THE ZOCALO TODAY – February 25, 2007

Just a quick note to send along an alert about Babylon 5 Script
Volume 10. It should go on sale this week, so watch your mailbox and
our front page for additional information.

Also, I found some reports from the New York Comic Con this morning.
JMS was one of the featured speakers and he showed some of his video
blog. Let's hope that it gets on the internet soon so we can all
have a gander.

BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS - VOLUME 10 – FEBRUARY 28

Volume 10 will be released on Wednesday, February 28 at 10am Pacific.
We will send out an alert as soon as it's released.

We realize that some of you know that JMS got the material to us
ahead of schedule and were hoping for an earlier release date.
The reason we are not releasing v10 sooner is because we've gotten so
much email about it, we wanted to give CafePress more time for pre-
printing to meet demand.

P.S. JMS just gave us a two, new images for the B5 TLT photo page --
including the new B5 logo. www.babylon5scripts.com/TLT-JMS-
photos.html.

It will contain:
• Rumors, Bargains and Lies
• Moments of Transition
• No Surrender, No Retreat
• The Exercise of Vital Powers
• The Face of the Enemy
• Intersections in Real Time
• Between the Darkness and the Light

For more information on the scripts, go to www.babylon5scripts.com or
visit our Babylon 5 Scripts page at Babylon 5 Scripts.

NEWS FROM NEW YORK COMIC CON

Straczynski Scripting World War Z
An IGN Staff report from NYCC says:
February 24, 2007 - J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of the sci-fi
series Babylon 5 who has also become a popular comic book scribe in
recent years, announced yesterday that he is writing the screenplay
adaptation of the zombie book World War Z for Paramount. The Max
Brooks novel, which was optioned last summer by the studio for Brad
Pitt's production company Plan B, is subtitled An Oral History of the
Zombie War.

"You all know the novel World War Z?" asked Straczynski of his
audience during a New York Comic-Con panel on Friday. "I'm adapting
that for Paramount. For Brad Pitt potentially -- we'll see what
happens. He might be the star in it. So things are going very well
for a TV guy."

Straczynski acknowledges that the book needs to be modified in order
to work as a movie, particularly since it is an anthology that
features no main character or plot, but rather skips around through
time via the recollections of the many survivors of a decade-long war
against the living dead.

"What you have to do is… the book, if you haven't read it, is a
wonderful, wonderful book in an interview format after the zombie
wars," explains the scribe. "You see how we survived. It's very
political, very smart, very cagey, but there's no main character. So
you have to create who the interviewer is and give him some
background and bring him from place to place to place to place. And
they said, 'Feel free to get as political as you want, as incisive as
you want, to play with it. You could look at this as a Katrina kind
of catastrophe.' But I'm being very faithful to the book, letter by
letter when I can, and I'm on about page 70 right now and I'm really
happy with it. I'm really pleased with it actually, so if that goes
well we might go into production on that one."

JMS ON HIS PROJECTS

Over at Wizard World is a terrific article by Brian Warmoth from NYCC.

"J. Michael Straczynski showed the world his video blog Friday from
the set of his direct-to-DVD movie "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales –
Voices in the Dark."

"I've never been more embarrassed to be on camera," he said, shaking
his head and pressing play to start the first clip for the
audience. "But here it is."

Cleanly shaven and as self-deprecating as usual, Straczynski guided a
tour of the show's set and gave a sneak peek at the green screen
special effects during program.

"Don't tell anyone this is where I hide, because I don't want to
found," Straczynski said on the recording, sitting in a chair "Real
World"-style and commenting about the state of production on the day
the video blog entry was shot.

"Some of the blogs will be available on DVD and some will be online,"
he stated. "We will have more as we go down toward San Diego."

The DVDs are slated for a July 27th release, according to Straczynski.
The superstar writer took quick breaks between entries to field
questions from the audience, ranging from the genesis of "Babylon 5"
to his hotly anticipated Thor series at Marvel with Artist Olivier
Coipiel.

One of the first queries from the audience was predicated on a
gushing fan's assertion that JMS was a God, to which he
responded, "If I were a god I'd have more hair and a deeper voice…
and a British accent."

