THE ZOCALO TODAY – February 3, 2007

I have been waiting to send out a new Zocalo Today – hoping to hear
some new information about BABYLON: THE LOST TALES. However, JMS is
probably just a bit snowed under – and I haven't heard any more about
his jury duty. Did he get stuck on a case – thus his silence? Time
will tell. Like Punxsutawney Phil, JMS will peek out from wherever he
is and provide us an update on how things are coming with THE LOST
TALES and his other projects.

In the meantime, here's the latest information from around the Babylon
5 universe – and science fiction in general. Enjoy!

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES

From the B5 moderated news group:
Just saw this, from here:
http://animationartist.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?i...
**********
Atmosphere Visual Effects Joins Mission to Bring "Babylon 5: The Lost
Tales" Direct to Video

DMN Newswire--2007-1-25--Atmosphere Visual Effects has begun VFX work
on "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales," a made-for-video movie produced by
Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Television. Atmosphere's Andrew
Karr is serving as VFX Supervisor.

Entitled "Voices in the Dark," the movie will feature two all-new
stories written and directed by the original creator of "Babylon 5,"
Executive Producer J. Michael Straczynski. Doug Netter returns to the
"Babylon 5" franchise as Executive Producer.

The sci-fi adventure story follows events transpiring several years
after the conclusion of the original story and will reunite TV cast
stars Bruce Boxleitner (President John Sheridan), Tracy Scoggins
(Captain Elizabeth Lockley) and Peter Woodward (Galen).

"The original Babylon 5 series was a truly groundbreaking show," said
Atmosphere VFX Producer Jeremy Hoey. "It heralded the beginning of the
CG revolution in television visual effects. At Atmosphere, we feel
tremendously privileged to have been chosen to continue that proud
tradition. We're already hard at work creating what we hope fans will
agree are truly exciting, cutting-edge visual effects."

For more information on Atmosphere Visual Effects, please visit:
http://atmosphere-vfx.com

About Atmosphere Visual Effects
Located in Vancouver, B.C., one of the most beautiful and vibrant hubs
in the world for film and broadcast production, Atmosphere Visual
Effects is a dynamic, artist-driven studio with the creative skill and
passion, fused with state-of-the-art technical expertise, to tackle
the most ambitious and challenging VFX projects and deliver a high
quality product with creative mastery and flair. Atmosphere's credits
include: "Battlestar Galactica" (NBC Universal), "Stargate Atlantis"
(MGM), 'The 4400" (USA Network), "Andromeda" (Sci Fi Channel), "Air
Buddies" (Disney), "Chestnut" (New Line), "Wrong Turn II" and "Last
Days of Planet Earth" (Hallmark).

For all of you trying to catch up on what JMS is working on, be sure
to go to JMS Speaks page here at The Zocalo Today. You will also find
information about the upcoming LOST TALES on the Lost Tales page. You
can also go to http://www.babylon5scripts.com and pick up the latest
photos from the set – provided by JMS.

BABYLON PODCAST #52
by Summer —
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Whoops. This is what happens when you do too many shows per week.
Sometimes, you forget to create an important segment… like the opening
and closing segments of this week's Babylon Podcast.

Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer (along with studio guests Brian and the
other Tim) move ahead with episode analysis from Season 2 with "A Race
Through Dark Places", another Season 2 episode with layers and subexts
that aren't fully revealed until later.

A rogue telepath is being interrogated by the Psi Cops, and at the
moment of death he gleans a clue to where he might find more runaways:
Babylon 5.

Bester arrives on B5, looking for Talia's help in uncovering the rogue
telepaths and bringing them in from the cold. Before he can completely
convince her to help him, he's attacked by the rogues and they take
Talia away with them.

We learn which member of the command staff has been helping those
telepaths inclined to do so escape the far reach of Psi Corps, and we
see a familiar Lurker come to the forefront, learning once again that
not everyone is exactly what they seem.

We also discover that there may be quite a bit more to the gifts Talia
received as a farewell from Jason Ironheart, and that those
undiscovered talents help tip the balance in a telepath battle for
survival on the station.

Delenn asks Sheridan out to dinner, in order to begin learning more
about each other, and become a better bridge between humans and
Minbari, as she wants. Sheridan and Ivanova also deal with an
inconvenient bit of bureaucratic red tape regarding budgets and
allowances for their quarters, which is resolved in a familiar manner.
Episode order for this section of Season 2 is also discussed.

