THE ZOCALO TODAY – November 24, 2007

JOE'S COMICS
It looks like THOR is doing very well. Issue #4 sold out at Diamond.
This is the Odinson's fourth consecutive sell-out since JMS and
Oliver Coipel re-launched the series in July. Due to the overwhelming
demand for the issue, Marvel is going back to press with Thor #4
Second Printing Variant, featuring Oliver Coipel's interior page of
Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun -- The Warrior's Three -- as the cover!

BABYLON 5 ABROAD
Warner Bros To Launch Branded Vod Channels Globally (Fri, 23 Nov 2007)
Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) has
announced it will launch a number of branded, video-on-demand,
non-linear channels on a subscription- and advertiser-supported basis
over a variety of delivery platforms.

The aim of this new initiative is to create Warner Bros-branded
entertainment destinations that will provide consumers with on-demand
access to some of the studio's top-quality programming in a number of
territories.

The on-demand and broadband models make financial sense, says Jeffrey
Schlesinger, WBITD's president. "The costs here are much lower than
creating a linear channel. You don't have as much on-air promotion
that you have to do. You don't have as much scheduling or advertising
sales infrastructure. You don't have to worry about commercial
insertion."

In the UK, Warner TV is on Virgin Media's digital cable platform and
on BT's IPTV television platform. This service is available to all
on-demand subscribers.

Warner TV in the U.K. features episodes of several series, including:
The West Wing, Nip/Tuck, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The O.C., Joey,
Babylon 5; Close to Home and All of Us.

Warner Bros. had also announced a deal with Japan's USEN Corporation
for a Warner TV channel on USEN's ad-supported broadband broadcasting
service, GyaO. Another Warner TV service, a combination of feature
films and television series, was launched in France on the Free IPTV
platform on a subscription basis. A second deal has also been
concluded with Orange in France and a series-based Warner TV zone will
be launched on Orange's IPTV television on-demand serviceshortly.
Commentators say that WBITD should be placed on your "watch list" of
companies pioneering how distribution will work in the broadband era.

Source: Variety and World Screen

NEW ITEMS FROM JOE'S STORE
Looking for something different for your office/home/car? Cafe Press
has something you can proudly display and show your support of your
favorite candidates. Go to
http://www.cafepress.com/thejoestore/3950485 to find signs, mugs,
magnet, t-shirts and sweatshirts for your favorite candidates. Your
choices are London/G'Kar or Zathras and Zathras.
While you are over at Joe's Store, be sure to check out the new 2008
calendars. The 2008 Babylon 5 Concept Art Calendar - contains images
from the private collection of creator, J. Michael Straczynski. The
2008 Babylon 5 Quotes Calendar - Fresh quotes for 2008 hand-picked by JMS.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
The much awaited BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR premieres tonight at
9:00pm EST. Watch as Adama witnesses the rise of a new Cylon threat
and gets news from Galactica. Go to http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/
to catch up on all the segments leading up to the RAZOR premiere tonight.

PENNY LANE AND BE A SANTA PROGRAM
If you missed the notice in the last issue, here is a repeat of Pat
Tallman's request for help with Penny Lane this year!
We kicked off the Be A Santa program at Penny Lane's fundraising gala
last week. It's official! We are looking for donations of trees &
decorations, and a truck! We are planning the parties. Everyone is
getting excited.

We need your help!

This is a very small & personal program. We need everyone to help to
make it work. Anything you can give is greatly appreciated!
How you can help...

Who are the Penny Lane kids?
Penny Lane is a family treatment center that cares for the most
difficult to manage children with the highest quality care. These kids
have been so sexually, emotionally and physically abused, they cannot
be placed in regular foster care. We have children from all over
California, Nevada and Arizona. The Be A Santa program focuses on the
104 teens in residence in the North Hills main facility and 9
satellite houses.

The Be A Santa program will bring the magic of the Holidays to the
Children of the Penny Lane Home for abused Children who would not have
a holiday otherwise. We will bring your personal message of caring to
these special children. Your much needed Tax Deductible gift or
donation will allow us to give or purchase requested Holiday Gifts to
the kids, reminding them that people do care about them. Thank you for
your support!