Asked what the transition was like coming from a background in screen
writing when he began working in comics, Straczynski trivialized the
hurdle but offered, "The hardest thing for me creatively was adapting
to thing that aren't moving." He said he focused on one writer in
particular to hone his scripting strategies. "I studied copiously
from the master, Alan Moore," Straczynski said. "I was learning by
playing his notes."

By the second round of audience questions, Thor was on the tongues of
many hopeful crowd members. Straczynski spilled some opening scenes
to attendees, explaining why he latched onto the series' launch.

"Imagine, if you will, Thor in the middle of the Oklahoma
nothingness," he said, setting the scene, punctuating the images with
some fog and wind for effect. "It clears, and there's Asgard."
Straczynski said the humor and grandeur of placing Asgard against a
rural Southwestern backdrop was the perfect image to build a story
on. He asked the audience to picture an angry farmer, whose land the
Norse kingdom happened to land on. "I own this property, you can't
put Asgard here," he growled, imitating the farmer. He said Asgard
would rise ten feet in the air to, quite literally, get off of his
property.

JMS also said for the record that he never quite accepted Thor's
language, which he plans to alter for his series. "I've never
understood why a Norse God would speak in Medieval English,"
Straczynski said. "The closest comparison would be Aragorn in Lord of
the Rings," he asserted, describing the voice he wants Thor to have.

Asked what the future of his directing and screenwriting careers
hold, Straczynski said he hopes that more "Babylon 5" projects lie
ahead, including a concept he has in mind for a possible telepath war
story. He said that "Babylon 5" represents some of his favorite work
to date. "As a package I am very proud of it," he said. "It is a
novel for television."

If the "Lost Tales" release is successful, he said that a follow-up
could follow in "early 2008 at the earliest."

As for a "Rising Stars" series based on his seminal comic book, the
writer said that the early stages are moving along. "I'm working with
Sam Raimi's people on that," he stated. "The plan is to bring it out
for a full-scale series in December."

Straczynski is also adapting World War Z, the Max Brooks novel about
humanity's survival after a zombie war. "I'm adapting that for
Paramount," he said, expressing his awe and respect for the
material. "I'm being very faithful to the book."

Capping off the trip around his creative mind and life, Straczynski
unveiled several rough cuts of the "Lost Tales" opening title,
featuring new Chris Franke music.

"It's a different kind of title than we've ever seen before," he
described, showing the CG-animated explosion of the space station he
created for the series, which he is all too giddy to return to this
summer.

BABYLON PODCAST #55
by Summer —
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Jeffrey's back in LA, and is confused about his holidays. We are
really running thin with the Kosh puns, aren't we? Tim and Jeffrey
wax poetic about NASCAR track experiences and memories, and who knew
that Jeff raced?

Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer delve into discussion about "GROPOS", an
episode that at first blush seems to be a filler episode, but instead
is one that sets up a few threads of unresolved emotional connections
to be dealt with later.

The station is subjected to an unexpected influx of 25,000 troops,
ground-pounders — GROPOS — who are told they are on their way to a
standard rotation to Io, but are in fact on their way to a
potentially questionable battle at the request of an alien
government. Their commanding officer, General Franklin, is Dr
Franklin's estranged father, and their emotional strain is present
the entire time.

While Sheridan thinks that Earthforce's choice to respond to the
Akdorian request is a bad idea, because he believes the rebel
fortress is nearly impregnable, not without a lot of losses on the
side of the attacking force. He's committed to helping the General
plan an attack, but he makes certain that his opinion is noted.
Garibaldi and Keffer connect in positive ways with some of the
troopers during their short stay on the station, but despite hopes
and promises, the new friends they've made meet with disaster during
the battle. The relief and joy for those who survived are a marked
contrast with the grief and loss felt by those whose friends were
killed in action.

"GROPOS" is available for download from iTunes.