BABYLON PODCAST #51
Tim, Summer, a contemplative Jeffrey, and a wisecracking Michael spend
the warm-up cracking themselves up. We are so damned easily amused.
This is what happens when you stay up late at night and geek on
Babylon 5. Don't try this at home kids!

Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer (along with studio guests Brian and the
other Tim) move ahead with episode analysis from Season 2 with "Soul
Mates", one of the better episodes of Season 2, rife with intrigue,
hidden agendas and sly humor.

Londo Mollari has been granted a wish from the Emperor, in honor of
the 20th anniversary of his Ascension. He has requested a divorce from
his three wives, and has summoned them to the station so he can choose
which ones he'd like to excise from his life.

At the same time, Matt Stoner arrives on the station and immediately
sets Garibaldi on edge, and during the course of reporting his odd
encounter, discovers that he and Talia had a previous relationship,
one which wasn't pleasant for Talia.

Is there a direct connection between Stoner's arrival on the station,
and Londo's wife Mariel, and her purchase of the dangerous-to-Centauri
artifact that he brought on board? Is there a deeper relationship
between Mariel and G'Kar, knowing where Stoner found the artifact in
the first place? None of these questions are resolved completely, and
the possible iterations of who-knew-what-when and who-knew-whom can be
argued in circles for a long time.

We also see a side story with Delenn dealing with the unexpected
physiological changes she's undergone because of her transformation
into a human-Minbari hybrid. Her asking Ivanova for help and their
interaction and female bonding makes for a very amusing break from the
emotions of the Garibaldi-Winters-Stoner triangle.

Listener Feedback: Jeff and Mike abuse Summer and her geek girl
shopping habits; Haiku: Zathras; Lambeau from Houston has B5 Limericks
for us; Chris from Detroit thought that Robin's interview was parody;
Walter from LA on Show #46, and compares it to Wingin' It; Jeffrey
lays down the snark on Mike regarding Martian property sales. Tim
reads an email from Sean on the Drazi conflict from "Geometry of Shadows".

Go to Babylon Podcast to listen to all of the previous broadcasts or
visit Podcasts for the collection.

NEW DISCUSSION TOPIC:

As we look at Babylon 5 over its five-year timeline, what are some of
the hardest decisions made by characters? Was it John Sheridan going
to Za'Ha'Dum? Was it Delenn in morphing from Minbari to half human?
Was it Londo in moving toward the darker side? What do YOU think?
Share your thoughts with your fellow Babylon 5 readers.

Send your comments along to sgbruckner@.... I'll post them for
everyone to read on the Discussion Page.

BABYLON 5 FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
Michael Beck - February 4
Myriam Sirois - February 2
Ardwight Chamberlain - February 16
Karen Harrell - February 21
John Iacovelli - February 25
Bill Mumy - February 1
Matt Plummer - February 26
Majel Barrett Roddenberry - February 23
John Schuck - February 4
Myriam Sirios - February 2

If there is anyone we have missed, be sure to drop me a note so that I
can add them to our Cast and Crew Birthday Listing. We want to include
everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

WALTER KOENIG
For science fiction fans, Walter Koenig has created two memorable
television characters: Chekov and Bester. He is the only original Star
Trek cast member without a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Walter
has been nominated for a star and the Walk of Fame Committee will be
voting in June 2007 on whether to award it to him. A letter-writing
campaign to convince the committee to vote for him has started, and
you can help! Walter's official website www.WalterKoenigSite.com has
all the information. Thank you for your help and support!

BILL MUMY
Bill's new music DVD LIVE WITHOUT A NET is a must-have for all fans of
Bill Mumy. This is not just a compilation of music videos. This is
tapestry of studio work, live performances and informal jams at Mumy
Manor. It is an intimate portrait of Bill Mumy as a musician, told
through his music. In addition to his background notes on several
songs, he introduces you to a number of the guitars in his collection
and the reason he's using that instrument on that particular song.
Bill's family makes an appearance. This is a professional video and
excellent quality. Among the highlights:
The hilarious outtakes of Bill and son Seth trying to get through "I
Won't Make No Money From This Song." The acoustic version of "Ballad
of William Robinson" An edgier jam of "Mystery Road." Bill's daughter
Liliana makes an appearance.
For more information about the DVD, go to www.billmumy.com