Penny Lane is a non profit 501© organization dedicated to those
youngsters commonly known as the hard-to-place children, providing a
safe and congenial, nurturing atmosphere for them as well as
transitioning them when ready to the most appropriate environment and
integrating them into the community.

Your tax deductible donation will help us provide decorations & a
holiday dinner, a gift bag of goodies including a gift card to the
Westfield Mall for as much $ as I can give them. We divide what we
take in amongst the 104 kids. Last year we were able to give each
child a $65 dollar card! Thanks to you!

All Angels, Santas and Elves are needed and greatly appreciated!
Because of you, these kids have a real Holiday!!!

Sincerely,
Patricia Tallman
Be A Santa

For more information about the Be A Santa program, send messages to
beasantaelf@... or visit their website at http://www.beasanta.org.

Send checks made to Penny Lane , with Be A Santa in the memo to:
Be A Santa
6433 Topanga Canyon Blvd. #207
Canoga Park, CA 91303
Thank you!!!

BABYLON PODCAST #91
Tim, Summer and Jeffrey chat about Thanksgiving, turkeys, turducken,
and holiday recording schedules. And for some reason, the tangents
ruled this open.

B5 Audio Drama: The Three-Edged Sword Episode 19: "The Die is Cast"
(TS: 9:00-14:58) What you're hearing here on The Babylon Podcast is
just a small part of the story… the full audio drama can be heard at
Voices of Babylon, so what are you waiting for? Head over and check
them out!

Deep Geeking: "Severed Dreams". All Geeking, All the Time.
Apologies ahead of time for the audio quality for the Deep Geeking…
there was a studio malfunction, resulting in the loss of ALL of the
discussion about "Severed Dreams" (and you thought we were kidding
about the helpful donations).

Jeffrey actually sticks around for the geeking on this episode, and
adds some anecdotes from his time on the set during the filming.
Between witnessing hostilities between EAS forces, seeing the B5
command staff take stand and pick a side in the battle that's been
building around them for well over a year, discovering how fine a line
ISN has been standing on since the first rumors that Clark was
involved with Santiago's death, Delenn's confrontation and dissolution
of the Grey Council, and the heated battle between the station and
Clark's forces and the intervention by the Minbari, the show truly
embodies what's built up since the end of Season 1: "Nothing's the
same anymore."

Jeffrey taunts us by letting us know that he still has Hugo screeners
for this episode.

To catch up on all the previous Babylon Podcasts, go to
http://www.babylonpodcast.com.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

JEFFREY WILLERTH, PATRICIA TALLMAN, ROBIN ATKIN DOWNES
FOR PETE'S WAKE
"For Pete's Wake," a film starring Patricia Tallman and Robin Atkin
Downes, directed by Downes, and produced by Jeffrey Willerth, is
screening December 9th, 2007 at the Two Roads Theatre in Studio City.
Tickets are available exclusively through Goldstar.com. Some of the
cast will be in attendance. If you are in the California area and
interested, here is the link for tickets -
http://www.goldstar.com/events/studio-city-ca/for-petes-wake.html.
Hurry, there is only a limited number of tickets available.

BILL BLAIR
The man who played more aliens on Babylon 5 than any other actor (as
well as other shows like Alien Nation, Sliders, X-Files, etc.) is
getting together another cruise for the coming year. Dates are August
17-24, 2008. The 7 day cruise begins in Tampa, Florida aboard the
Carnival Legend with ports of call in Grand Cayman Islands, Cozumel,
Mexico, Belize, Roatan Island, Honduras. Not only is this a beautiful
cruise, but there will be a make-up demonstration, autograph sessions
and much more. For all the details, go to http://www.billblairfanclub.com.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
What do you think the holiday season would be like on Babylon 5? Do
you think the major races on the station would participate in the
celebrations? If so, how?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I'll post
them so that your fellow readers can share your opinion and I hope
they will join in the discussion as well.