Listener Feedback: Jarsto comments on Show #53, especially the
contrast in behaviors between G'Kar and Londo and Refa; Gary from
Jacksonville wants input on where Talia might have progressed had she
stayed on the show; Alan from the UK thanks us for getting him hooked
on Babylon 5, despite his misgivings about the CGI; Edmund from
Greenville comments on the "Coming of Shadows" discussion is Show
#53. Tim reads emails from Joshua, who gives an unlikely theory
behind the appearance of a Morden doppleganger in "The Gathering";
Katrina comments on Matt Stoner's possible involvement in the
assassination attempt on Londo in "Soul Mates"; Roz sends a response
to Jarsto to us… um, wait… when did we become Jarsto's message
service?! Warlord gives us canonical proof from "The Shadow Within"
that it was not Morden stationed on B5 in "The Gathering".
Go to Babylon Podcast to listen to all of the previous broadcasts or
visit Podcasts for the collection.

NEW MOVIES OF INTEREST

ASTRONAUT FARMER - SPACE CAMP CONTEST
The Astronaut Farmer centers on Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton),
who always had only one goal: to be an astronaut. He was on track for
the NASA's astronaut training program until a family situation
effectively ended his career. But Farmer is not a man to let anything
stand in the way of a dream. He spends the next decade and every cent
he has building his own rocket in a barn on his ranch in Story,
Texas, so he can triumphantly launch himself into space. Sharing his
vision with his wife Audie (Virginia Madsen) and their children,
Farmer knows this is his only chance, not only to reach his goal of
breaking through the Earth's atmosphere but to instill in his
children the courage to pursue their own ideals and never give up…no
matter the odds. The ASTRONAUT FARMER debuts in theaters Feb. 23.

Now You Can Win an Experience of a Lifetime!
You Can Go to Space Camp®

One lucky Grand Prize winner and a guest could win the chance to
attend Space Camp® in Huntsville, AL. Each program includes meals,
lodging, educational programs and materials, a team t-shirt, team
photo, camp graduation wings and certificate. Shirts are customized
with a logo from winning camp program. For more information about
this wonderful experience, visit www.spacecamp.com/wb.

ALEXANDER REVISITED: The Unrated Final Cut

The Alexander Revisited DVD streets next Tuesday, 2/27. Below are
some "Great" things to check out as part of this new offering:
1.) Win prizes in the: Dream Up Your Own Trailer CONTEST:
http://alexandercontest.com/

2.) The Official Alexander Revisited MySpace Page: Visit the
Alexander MySpace page to receive a message from Oliver Stone
himself. Leave a comment regarding your thoughts on the movie, as
Stone will be responding and discussing the film over the coming
weeks. Visit: www.MySpace.com/alexanderrevisited

3.) FREE "300" Movie Pass: Inside the Alexander Revisited DVD. Film
opens in theaters on March 9.

All New Unrated Version of Oliver Stone's Incredible Epic Starring
Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer and More Takes the Film to
a New Level of Realism and Intensity. This new DVD will be released
on 2/27 with more than 45 minutes of never-before-seen footage. For
more information on this DVD, go to
http://alexanderthemovie.warnerbros.com/.

ALEXANDER: REVISITED takes a bolder, more in-depth look at
Alexander's (Colin Farrell) life and his relationships with his
mother, Olympias (Angelina Jolie), his father Philip (Val Kilmer),
his lifelong friend and battle commander Hephaistion (Jared Leto),
Roxane, his ambitious and beautiful Bactrian wife (Rosario Dawson),
and his trusted general and confidant Ptolemy (Anthony Hopkins). The
new film intensifies the beauty and unbelievable brutality of
Alexander's pre-Christian world of social customs and morals so
different from todays. The superb cast also boasts Christopher
Plummer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and many more.

NEW SCI FI PUBLICATIONS:
Cult Times #138: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: The commander of the Galactica
mission, Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos), drops by to talk to us
about political commentary and the hunt for Earth in the third season
of the critically-adored show; HEROES: Meet the Petrelli brothers,
played by Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia. See what's ahead and
how they feel about the show's success. DAY BREAK: Genre veteran
Victoria 'Mutant X' Pratt is back, playing Andrea Battle, who's
unwittingly stuck in a day that keeps repeating.