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS

TV Zone #121: LIFE ON MARS - Exclusive On-Set Interviews - DCI Gene
Hunt, aka actor Philip Glenister, talks about this mind-bending drama
returning to the air waves. PRIMEVAL - Actor Douglas Henshall stars as
Professor Nick Cutter, for whom the appearance of a dinosaur in the
Forest of Dean reveals a gateway to the Past… HEROES - A year ago,
Sendhil Ramamurthy was an unknown actor. He reflects on instant
success, and the twists and turns to come for his character and the
Heroes… BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Tricia Helfer - Number Six's
relationship with Baltar has soured and her beliefs are challenged.
Tricia Helfer tells us, things are going to get worse…

THE WORKS ISSUE #13: HOT FUZZ: Simon Pegg talks to The Works about why
he wanted to turn the action genre on its head in the
highly-anticipated comedy spoof, and why it's taken this long for him
to get recognised in Hollywood. Plus the actor reflects back on the
cult film that started it all: Shaun of the Dead. British Comedy Stars
- Sacha Baron Cohen is not the only Brit comic with something to laugh
about, as we take a look at the current movers and shakers on the
comedy scene. LIFE ON MARS - Star John Simm promises all will be
revealed in the second series of the '70s time-travelling cop show
that's had everybody talking, and also looks back on his impressive
career so far.

COMIC BOOK NEWS:

THE DARK TOWER
The first issue of Marvel Comics' new comic-book series based on
Stephen King's The Dark Tower books goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. on Feb.
7. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born number one will be available at
nearly 150 retailers across the United States.

STAR TREK COMIC IN KLINGON
It's a first! IDW Publishing is putting out an edition of its upcoming
Star Trek comic in Klingon. STAR TREK: KLINGONS: BLOOD WILL TELL is a
new, five-part miniseries that will be available in a special 40-page
Klingon-language edition, accompanied by the original script in
English to aid translation, the publisher said. The comic, which
debuts in April, will also be available in a 32-page English-language
edition. Star Trek: Klingons: Blood Will Tell is set in the universe
of the original Trek series and comes from writer Scott Tipton (aided
by his brother, David Tipton) and artist David Messina. The series
takes incidents from familiar episodes of the original series and
retells them from the Klingon point of view. The first issue centers
on an unsteady peace that breaks into full-scale war after a Klingon
cruiser is destroyed by the Federation starship Enterprise. Issue two
will examine the result of Montgomery Scott's beaming of thousands of
tribbles onto a Klingon cruiser. Artist Joe Corroney will join Messina
in providing variant covers for the series.

RUNAWAYS #25
by Joss Whedon & Michael Ryan
The kids start running in a different direction — New York City —
thanks to the new creative team of Superstar Joss Whedon (Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, Astonishing X-Men) and rising star Michael Ryan (New
Excalibur, New X-Men)! There, the Runaways make surprising new allies…
and even more surprising enemies!

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #5
New Battlestar Galactica #5 will arrive in stores on Jan. 17 from
Dynamite Entertainment. The issue is written by Greg Pak, with art by
Nigel Raynor and covers by Stejphan Sejic, Nigel Raynor and more.
Here's how Dynamite describes the issue:
"Issue #5 begins the second story arc from writer Greg (Planet Hulk)
Pak and Nigel Raynor - all heading towards issue #12 and the
conclusion of the first year of all-new stories from the all-new
Battlestar Galactica! This month, the crew faces an unexpected new
challenge in the form of a group of scavenging pirates, adrift in
space and an eye of Galactica as their latest prize! Plus: Old School
Cylons!"

HERO BY NIGHT was created by D.J. Coffman, winner of the 2006 Comic
Book Challenge.

Hero By Night #1
When Jack King finds the lair of a vanished superhero in his apartment
building, he decides to auction off some of the hero's memorabilia.
But Jack's efforts to cash in attract the attention of the hero's
arch-enemy--a villain even the Hero By Night couldn't destroy.
For a preview, follow this link to see all 11 page online at:
http://www.herobynight.net/preview/.

FEBRUARY LISTING

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #539
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Ron Garney.
"Back in Black," Part 1. Look what someone found in their closet!
Reeling in the aftermath of the Civil War that's wracked the Marvel
Universe, Peter Parker has got plenty of reasons to consider a change
of wardrobe. Black is his state of mind. But the worst is yet to come
for Spider-Man. Get on board here, True Believer, as we gear up for an
event that will forever change the life of your favorite web-slinger.
There IS no going back.
32 pages, $2.99.