NEW STARGATE NOVELS

Stargate Atlantis: Blood Ties (Stargate Atlantis)
Sonny Whitelaw
Release Date: 27 November 2007
Synopsis - When a series of gruesome murders are uncovered around the
world, the trail leads back to the SGC - and far beyond...Recalled to
Stargate Command, Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Colonel John Shepard, and Dr.
Rodney McKay are shown shocking video footage - a Wraith attack,
taking place on Earth. While McKay, Teyla, and Ronon investigate the
disturbing possibility that humans may harbor Wraith DNA, Colonel
Sheppard is teamed with SG-1's Dr. Daniel Jackson. Together, they
follow the murderers' trail from Colorado Springs to the war-torn
streets of Iraq, and there, uncover a terrifying truth...As an ancient
cult prepares to unleash its deadly plot against humankind, Sheppard's
survival depends on his questioning of everything believed about the
Wraith...

Stargate SG-1: Relativity
By James Swallow
Availability: Published 1 November 2007
Future Imperfect...
When SG-1 encounter the Pack - a nomadic space-faring people who have
fled Goa'uld domination for generations - it seems as though a trade
of technologies will benefit both sides.
But someone is determined to derail the deal. With the SGC under
attack, and Vice President Kinsey breathing down their necks, it's up
to Colonel Jack O'Neill and his team to uncover the saboteur and save
the fledgling alliance. But unbeknownst to SG-1 there are far greater
forces at work - a calculating revenge that spans decades, and a
desperate gambit to prevent a cataclysm of epic proportions.
When the identity of the saboteur is revealed, O'Neill is faced with a
horrifying truth and is forced into an unlikely alliance in order to
fight for Earth's future...

For all the latest STARGATE SG-1 and STARGATE ATLANTIS novels, go to
http://www.stargatenovels.com/bookshop.php to order. They are also
available through http://www.amazon.com.

NEW DVDS ON THE WAY

Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series
Release Date: November 6, 2007
For more information, go to http://warnervideo.com/doctorwho/

Synopsis:
The third installment of Doctor Who is full of new thrills, new
laughs, new heartbreak and some terrifying new monsters. From the
moment the Doctor walks into the life of medical student Martha Jones
he changes it forever. In Elizabethan London, they meet William
Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre while back in present day London,
76-year-old Professor Lazarus recaptures his youth with consequences
that threaten Martha's entire family. And, the Doctor's sworn enemies,
the Daleks, who have been hiding in 1930's New York, return with a
terrifying plan for humanity. Disc 1: Christmas Special: The Runaway
Bride Disc 2: Smith and Jones The Shakespeare Code Gridlock Disc 3:
Daleks in Manhattan Evolution of the Daleks The Lazarus Experiment 42
Disc 4: Human Nature The Family of Blood Blink Disc 5: Utopia The
Sound of Drums Last of the Time Lords Disc 6: Doctor Who Confidential.

NEW SCI-FI PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times #147: DOCTOR WHO Doctor Who (2000s)There's always plenty
going on in the Who world. Take a look at this year's Christmas Voyage
of the Damned, and scout ahead to the fourth season… HEROES: Jimmy
Jean-Louis messes with our minds and talks about playing the
mysterious Haitian, who can erase memories and has a connection with
the mysterious Company… ATLANTIS: After 10 years as a member of SG-1,
Sam Carter has a new role as leader of the Atlantis expedition. Amanda
Tapping talks about continuing in the role. SMALLVILLE: Laura
Vandervoort has a new role in Season 7, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl.
JOURNEYMAN - Dan Vasser isn't the only one being sent on missions
through Time. Moon Bloodgood tries to unravel the mysteries that
surround her character, Livia Beale.

Heroes Issue #1: Issue Spotlight - MEET THE CAST - The cheerleader,
the politician, the painter, the single mom. Many would agree that
it's the characters that make Heroes the show that it is – and names
like Hiro Nakamura and Peter Petrelli are now on everybody's lips.
Read profiles of the Heroes, with a little help from the actors who
play them, in this red-hot premiere issue! Along with all the
interviews, you'll fine a SEASON ONE EPISODE GUIDE - Remember when
indestructible cheerleader Claire proved she was hot by rescuing a man
from a burning train, the Petrelli brothers defied the laws of
gravity, and Japanese office drone Hiro took a trip to America using
only the power of his mind? A group of normal people began to discover
strange powers – and things got really interesting when they – and
their enemies – started to interconnect! From Genesis to the thrilling
climax, this issue will guide you through the entire first season of
the hit show, with an unmissable guide to all the episodes!