EXPOSE ISSUE #102: Daniel Radcliffe in Equus: The Harry Potter actor
takes to the stage in a controversial classic, and Daniel has a few
words about the prospect of revealing all… Harry Potter and the Order
of the Phoenix: As we wait for the fifth film, star Jason Isaacs
talks us about playing villain Lucius Malfoy, and the frustrations of
not getting a sneak preview of the next book! LOST: As bad boy
Sawyer, Josh Holloway is heating up the island with a steamy romance
with Kate, but admits he sometimes doesn't know what's going on as
she shoots his scenes. Heroes: Catch up with the creator of the last
year's biggest new hit, Tim Kring, as he discusses the twists and
turns to come. Plus! Some choice interventions from the cast… The
Dresden Files: Co-star Valerie Cruz reveals how her character, Lt
Connie Murphy, has been developed in the move from page to screen.

NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION:

IT IS OSCAR NIGHT
An announcement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
indicates that Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, who each hold the
record for most Academy Award® nominations by actors, in their
respective categories will join Oscar® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman
as presenters on the 79th Academy Awards, telecast producer Laura
Ziskin announced today. They will be joined by Oscar nominees
Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey, Jr., Greg Kinnear, Helen Mirren,
Clive Owen, Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts. Ziskin also announced that
Gael Garcia Bernal, Emily Blunt, Catherine Deneuve, former Vice
President Al Gore, James McAvoy and Jerry Seinfeld will be
presenting. These presenters will join Ben Affleck, Jessica Biel,
Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, George
Clooney, Daniel Craig, Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz,
Kirsten Dunst, Will Ferrell, Jodie Foster, Eva Green, Maggie
Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Diane Keaton,
Nicole Kidman, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Tobey Maguire, Gwyneth
Paltrow, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, John Travolta, Rachel Weisz,
Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon on the telecast.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be
presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at
Hollywood & Highland Center®. The Oscars® will be televised live by
the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with
a half-hour red carpet arrivals segment, "The Road to the Oscars."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Sony Pictures' "Ghost Rider" held on to the top spot at the domestic
boxoffice, outdistancing the new Jim Carrey psychological
thriller "The Number 23" in a close race. "Ghost Rider's" estimated
Friday haul was $5.9 million according to the boxoffice tracking site
boxoffice mojo.com, bringing its one-week gross to $64.9 million. The
comic book-based actioner starring Nicolas Cage was tested in its
second weekend lap by New Line Cinema's "The Number 23," which
garnered $5.8 million in its first day of release on 2,759 theatres,
compared to 3,620 for "Ghost Rider." "The Number 23," directed by
Joel Schumacher and starring Jim Carrey, follows a man who becomes
obsessed with an obscure book that he is convinced is based on hits
own life. Coming in third place Friday was 20th Century Fox's "Reno
911! Miami." The big-screen adaptation of the Comedy Central series
took in $4.2 million in 2,702 theatres. Walt Disney Pictures and
Walden Media's "Bridge to Terabithia," being distributed by Buena
Vista, dropped to fourth place Friday with an estimated take of $3.5
million. The children's fantasy picture, adapted from the Katerine
Paterson novel, has grossed $36.2 million since bowing last week. In
fifth place, Paramount's release of DreamWorks' "Norbit" brought in
$2.9 million, bringing its two-week haul to $67.9 million. In other
debuts Friday, Warner Bros.' "The Astronaut Farmer," starring Billy
Bob Thornton as a farmer who builds a rocket in hhis barn, bought in
$1.3 million in 2,155 theatres. And IDP Distribution's "Amazing
Grace" garnered $1.4 million on 791 screens. The film, starring Ioan
Gruffudd, follows William Wilberforce's efforts to end slavery in
18th century England.

STAR TREK XI
The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that J.J. Abrams has signed on
to direct the next installment of the Star Trek feature-film
franchise. Rumors had been circulating that Abrams, who is also co-
writing and producing Star Trek XI, may have decided not to helm the
film. The project will revolve around a young James T. Kirk and Mr.
Spock, chronicling their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and their
first space mission. Abrams and Paramount have declined to confirm
that version of the supposed story. Abrams is the prolific co-
creator/executive producer of ABC's LOST and directed Mission:
Impossible III. He has been developing Star Trek XI through his
Paramount-based Bad Robot production company. Abrams reportedly
committed to directing the project only as of Friday evening, when
the deal was finalized.

