins a trek
across Tokyo, heading straight for Mothra's egg.

MOON KNIGHT
Variety reports that Marvel Studios has pacted with Vancouver-based
production company No Equal Entertainment to develop a live-action TV
series based on the cult-favorite comic book superhero MOON KNIGHT.
The series will follow soldier of fortune Marc Spector as he becomes
the titular vigilante after an encounter with the Egyptian god of
vengeance and moon deity.

HEROES
Reports in Variety reports indicate that NBC's HEROES delivered its
best ratings to date on Monday night:
According to preliminary nationals from Nielsen, "Heroes" (6.2
rating/15 share in adults 18-49, 14.3 million viewers overall) was up
nearly 10% week to week to log the highest regular-slot 18-49 score
for a first-year drama in the past two seasons. It was up a big 55%
over NBC's non-sports average in the timeslot last season.
It was reported yesterday that Jack Coleman, who plays the mysterious
Mr. Bennet, has been made a series regular. He'll join the series full
time in its 11th episode. Coleman plays the father of Claire Bennet
(Hayden Panettiere), the cheerleader at the center of the show's
current "Save the Cheerleader" story arc. The actor's character is
also known as "H.R.G." - short for "Horn Rimmed Glasses," a strange
figure who is seen kidnapping people (including Greg Grunberg's
character, Matt Parkman) and experimenting on them.

COBALT 60
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures has picked up
the rights to cult comic book "Cobalt 60," with Zack Snyder attached
to direct the adaptation. Snyder also is attached to produce with
Debbie Snyder. Taking place in a postapocalyptic world inhabited by
mutants and fantastical creatures, the story follows the masked hero
Cobalt 60, who embarks on a quest to avenge his parents, who were
murdered by the evil Strontium 90. Underground artist Vaughn Bode
created "Cobalt 60" and its characters in 1968, but after one story
the characters languished in obscurity. Bode's son, Mark, picked up
his father's mantle in the 1980s, reviving the trippy art style and
violence. The stories, plotted by Larry Todd, were published in comics
magazine Epic Illustrated. A search for a writer is under way.

FANTASTIC FOUR 2
According to Variety, Vanessa Minnillo has signed on to play a role in
20th Centry Fox's upcoming film FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER
SURFER. In the film, the Fantastic Four learn that they aren't the
only super-powered beings in the universe when they square off against
the power Silver Surfer and the planet-eating Galactus. Minnillo will
play the love interest of Chris Evans' character, the Human Torch. The
sequel is set to hit theaters on June 15, 2007.

That's about it for now. Just couldn't wait to pass along information
about BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES. The countdown begins until new
Babylon 5 movies are out for viewing!

Have a terrific weekend.
Be safe,
Sandy

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