Supernatural Issue #1: If you enjoy the exploits of the Winchester
brothers, this will be a must-have for you. This is the official
magazine companion to one of television's hottest shows. It has cast
and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes features in each issue, to
give you the kind of access to the weird and wonderful world of
Supernatural that no true fan can afford to miss! Jared Padalecki and
Jensen Ackles discuss their alter egos' alliances with the dark side,
and reveal how they were born to play Sam and Dean. Supernatural
creator Eric Kripke introduces this premiere issue of the official
magazine – and then talks all things Supernatural in a comprehensive
interview. There is also input from producer Kim Manners and the
show's FX team!

CONVENTION CALENDAR

DECEMBER 1-2, 2007
Steel City Con
Guests: Richard LeParmentier, Corin Nemic, Mark Goddard, Bob May,
Cathy St. George, Mark Sparacio, Blly Tan and others
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Place: Pittsburgh Expomart - Monroeville
For more information visit www.steelcitycon.com

DECEMBER 1-2, 2007
Light Speed Fine Art Charity Benefit
Place: Lakeforest Sun and Sail Club
City: Lake Forest, California
B5 Guests: Bruce Boxleitner, Jeffrey Willerth, Pat Tallman, Claudia
Christian and Bill Mumy.
For more information, go to
http://www.lightspeedfineart.com/celebritycharitybenefit2007.html.

FEBRUARY 15 ~ 17, 2008
Farpoint
Place: Hunt Valley, Maryland (Baltimore area)
B5 guest: Mira Furlan
Other Guests: James Callis, Harve Bennett
For more information, go to http://www.farpointcon.com

TOP STORIES FROM THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

DARK KNIGHT
IMAX has released a new featurette on The Dark Knight! The clip
features director Christopher Nolan and director of photography Wally
Pfister talking about shooting scenes in IMAX for the anticipated
Batman Begins follow-up hitting theaters on July 18, 2008. See the
clip here
http://www.imax.com/ImaxWeb/xtras/?dl=beo/screeningroom/btn1/dk/dk_prologue.

SHREK THE THIRD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that DreamWorks Animation's SHREK THE
THIRD topped the national DVD sales and rental charts the week ending
Nov. 18, with first-week sales so strong that the Paramount Home
Entertainment release is already among the year's top 10 DVD sellers.
The previous week's top seller, Disney/Pixar's RATATOUILLE, hung
strong and finished second, while Warner Bros.' OCEAN'S THIRTEEN
debuted at No. 3. On Home Media Magazine's video rental chart for the
week, SHREK THE THIRD handily won the top slot with estimated rental
revenues of $11 million. OCEAN'S THIRTEEN bowed at No 2, with
estimated earnings of $7.9 million. The previous week's top renter,
Universal Studios' I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY, slipped to No.
3, generating an additional $7.7 million its second week, down just
17% from the previous week. On the high-definition disc front, SHREK
THE THIRD was the hands-down winner on the HD DVD chart, outselling
fellow debutante OCEAN'S THIRTEEN by a 3-to-1 margin. On the Blu-ray
chart, RATATOUILLE remained at No. 1, while OCEAN'S THIRTEEN bowed at
No. 2.

BOLD and MADAGASCAR
Animated News has posted this first promo poster for Disney's 2008
animated feature, Bolt, while the first image from DreamWorks
Animation's Madagascar: The Crate Escape, coming November 7, 2008, is
here as well. BOLT, featuring the voices of John Travolta, Thomas
Haden Church, Woody Harrelson, Bernie Mac and Bruce Greenwood, opens
November 26, 2008. The MADAGASCAR sequel is voiced by Ben Stiller,
Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen,
Cedric the Entertainer and Andy Richter.