BOURNE ULTIMATUM FILMING IN NEW YORK
The Downtown Express reports that Universal Pictures will shoot the
Matt Damon's threequel THE BORNE ULTIMATUM next month in New York.
Lauri Pitkus, a Universal project director, said that the movie will
take over parts of South and Dover Sts. and Peck Slip to film a car
chase scene from March 17-18, St. Patrick's Day weekend. The film
crew will be on location from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, Pitkus
said, and will set up the night before. The car chase will start at
the corner of Market and South Sts. and end near the Department of
Transportation lot underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the corner of
Dover and South Sts., Pitkus said. The third installment, directed by
Paul Greengrass, is scheduled for an August 3 release.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino has been cast as Gen. Glozelle,
the leader of Miraz' Telmarine troops, in Walt Disney Pictures and
Walden Media's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN. Favino
recently played Christopher Columbus in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM.
Pierfrancesco Favino was born in Rome, Italy in 1971 and has played
roles in a number of European films. In 2006 he received a Donatello,
the Italian equivalent of the Oscar, for his role in Romanzo
Criminale. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN is now filming
for a May 16, 2008 release.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA FILM
Variety reports that Warner Brothers has hired writers Kiernan and
Michele Mulroney to pen the script for its hoped-for JUSTICE LEAGUE
OF AMERICA movie, based on the DC Comics franchise. It's the first
major action the studio has taken on the project. The franchise
features the superhero team of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman,
Aquaman, the Flash, the Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter,
among other heroes. The studio isn't saying which ones may be
included in the film. Development of the film is complicated by the
fact that Warner has already revived its Batman and Superman film
franchises, with Christian Bale's BATMAN BEGINS and the upcoming THE
DARK KNIGHT and Brandon Routh's SUPERMAN RETURNS and its upcoming
sequel. The studio is also developing a WONDER WOMAN film. Filmmakers
Chris Nolan (Batman Begins) and Bryan Singer (Superman Returns) are
each on board to helm the next installments in the two respective
franchises. THE DARK KNIGHT is eyeing a 2008 release, and the next
Superman is slated for 2009. The JLA has spawned several cartoon TV
series, including the 1960s and '70s show Super Friends and the
current Cartoon Network series Justice League Unlimited, from Warner
Brothers Animation.

SIN CITY 2
While out promoting his latest film, 300, Frank Miller, who wrote and
co-directed SIN CITY based on his popular graphic novels, said that
SIN CITY 2 is a go and that he hopes to be in Texas to shoot the film
by late spring. Miller and Robert Rodriguez will again share
directing duties on the sequel. "The script is largely done, and now
we're in that limbo zone where we're casting and making script
adjustments as we go," Miller said. Miller added that the sequel will
be based on "A Dame to Kill For", the second Sin City tale and a
prequel to "The Hard Goodbye", which was the basis of one of the
first film's storylines. The sequel will also deal with "a couple of
old stories and one brand-new one," Miller said. "The old ones are a
couple of 'Blue Eyes' stories, and there's an 'Old Town Girls' story,
and the new one features Nancy Callahan [played by Jessica Alba] in a
very different, very scary role. I'm hoping we'll start in late
spring. It gets pretty hot in Austin, so there might be a summer's
interruption there, but both Robert and I really want to be shooting
this thing as soon as possible."