BULLET POINTS #4
Written by J. Michael Strazynski, pencils and cover by Tommy Lee Edwards.
The ripple effects continue through JMS and Tommy Lee Edwards'
alternate Marvel Universe. What strange twist will lead to the
creation of the Spider-Man, who will replace Steve Rogers as the new
Iron Man and what monumental presence threatens the very existence of
humanity?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 7.

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION:

THE GOLDEN COMPASS
Deborah Forte, producer of THE GOLDEN COMPASS, said in a recent
interview that the decision to hold an open casting call for the lead
role of Lyra Belacqua has paid off in discovery of 12-year-old Dakota
Blue Richards. "I'm very proud of the fact that we have found Dakota
Blue Richards, who is our Lyra," Forte said. Speaking from the set of
the film in London last week, Forte said, "She is both an uncommonly
good actress and personifies a lot of the characteristics of Lyra as a
person. And it was one of those really wonderful moments when we asked
New Line if they would allow us to move forward with an open casting
call for this film, which is sort of risky on a very big movie, to
cast an unknown. And they said, 'Yes, let's see who you can find.'"
Richards, who doesn't have a professional acting background, won the
coveted lead role in COMPASS over 10,000 other candidates from all
over the U.K. Not only was she the first choice of the film's writer
and director, Chris Weitz, but she was also singled out by the book's
original author, Philip Pullman. "I keep in close contact with Philip
and he kept calling to ask me how it was going and if we had seen any
promising candidates," Forte recalled. "And I said to the casting
agent, 'Just send him a DVD with the four lead kids that we selected.
It's going to take weeks to go through them and then we have two other
[casting calls], and we'll keep him busy for a while.' And he called
me 48 hours later and said, 'It's one of two girls.' And one of them
was Dakota. ... We're very, very, very proud of her and the way that
she has been part of this film. And she's a very, very important part
of this film." Despite having a newcomer in the lead role, the cast of
The Golden Compass is certainly not without big names. The film also
stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. "When this began and we got a
wonderful script from Chris, it was clear that we had pretty big
aspirations in terms of the cast for this movie," Forte said. "And
when Philip and I sat down to talk about the film 10 years ago, we
both said that our first pick for Mrs. Coulter would be Nicole Kidman.
We had our little dream cast lunch session that all producers have and
very rarely are able to realize. And thus, many years later, we do
have Nicole Kidman. We have Daniel Craig. We have a fabulous cast. Tom
Courtenay and Jim Carter, and it just goes on and on with wonderful
actors who populate the story and who are authentic to their roles and
to the material." THE GOLDEN COMPASS, the first installment in
Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, is scheduled for release this
December. For more information on the movie, go to
http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/ and sign up for updates.

AFTERWORLD
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bud.TV, Anheuser-Busch's new
online entertainment network, has ordered a new animated
science-fiction series titled AFTERWORLD. Stan Rogow Productions is
creating 130 two-minute episodes, which will premiere on the Bud.TV
Web site for 10 days before becoming accessible on the official
interactive site, Afterworld.TV. The series is set in a
post-apocalyptic world where an inexplicable global event has caused
99 percent of the Earth's population to disappear and rendered
technology useless. Brent Friedman (Dark Skies) will serve as head
writer and producer. Rogow hailed the computer-animated series as the
first fully interactive science-fiction serial intended for the
Internet, mobile phones and gaming. He and his partners are in
negotiations with partners to exploit Afterworld on all platforms. "We
believe we are setting a new standard for digital storytelling that
will appeal to a broad array of demographics and be adaptable to a
multiple number of today's most exciting platforms," Rogow told the
trade paper.

THE EYE
Alessandro Nivola (Grace Is Gone) and Parker Posey (Superman Returns)
will join Jessica Alba in the English-language remake of the Pang
brothers' thriller THE EYE. Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner are producing
the film for Lionsgate under their Cruise/ Wagner banner. Paramount
Vantage has also signed on as a co-financing partner. French directors
David Moreau and Xavier Palud are set to helm the film, which revolves
around a woman who, after a cornea transplant, begins seeing
disturbing images that send her on a quest to find out what happened
to the eye's original owner. Cruise and Wagner persuaded Paramount to
buy the remake rights in 2002, but took the project with them when
their deal with Paramount was terminated last year. Lionsgate picked
up the project out of turnaround.