TIN MAN
As the premiere of SciFi's TIN MAN approaches (December 2 at 9:00pm),
Neal McDonough, who plays the title character in the miniseries said
during a recent interview that his co-stars were "incredibly perfect"
for their respective roles. Based on L. Frank Baum's THE WONDERFUL
WIZARD OF OZ, the six-hour TIN MAN stars McDonough as ex-cop Wyatt
Cain (known as a Tin Man) opposite Zooey Deschanel as DG, Alan Cumming
as Glitch (who's missing half his brain) and Raoul Trujillo as Raw (a
nervous wolverine-like creature). "Zooey is so terrific in the
character," McDonough said. "She's that angst-ridden,
20-something-year-old girl who's just perfect in this really different
ride. And it's a different ride from what you'd expect with The Wizard
of Oz, and it's an amazing emotional ride. Alan, if there's ever a
dull moment, he'll do something to make everyone laugh, and he'll do
it without even knowing it. He's such a great, funny, charming,
wonderful guy to have on a set. You always have to have an Alan
Cumming on every set." As for Trujillo, McDonough said that he enjoyed
working with the actor and felt tremendous compassion for him. "Raoul,
my God, what this poor guy had to go through," McDonough said. "Every
day, he spent hours in a chair getting the makeup put on, and he never
complained. I'm telling you, he never complained. I wouldn't be able
to take it. I always have two rules when I'm choosing roles, and they
are two things I can't have: tights and prosthetics. Raoul would go
through that every day for hours. I was like, 'Man, how do you do it?'
I'm just claustrophobic, I guess. He's so perfect as Raw."

G-FORCE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi and
Tracy Morgan will be three of the lead voices in the SF action movie
G-FORCE for Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Bill
Nighy and Will Arnett also have joined the ranks of the human actors
in the live-action/computer-generated film, which marks the
directorial debut of Oscar-winning visual-effects innovator Hoyt
Yeatman. The story follows a group of ultra-intelligent animal
commandoes who work for a government agency trying to prevent an evil
billionaire from taking over the world. Cage will play Speckles, a
mole; Buscemi will portray Bucky, a hamster; and Morgan will voice
Blaster, a guinea pig. Nighy will portray an industrialist, and Arnett
will play an FBI agent. The live-action leads also include Zach
Galifianakis, Kelli Garner, Gabriel Casseus and Jack Conley.
Production is currently under way in Los Angeles. Jerry Bruckheimer is
producing.

STAR TREK - SAREK
STARTREK.COM reports that Ben Cross has been cast as Sarek, the Vulcan
father of Spock, in J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek feature film. He
will be paired with Winona Ryder, portraying Spock's human mother,
Amanda Grayson. (Variety had earlier incorrectly reported that Ryder
would play a Vulcan.) The young Spock will be played by HEROES Zachary
Quinto. Sarek was first played by Mark Lenard in the original series
and subsequent movies. The film, currently in production under the
direction of J.J. Abrams, is scheduled for release on Christmas Day 2008.

X-FILES
While out promoting THE MIST, Laurie Holden, who played the mysterious
Marita Covarrubias on The X-Files, said that she'd welcome the
opportunity to reprise her role in the upcoming sequel film. "I knew
it was coming, because I ran into David [Duchovny] recently, and he
said that it was going ahead," Holden said. "So I was excited to hear
that. I hope we're all back, but you never know with these things."
For several seasons on the Fox TV show, Holden played the blonde
informant to Duchovny's FBI agent Fox Mulder. Since the show ended in
2002, Holden hasn't been in touch with series creator Chris Carter,
who is set to direct THE X-FILES 2. (It's slated to begin production
in Vancouver, Canada, next month). "I have not," Holden said. "People
get busy, and they move on. But good for him [that he's going to
direct the film]." If Carter should call, Holden said that she's ready
to return to the fold. "I would love to," she said. "Maybe he'll read
about it in one of your articles and be like, 'Oh, yeah, let's put her
in the movie.'" Covarrubias was last glimpsed in the series finale,
"The Truth," when she arrived in court to testify on Mulder's behalf.

SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
Paramount has released a trailer for their upcoming adaptation of THE
SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES. The film is based on the best-selling fantasy
series and stars Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte,
Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Seth Rogen and Martin Short. Mark
Waters handled the directing from a screenplay written by John Sayles.
Use this link to see the trailer at Yahoo's trailer page,
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809761950/video/5096404.
Plot Concept: From the beloved best-selling series of books comes "The
Spiderwick Chronicles," a fantasy adventure for the child in all of
us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family
(Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom) leave
New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great,
great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange
disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily
basis, the family blames Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate
what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the
Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it. SPIDERWICK
CHRONICLES hits standard and IMAX theaters Feb 15, 2008.