BLOOD TIES
Peter Mohan, executive producer of Lifetime's upcoming new vampire
series BLOOD TIES, said in a recent interview that the show will
explore the romantic triangle developed in Tanya Huff's five-book
series, "The Blood Books". That triangle involves former cop-turned-
private investigator Vicki Nelson; her ex-partner, Mike Celluci; and
the 450-year-old vampire, Henry Fitzroy, who just happens to be a
romance writer and the illegitimate son of Henry VIII. "Both men see
how strong the competition is," Mohan said. "Mike sees that this is a
guy who's never going to get old, never going to not be beautiful and
is stronger than he is and faster than he is. On the other end, Henry
realizes that Mike is a good-looking guy who is a human. He's someone
Vicki could have a family with and grow old with and have that kind
of a real relationship. And for Vicki with Henry, however attractive
he is, she doesn't, in some ways, see him as a person to really give
herself over to, because he's this unnatural creature in a way. And
there's going to be a different woman in his bed every night
(laughs)." BLOOD TIES starts when Vicki runs into Henry during one of
her investigations and discovers that not only do vampires exist, but
that other supernatural forces are also real. The Lifetime series
stars Christina Cox (The Chronicles of Riddick) as Vicki, Dylan Neal
(JAG and B5's Legend of the Rangers) as Mike and Kyle Schmid
(Beautiful People) as the vampire Henry. Notable guest stars include
Lisa Ray, Danny Trejo and Julian Sands as a vampire hunter. Lifetime
has committed to air 13 episodes of the 22 in production, with the
option to pick up more if the series does well. Mohan promised to
stay true to Huff's series, including the tough but beautiful lead
character. "Vicki works out a lot of issues through humor, and she
won't show fear," he said. "She'll throw in a funny line or a
smartass line even in the face of a demon. It's all based on this
core trinity of characters and their messed-up relationships and
throwing some cool monsters into this mix every week." As for
the "cool monsters," Mohan said: "We're not showing monsters the way
they've always been shown. Often we're seeing the human side of
monsters, or at least breaking the cliches a little bit and having
some fun with it. There's no end to different kinds of creatures out
there. When the central guy is a vampire, one of the core questions
of the show becomes 'Who's really the monster?'" BLOOD TIES premieres
March 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
According to the Hollywood Reporter, George Clooney is in
negotiations and Cate Blanchett is in talks to voice the lead
characters in Wes Anderson's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox." The stop-motion
film, marking Anderson's first foray into animation, is expected to
be distributed by 20th Century Fox as a negative pickup. Produced by
Scott Rudin Prods., "Mr. Fox" is an adaptation of Roald Dahl's
classic children's story, centering on a clever fox who must outwit
three mean, dimwitted farmers who try their hardest to hurt Mr. Fox
and his family. Clooney would voice Mr. Fox, while Blanchett would
voice his wife.

AVATAR
AVATAR, James Cameron's long-awaited non-doc follow-up to his 1997
Oscar-winning blockbuster TITANIC, has claimed its date of release,
and it's going to be hitting theatres on Memorial Day weekend in
2009. The cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney
Weaver. Cameron's sci-fi epic is about a wounded ex-marine, thrust
unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet
rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the
indigenous race in a battle for survival.

THE DARK KNIGHT
LA Daily News talked to THE DARK KNIGHT director Christopher Nolan
who revealed when the Batman Begins sequel will start filming:
Right now, Nolan is deeply in pre-production for the next Batman
movie, "The Dark Knight," which starts filming in April and also
stars Bale. Nolan's reason for casting him in three films?
"Christian has got a very, very extreme form of intensity that comes
across on the screen."

LAKE PLACID SEQUEL
Dave Flores ("BOA Vs Python") is directing a sequel for the quick-
snapping crocodile of "Lake Placid". Superman's pop, ex-"Smallville"
star John Schneider, will this time be left with a pair of scaly
boots by films end. Co-starring with him, Cloris Leachman
("Beerfest") and newcomer Chad Collins ("Legion of the Dead"). The
movie, filmed in Bulgaria, will premiere on the Sci-Fi channel before
making the quick route to DVD from Fox.

STARGATE SG-1 AND ATLANTIS
Amanda Tapping, STARGATE SG-1's Lt. Col. Carter, will join the cast
of SCI FI Channel's spinoff series STARGATE ATLANTIS in that show's
upcoming fourth season, which commences in the fall. Tapping has
played Samantha Carter for 10 seasons of SG-1, which goes off the air
after completing the final 10 episodes of the current 10th season,
starting in April. ATLANTIS will resume production on the fourth
season in Vancouver, Canada, starting next month. Tapping will appear
in 14 of ATLANTIS's 20 episodes. The new season will introduce a
powerful new race, new cast members and mark the loss of beloved
friends. Meanwhile, Jewel Staite (Firefly, Serenity) returns to
ATLANTIS and will appear in eight episodes, reprising her role as Dr.
Keller, a physician who joins the Atlantis expedition. Staite
previously appeared on the series as Ellia, the Wraith child who was
transformed into a human in the season two episode "Instinct." Season
four of STARGATE ATLANTIS will be executive-produced by Brad Wright,
Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie. Mallozzi and
Mullie will share the reins as the series' show runners. The final
episodes of STARGATE SG-1 and the remainder of the third season of
STARGATE ATLANTIS will air starting April 13, leading into the series
debut of PAINKILLER JANE.