WONDER WOMAN - NO WHEDON
Over at Joss Whedon's blog, he announced that he will no longer be
writing and directing the WONDER WOMAN movie at Warner Bros. Pictures.:
You (hopefully) heard it here first: I'm no longer slated to make
Wonder Woman. What? But how? My chest... so tight! Okay, stay calm and
I'll explain as best I can. It's pretty complicated, so bear with me.
I had a take on the film that, well, nobody liked. Hey, not that
complicated. You can read the whole posting at http://whedonesque.com/

FLASH - NO MORE
On the same day that Joss Whedon announced he is no longer involved
with the WONDER WOMAN movie at Warner Bros., David Goyer has revealed
at his Blog that he is not writing and directing THE FLASH at the
studio anymore either:
Well, I've been waiting a few months to relate this news -- but I am
sad to say that my version of The Flash is dead at WB. The God's
honest truth is that WB and myself simply couldn't agree on what would
make for a cool Flash film. I'm quite proud of the screenplay I turned
it. I threw my heart into it and I genuinely think it would've been
the basis of a ground-breaking film. But as of now, the studio is
heading off in a completely different direction. I expect you'll hear
of some new developments on that front shortly.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEADTHLY HALLOWS
Harry Potter fans! HARRY POTTER AND THE DEADTHLY HALLOWS, the seventh
and final book in the popular series by J.K. Rowling, has been
scheduled for release on July 21, publisher Scholastic announced. As
with the previous releases, the book will be made available in
bookstores and online beginning at 12:01 a.m. HARRY PITTER AND THE
HALF- BLOOD PRINCE, the sixth book in the series, was released on July
16, 2005, and was the fastest-selling book in history, selling 6.9
million copies in the first 24 hours. All six Harry Potter books have
been number-one bestsellers in the United States, the U.K. and around
the world. There are currently over 120 million copies of the Harry
Potter books in print in the United States alone. Scholastic will
publish HARRY POTTER AND THE DEADTHLY HALLOWS in hardcover under the
Arthur A. Levine imprint, with interior and cover art by Mary
GrandPre, who has illustrated the previous six books. A deluxe edition
and reinforced library edition will be published simultaneously. The
publishing date comes just 8 days after the theatrical release of
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.

THE MESSANGERS
Dylan McDermott, star of the horror film THE MESSANGERS, says he's
seen real ghosts: not once, but twice. In the film directed by the
Pang brothers (The Eye), McDermott plays a man who moves with his wife
(Penelope Ann Miller), teen daughter (Kristen Stewart) and 3-year-old
son into a North Dakota farm that's haunted by the ghosts of the last
family that lived there. "I actually have [had supernatural
experiences], and I don't really believe in this s--t," McDermott said
in an interview. "But I'll tell you the truth, in 1989 I was doing
STEEL MAGNOLIAS, and I was driving in a car in Louisiana, and a figure
jumped in front of the car. Everybody in the car saw it, and nobody
talked about it. It was like one of those [situations]." McDermott
added: "And then in my house, there's a ghost cat, a white cat that I
saw when I first moved in. I never told anybody because I thought,
'Oh, people are going to think I'm crazy.' And then my daughter said,
'Dad, did you see a white cat in the house?' So I'm a very skeptical
person, and I don't really believe in this stuff, but the fact that
two times this happened to me. ... But I got a ghost dog to take care
of the problem." THE MESSANGERS opens Feb. 2.

SIMON BLOOM: THE GRAVITY KEEPER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Universal won a recent bidding
war for the children's fantasy script titled: SIMON BLOOM: THE GRAVITY
KEEPER. The studio is planning to make the film a live action
adaptation with Gary Ross directing. The script, written by first time
novelist Michael Reisman, follows an 11-year-old boy and his two
friends who get possession of a physics book that enables them to
alter the physical properties of the world, including gravity. The
book describes a magical world based on physical laws of science, and
future installments will incorporate other sciences, such as biology
and chemistry. "We really like that it's about a magical world that
doesn't involve wizards or things like that," said producer Allison
Thomas. "Science is the magic of the story. The kids are learning the
laws of physics so they can break them. It's like a new kind of
superhero movie."