FINAL DESTINATION 4
According to reports in the Hollywood Reporter, a fourth FINAL
DESTINATION—in 3-D— is developing at New Line, to be helmed by David
R. Ellis, who directed the second installment. Plot details for Final
Destination 4 are being kept under wraps, but the movie will stand
alone and will feature new teens facing new forms of death. The script
was written by Eric Bress, who co-wrote FINAL DESTINATION 2. Veteran
horror filmmakers James Wong and Glen Morgan created the franchise,
and Wong helmed the most recent installment. Ellis directed SNAKES ON
A PLANE and has worked as a second-unit helmer on such movies as HARRY
POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE.

KNIGHT RIDER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, David Hasselhoff is in
negotiations to star in the upcoming two hour movie/backdoor pilot of
KNIGHT RIDER. The lead character for this new concept will be Mike
Tracer (Justin Bruening), the son of Michael Knight (Hasselhoff). Also
joining the cast is fellow soap star Deanna Russo (Young & the
Restless) set to play the lead female character in the show. The trade
also mentions what the pilot's story will center on:
Burned by his love for childhood best friend and one-time girlfriend
Sarah Kamen (Russo), Mike is wasting away in Las Vegas when Sarah
reappears and is willing to pay off Mike's gambling debt in exchange
for help. Sarah is the brilliant estranged daughter of KITT inventor
Charles Kamen, who works as an assistant professor in the engineering
department at Stanford. When she receives word from talking-car KITT
(Knight Industries Three Thousand) that her father is missing, she and
KITT set out to find and recruit Mike.

CORALINE
In a recent interview, Neil Gaiman said that he's been previewing a
bit of his upcoming animated film CORALINE, based on his own ghost
story and directed by Henry Selick. "I've seen about 10 minutes of
it," Gaiman said. "They were talking it to audiences as a special
bonus at festivals. The audience went absolutely nuts. It's the best
stop-motion thing I've ever seen shot in 3-D." CORALINE: An Animated
Love Story is about a bored girl who finds out that there's a
bricked-up door behind a wall in her room. When she travels through
the door, she discovers a different set of parents. The film stars the
voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Keith David and Jennifer
Saunders. Selick credits include directing MONEYBONE, JAMES AND THE
GIANT PEACH and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. "People are so
surprised when they find out that Henry directed Tim Burton's
Nightmare before Christmas, partly because of the name," Gaiman said.
"But, it was all Henry, and he's doing something that is going to be
revolutionary with Coraline." CORALINE is expected to be released next
year.

CITY OF EMBER
Toby Jones plays the tyrannical character Barton Snode in CITY OF
EMBER, director Gil Kenan's upcoming adaptation of the fantasy novel
by Jeanne DuPrau. The film follows two youngsters who seem to be the
only people in Ember genuinely concerned about the growing lack of
food and the increasingly frequent blackouts. The latter issue is
particularly problematic, because Ember provides the only light in a
dark world. Jones—whose credits include THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF
JOAN OF ARC and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (as the voice
of Dobby)—said that several elements compelled him to sign on for CITY
OF EMBER. "[There was] the opportunity to work with Bill Murray [and]
to play someone who looks innocuous and turns out to be a tyrant,"
Jones said in an interview while promoting his new film, THE MIST.
"There's a big theme in that book about totalitarianism and climate
change and all that sort of stuff. There's a big theme about
tyrannical regimes, and I get to play one of those guys." Jones added
that he was impressed by the film's scope. "They built Ember," he
said. "In the hall where they built the Titanic in Northern Ireland
they have built the City of Ember. When I went there, it was just
amazing. This guy, Gil Keenan [Monster House], who's directing it, is
just fantastic." CITY OF EMBER, which also stars Tim Robbins, Martin
Landau and Saorise Ronan, will open in October 2008.