THE LAST MIMZY
In a recent interview, Rainn Wilson, who co-stars in THE LAST MIMZY,
said he was attracted to the project in part because the story simply
touched him. Based on the Lewis Padgett short story "Mimsy Were the
Borogoves", THE LAST MIMZY spins the story of a young brother and
sister (Chris O'Neil and Rhiannon Lynn Wryn) who develop amazing
mental and physical powers soon after finding a strange box loaded
with alien artifacts—including a talking rabbit doll named Mimzy—that
they initially mistake for toys. "Like great science fiction, it just
shows us what's possible," Wilson (NBC's The Office) said. "I was
really profoundly moved when I first read the script. I actually
teared up, and that doesn't really happen, because I'm such a manly
man. But I was really moved by this allegory at the center, that
these toys that are sent from the future are sent to, in a way, save
mankind from itself. And the innocence of children saves us. Having
just had a kid—he's 2 1/2 right now, my son, Walter—it just really
resonated with me." Wilson, whose genre credits include GALAXY QUEST
and MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND, co-stars in THE LAST MIMZY as Larry, a
science teacher who forms a bond with the children as they embark on
their incredible journey. "Another thing I like about THE LAST MIMZY
is that spirituality and science fiction are woven throughout it,
which is a rare thing, but I think that great science fiction has
kind of a mystical element to it," he says. "When you look at BLADE
RUNNER, it's kind of like the nature of the soul and of being and
who's alive and why? What is it to be human? THE LAST MIMZY has that
as well. I think that Larry is the connection between the kids and
that science fiction world. As a science teacher himself he has an
understanding of science, but he also has these spiritual, mystical
visions." THE LAST MIMZY opens March. 23.

ALREADY DEAD
Variety reports that Phoenix Pictures and Mike De Luca Productions
will team for a feature adaptation of the Charlie Huston vampire
novel ALREADY DEAD. Scott Rosenberg will write the script. Huston's
novel is the first of a five-book series that the producers are
eyeing as a potential franchise. The series revolves around a vampire
who happens to be a private detective hired by a Gotham socialite to
track down her runaway daughter. The city's vampires are afflicted
with a virus that requires them to drink blood, and they run through
the city in clans. A new virus that turns victims into carnivorous
zombies threatens to upset the balance between humans and vampires.
Huston's second novel in the series, NO DOMINION, was just published.

DRESDEN FILES
"SG-1" castmember Claudia Black will travel, outside of
the "Stargate" franchise but staying with the Sci Fi family. Black,
will make a guest appearance on the channel's new original
series "The Dresden Files." She will portray Liz Fontaine, an Erin
Brockovich-style private eye who gives Harry (Paul Blackthorne) some
competition and a bit of chemistry when they investigate a murder
case. The episode, titled "The Other Dick," will air on Sunday, March
25.

SATURN AWARDS
Nominees for the 33rd annual Saturn Awards have been released, with
SUPERMAN RETURNS leading a list of nominees that include X-Men: The
Last Stand and Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. The Academy of
Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films announced other nominations
that included Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible III, Perfume: The
Story of a Murderer, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and
Stranger Than Fiction, which each received five nods.
In the television categories, ABC's LOST led the nominees, with six
nominations. NBC's new hit series HEROES garnered five, and SCI FI
Channel's original series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA earned four
nominations.

A special recognition award will be presented to the imaginative
children's book Alien Xmas, written by Stephen Chiodo and Jim Strain.
This year marks the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Films' 35th anniversary. The non-profit organization was founded in
1972 by film historian Donald A. Reed. Saturn winners will be
announced in ceremonies on May 10 in Universal City, Calif. HEROES
cast member Greg Grunberg and comedian Jeffrey Ross will host the
awards show. The full list of nominees can be found at the official
Web site.