GULLIBLE'S TRAVELS
Dreamworks has acquired the spec script GULLIBLE'S TRAVELS, about a
gullible man who travels through time via a portable potty to save the
life of the woman he loves, but each time he encounters her, he
believes he's meeting one of her relatives instead.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Fox's decision to release NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM just 97 days after it's
theatrical release have UK theater chains up in arms. Four British
theater chains have pulled Ben Stiller's fantasy comedy from screens,
Variety reported. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM opened in the U.K. on Dec. 26,
but exhibitor chains Cineworld, Odeon, Vue and Showcase have decided
to stop showing the film as of Feb. 1. Fox plans to release the DVD on
April 2. The standard window is usually four months. The protest
follows a similar controversy in Germany last weekend, where several
major chains pulled all Fox films— including Museum— from their
screens after the studio announced it would release ERAGON on DVD
earlier than planned. MUSEUM has had strong box office returns
overseas so far, grossing $193.7 million as of Jan. 29 and finishing
as the top earner overseas for five consecutive weekends. The film's
performance in London alone has accounted for 20 percent of that take.
For the weekend beginning Jan. 26, the film slipped just 18 percent,
taking in $2.3 million at 458 theaters in the U.K., for a running
total of $39.4 million.

POMPEII
Variety reports that Roman Polanski (The Pianist) will next direct
POMPEII, a dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of Mt. Vesuvius
just before and during its eruption. The budget is projected to be
$130 million. The film is based on the bestseller of the same name by
"Fatherland" novelist Robert Harris, who is writing the script.
Filming will begin in Italy this summer. The story's protagonist is a
young engineer who has to repair an enormous aqueduct whose
destruction threatens the Roman Empire. He finds himself enmeshed in
politics and romance. The film takes place over three days and the
final act is the volcanic eruption and the destruction of the
aqueduct, which stretched 60 miles and served hundreds of thousands of
people.

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE
This publicity effort could cost folks a LOT of money! Associated
Press reported that nine blinking electronic devices planted at
bridges and other spots in Boston yesterday as a marketing campaign
for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a late-night Cartoon Network series. Peter
Berdovsky, 27, of Arlington, and Sean Stevens, 28, of Charlestown,
were each arrested on one felony charge of placing a hoax device and
one charge of disorderly conduct, state Attorney General Martha
Coakley told the AP. In a news release announcing Stevens' arrest, she
said the men worked together to place the devices. At an earlier news
conference she said Berdovsky had been hired to place the devices.
Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down
and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices
were harmless. "It's a hoax—and it's not funny," Massachusetts Gov.
Deval Patrick said, the AP reported. Turner Broadcasting, parent
company of Cartoon Network, said the packages in question were
magnetic lights that pose no danger and added that the devices have
been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities: Boston; New York;
Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas;
San Francisco; and Philadelphia. "We regret that they were mistakenly
thought to pose any danger," the company told the AP.

FAMKE JANSSEN ON TV DRAMA
Famke Janssen has signed on to topline NBC's cop drama from House
creator/executive producer David Shore. The untitled project, from
Shore and House writer Peter Blake, is a light drama with
police-procedural elements that centers on a female cop (Janssen).
Last year, Janssen starred in the summer blockbuster X-Men: The Last
Stand, reprising her role as Jean Grey/Phoenix, a part she has played
in all three X-Men movies. She most recently wrapped indies The Ten,
which premiered this month at the Sundance Film Festival, and Turn the
Liver.

JAMES BOND 22
CASINO ROYALE director Martin Campbell told press at the Chinese
premiere for the film on Monday that he would not likely be directing
the next Bond film despite the global success of the 21st installment.
Screenwriters Robert Wade and Neal Purvis said earlier this week that
they expect shooting to start at the beginning of next year. James
Bond 22 is currently scheduled for a November 7, 2008 release with
Daniel Craig returning as the super spy.

INVADERS
Warner Bros. Pictures has bought the script INVADERS from screenwriter
Jayson Rothwell and set it up with Basil Iwanyk's Thunder Road and
Pierce/Williams Entertainment to produce. The action-thriller centers
on a group of thieves who are forced by a rogue U.S. government agent
to retrieve a video of the president having sex with the wife of an
Arab sheik. The film takes place in the U.S., Canada, France and South
Africa. Rothwell is working on the script for Fox's The A-Team.