THE FLASH
MTV has learned that director David Dobkin has signed on as the helmer
for THE FLASH. Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) and David Goyer
("Blade" films) were previously attached to direct. Dobkin (Wedding
Crashers) says his adaptation won't be the character's first
appearance in theaters, with the Flash a major part of George Miller's
Justice League movie. Dobkin confirmed that his movie will be set in
the same universe as Justice League as a direct spin-off. He added
that the Flash they will use is "Wally West." Created by writer
Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, THE FLASH has the ability to run
and move extremely fast, use superhuman reflexes and violate certain
laws of physics, like time travel.

IRON MAN
Paramount Pictures has updated the official website for director Jon
Favreau's highly- anticipated Iron Man movie, coming to theaters on
May 2 and starging Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow
and Jeff Bridges. At the new site, you can read about the story, watch
the teaser trailer, view images, learn about the cast and even submit
fan art. Follow this link http://www.ironmanmovie.com/ for more on the
upcoming movie.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
Warner Bros. has announced that casting has been completed on the
upcoming sixth Harry Potter movie, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD
PRINCE. David Yates, who directed this year's ORDER OF THE PHOENIX,
returns to helm the next installment, based on J.K. Rowling's book.
Among the new cast members are Jim Broadbent, who will play potions
professor Horace Slughorn, and Helen McCrory, who will play Narcissa
Malfoy, mother to Draco Malfoy and sister to the evil Bellatrix
Lestrange. Also new to the franchise are Jessie Cave as Lavender
Brown, Hero Fiennes Tiffin as young Tom Riddle and Frank Dillane as
the teenage Riddle. The returning cast includes stars Daniel Radcliffe
(Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione), who will be
reunited with Helena Bonham Carter, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane,
Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith,
Natalia Tena, Julie Walters and David Thewlis, as well as Evanna
Lynch, Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright. Steve Kloves, who wrote the
first four installments of the film franchise, is adapting the
screenplay. In HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, Lord Voldemort
is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizard worlds, and
Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that
dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore (Gambon) is
more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is
fast approaching. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE will be
released on Nov. 21, 2008.

TWILIGHT
According to Variety, Kristen Stewart has signed on to star in Summit
Entertainment's vampire romance TWILIGHT, based on the first of
Stephenie Meyer's young-adult novels.

ANGELS AND DEMONS
Variety reports that Sony has pushed their Da Vinci Code prequel
ANGELS & DEMONS back to May 15, 2009. The trade says that screenwriter
Akiva Goldsman came into some problems with the script by having to
rush before the WGA November 1st deadline. Also adding to the troubles
is the fact that nobody has been cast except Tom Hanks. Rather than
rush the project further, Sony is deciding to wait for the strike to
resolve, polish the script and fill the cast before entering
production. Originally, it was set for a Dec 2008 release. Ron Howard
plans to direct the project. "While the filmmakers and the studio feel
the screenplay is very strong, we do not believe it is the fully
realized production draft required of this ambitious project," a Sony
spokesperson said. "At this time, there is no new start date for
'Angels & Demons,' but we are setting a release date of May 15, 2009,
and are hopeful to deliver the movie worldwide to theaters on that
date. We do not expect any other film on our 2008 slate to be
affected." ANGELS & DEMONS hits theaters May 15, 2009.

TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS
Moviehole reported that McG will direct Warner Brothers' TERMINATOR
SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINSs, the fourth installment in the popular
franchise, which is expected to hit theaters in the summer of 2009.

FRIDAY THE 13TH
New Line has set a release date for their upcoming FRIDAY THE 13TH
re-imagining and that day is Friday, February 13, 2009. This day also
happens to be the release date for the Universal remake of THE
WOLFMAN, starring Benicio Del Toro with make-up effects done by Rick
Baker. Universal has already moved the release of their Wolfman
project once. Perhaps, this means it will get moved again. If not,
both horror remakes will be going up against each other on that
Valentines holiday... It was announced earlier in the week that Marcus
Nispel (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is now set to direct this project
from a screenplay written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (Freddy vs.
Jason).

That's it for now. I hope you all had a marvelous Thanksgiving
holiday and were able to share your good fortune with family and
friends. Please visit the website and drop a note if you read an
interesting book or see one of the B5 regulars on a TV show or in a
movie. It is wonderful to see the cast in other roles.

Until next time, take care.
Sandy

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