Best Science Fiction Film: Children of Men, Déjà vu, The Fountain,
The Prestige, V For Vendetta, X-Men: The Last Stand
Best Fantasy Film: Charlotte's Web, Eragon, Night at the Museum,
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Stranger Than Fiction,
Superman Returns
Best Horror Film: The Descent, Final Destination 3, Hostel, Saw III,
Slither, Snakes on a Plane
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: Casino Royale, The Departed,
Flyboys, Mission: Impossible III, Notes on a Scandal, Perfume: The
Story of a Murderer
Best Animated Film: Cars, Flushed Away, Happy Feet, Monster House,
Over the Hedge, A Scanner Darkly
Best Network Television Series: Heroes, Jericho, Lost, Smallville,
24, Veronica Mars
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Battlestar Galactica, The
Closer, Dexter, Doctor Who, Eureka, Kyle XY, Stargate SG-1

HEROES
Jack Coleman, who stars as the mysterious Mr. Bennet (aka Horn-Rimmed
Glasses) on HEROES, said in a recent interview that fans can look
forward to more emotional fireworks between his character and
Bennet's perceptive and distrustful daughter, the invincible
cheerleader Claire (Hayden Panettiere). "Any allegiance on this show
is subject to change," Coleman teased. "Certainly, the relationship
between H.R.G. and Claire has been very strained lately. In episode
17 ('Company Man,' airing Feb. 26), there is a crisis situation that
brings it to a head and possibly a temporary resolution. But I
suspect the relationship between Claire and H.R.G. is one of the core
values, so to speak, of this show. As twisted as the relationship is,
they've said so many lies to each other, but ultimately I think they
do really love each other, and there is a tremendous bond there. It's
one of the bedrocks they build story on, so I can't imagine they will
be at each other's throats and trying to kill each other. I think
it's much more of a domestic issue rather than a superhero issue."
Coleman said he's pleasantly surprised at how long his character has
survived and evolved over the course of the series. "It's
interesting, because it's one of those things that gradually builds,"
Coleman said. "I don't think there was ever knowledge or intention
that this was what was going to happen [to my character]. Episode 11
('Fallout') was my first episode as a series regular, but I started
to get the idea that it might happen a few episodes beforehand." In
the pilot, Mr. Bennet was introduced as a shadowy figure on the hunt
for seemingly ordinary people who possess extraordinary powers. Since
then, the character, dubbed H.R.G for his trademark glasses, was
revealed to be the adoptive father of Claire and an employee for a
front company, Primatech Paper Company. "This character serves so
many different stories and can be a catalyst," Coleman actor said of
the importance of Mr. Bennet. "He can drive stories for people that
are struggling to get hold of their abilities. You need an antagonist
and someone to drive them to a crisis. It was that, and I think they
liked [my] chemistry with Hayden, and it had a nice emotional
resonance, which added to the creepiness of what H.R.G. was doing
during his day job. So I think it made sense to keep him around a
little while." HEROES airs Mondays on NBC at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

AMAZING GRACE
On Friday, Michael Apted's historical drama AMAZING GRACE will open
nationwide, and though it might look like your typical period film
with all the trappings--wigs, costumes, tall ships, etc--it's
actually a fascinating look at a man named William Wilberforce,
played by Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four), who was the driving force
behind the abolition of the slave trade in England back in the early
19th Century. As it follows the life of this incredible man who
traversed the line between religion and politics, Apted used all of
his experience with historic films to give viewers a glimpse into the
ways of Parliament and the bureaucracy of the day, as portrayed by a
cast of some of England's finest from Albert Finney and Michael
Gambon to Toby Jones, Rufus Sewell and other lesser known but equally
talented actors.

TAKEN
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Maggie Grace has signed on to
play the female lead in the upcoming Fox thriller, TAKEN. She will
join Liam Neeson in the cast. The film, to be directed by Pierre
Morel, will set Grace as the estranged daughter of Neeson's character
who is kidnapped and forced into the slave trade. Neeson's character
is a former spy who uses his skills to rescue her. Shooting is
expected to begin this month from a script by Luc Besson and Robert
Mark Kamen.

That's it for this Sunday morning. I hope you all enjoy what remains
of the day. If you want to read more about New York Comic Con, go to
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/003615218.cfm. They
are covering the convention well, with many articles on not only
comics.

Be safe,
Sandy

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