WONDER WOMAN
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. Pictures and Silver
Pictures are quietly in the process of buying a Wonder Woman spec
script from newcomers Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland. The
studio and producer Joel Silver have been developing a big-screen
version of the DC Comics superhero, with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
creator Joss Whedon writing the script and attached to direct. The
trade says the purchase is a pre-emptive measure aimed at taking the
script off the market to protect itself against the possibility that
any similarities between the scripts could be fodder for future legal
action. It is understood that the Jennison-Strickland script is set
against the backdrop of World War II, while Whedon's script is set in
the present day. Silver has no interest in making a period Wonder
Woman, however. But as the spec script made the rounds, it landed at
Silver Pictures, and executives there were impressed by Jennison and
Strickland's writing.

ROBIN HOOD
Variety reports that Universal Pictures has bought NOTTINGHAM, a
hotly-pursued spec script from the creators of "Sleeper Cell," in a
deal that will reunite Russell Crowe with Imagine Entertainment. Crowe
will receive $20 million against $20 million to star as the Sheriff of
Nottingham in this revisionist version of the Robin Hood story;
screenwriters Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris will receive seven figures
for the script. There is no director attached yet. Imagine's Brian
Grazer will produce the film, expected to start shooting at the end of
the year or early 2008.

MR. AND MRS. SMITH
MovieHole.com reports that casting director Joseph Middleton has
picked Jordana Brewster to star in the upcoming pilot for the MR. AND
MRS. SMITH TV show. The pilot picks up about six months after the end
of the film, and follows our typical suburban married couple - who
just happen to be undercover assassins on the side – as they struggle
to keep the spark in their marriage going, even as they try to save
the world. Shooting is expected to get underway in the coming months.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS
According to Variety, Ralph Winter Productions and Walden Media have
acquired the rights to adapt the C.S. Lewis novel, THE SCREWTAPE
LETTERS, for the big screen. First published in 1942, THE SCREWTAPE
LETTERS takes the form of a series of missives from a senior demon,
Screwtape, to his wannabe diabolical nephew, Wormwood. As a mentor,
Screwtape advises his protege on the finer points of undermining faith
and promoting sin. His instructions are interspersed with observations
on human nature and Christian doctrine. The film marks the second
collaboration for the company and C.S. Lewis after The Chronicles of
Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

TOP SCIENCE FICTION NEWS STORIES:
Catch up on the latest news from this week -- and last month, go to
News Page. You'll find the everything from our front page -- but over
a longer period of time.

EVENTS CALENDAR

February 9~11, 2007
SF Ball 13
Place: Bournemouth, England
Babylon 5 Guest: Mira Furlan
For more information, go to http://www.sfball.com/

February 16-18, 2006
Farpoint
City: Baltimore, MD
Place: Hunt Valley Marriott
Guests: Summer Galu (Firefly), Alice Krige (Stare Trek)
For more information, go to their website at http://www.bcpl.net/~wilsonr/

February 23-25, 2007
FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS
Place: Wyndham Chicago O'Hare
Babylon 5 Guests: Jeffrey Combs; Ken Foree
Other Guests: Jared Padalecki, Doug Bradley
For more information, go to www.creationent.com

March 24-25, 2007
STEEL CITY CON (a.k.a. PITTSBURGH TOY SHOW)
Celebrity Guest: Robert Picardo – "Holographic Doctor" Star Trek
Voyager Series!
For a list of guests and more information, go to www.steelcitycon.com

April 13-15, 2007
Creation's Grand Slam
Place: Burbank CA
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
Babylon 5 Guest: Walter Koenig
Other Guests: HAYDEN PANETTIERE, Heroes; KATEE SACKHOFF, Battlestar
Galactica; GEORGE TAKEI - Star Trek, Heroes; COLM MEANEY - STAR TREK:
The Next Generation and STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE; JUSTIN HARTLEY -
Smallville; ADRIAN PAUL - Highlander; MARC ALAIMO - Deep Space Nine;
NANA VISITOR - DS9; JAMIE BAMBER - Battlestar: Galactica; ROBERT
DUNCAN McNEILL - Star Trek: Voyager; CONNOR TRINNEER - Enterprise;
JESSICA STEEN - Stargate SG-1; MATT FREWER - Eureka; COLIN FERGUSON -
Eureka.
For more information, go to www.creationent.com

I guess that is about it for now. I hope that you will take a few
minutes and send in your comments on the latest discussion topic. I
enjoy hearing from you – and seeing what you think about the world of
Babylon 5.

Be sure to visit the website at http://www.isnnews.net and tell your
friends about the site. If you have information to share, please do
send it along, including B5 sightings and convention news.

Have a terrific Super Bowl weekend. I hope your team wins – whichever
one that might be.

Take care.
Sandy

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