THE ZOCALO TODAY – April 27, 2008
Not a whole lot new – but I did want to send along this update from
JMS that I know you will enjoy. If you thought you were a busy
person, just read what JMS has on his plate!!!

UPDATE FROM JMS
I know I've been absent here for a long time, but it's been necessary
to getting out from under a number of deadlines and personal stuff
that's been going on which basically put me into (or undre) the bunker
to focus on getting things done. There was a two week period where I
didn't leave the house other than to get mail. At all.
But with so much going on at the moment, I felt obliged to come in and
put out some information, with the note that there will be more to
come in the next week or so.

To the question of Emerald City Con, yes, I will still be attending,
though I don't yet know the schedule. I imagine they'll mainly have me
doing stuff on Saturday just because that's the main day for the con,
but that's conjecture on my part.

Yes, I will be attending the Cannes Film Festival with Changeling
along with the rest of those involved in making it. The announcement
was just flat-out stunning.

On the work side, in the post-strike environment, I've 1) sold two
original screenplays, 2) was hired to rewrite/basically write a new
script for a project for the Wachowskis, 3) have just finished a deal
to work on a project with Wolfgang Peterson, 4) have another spec
script going to auction around the end of May, 5) just closed the deal
on another assignment which is based on a very influential series of
SF books, 6) have one more deal to write a remake of a nearly
legendary SF movie that will close in a few days, 7) there's a deal on
the table for both Dream Police and Rising Stars which I'm considering
right now...all this in addition to writing The Twelve and Thor (which
remains in the top 5 of best-selling comics) and getting the script
books out the door.

Which explains why nobody's heard a peep from me in ages.
Now I need to take a nap.
JMS

BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS - UPDATE
Here is an update from the Babylon 5 Script Team at Cafe Press:
In the next couple days your Volume 14/Volume 15 will be shipping
together, in the same package. The important news is that the shipping
notice from CafePress.com will only state that Volume 14 is on its
way. It will NOT say that your Volume 15 is included.

THIS IS IMPORTANT SO WE ARE GOING TO REPEAT IT:
Your CafePress shipping notice will only tell you that your Volume 14
is on its way, and will make no mention of Volume 15.

As you know, Volume 15 is a gift from J. Michael Straczynski and is
not for sale, and therefore it does not have a product number. Without
a product number, it can't be a part of the CafePress system, and
that's why they can't include it on your shipping confirmation email.
We realize that this lack of any mention about Volume 15 on your
shipping notice could be confusing and anxiety-provoking, so we want
to assure you about this BEFORE you get your shipping notice.

Note to non-U.S. folks: Your customs declaration will only state the
value of volume 14. Because Volume 15 is a gift, there is no value and
therefore will be considered zero. So the total customs declaration
will be for Volume 14 only.

For the complete information about Volume 14 and an overview of the
Babylon 5 script series and Babylon 5 merchandise, go to
www.babylon5scripts.com.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW
STEPHEN AUSTIN
Got an update on Stephen's address yesterday. He is now the General
Manager at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas! Cool. Stephen was
your friendly neighborhood Pak'Ma'Ra Ambassador on Babylon 5. He's a
very nice guy and a wonderful comedian as well. Best of luck in your
new position.

DEAD AIR
Patty Tallman has just finished up her work on DEAD AIR, a zombie
movie being directed by Corbin Bernsen (LA Law). You can see a
behind-the-scenes clip over at
<http://www.reelzchannel.com/video/33472/dead-air-set-visit>.

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI - THE CHANGELING
For everyone that missed the news yesterday, THE CHANGELING, written
by our own J. Michael Straczynski, is going to Cannes. Yes, director
Clint Eastwood has entered the movie into the Cannes Film Festival.
Now speculation is whether we'll get to see JMS in a tuxedo!!!!

BABYLON PODCAST #109
Welcome to Show #109!
No Jeffrey this week. No Vorlon puns. Tim and Summer are sad, but it
passes after a moment.

Deep Geeking: Call it uber geeking. Mike McCafferty rejoins Tim and
Summer to discuss "Z'ha'dum", the season 3 finale, containing one of
the most delicious and exasperating cliffhangers ever visited upon
scifi tv fans.

This is an interview you have to hear again and again, and you won't
care that it runs the full hour. To catch up on all the wonderful
podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW DISCUSSION TOPIC
With Hulu.com having Babylon 5 online for us in the U.S. to enjoy
again, I wonder if you are like me – this time `round, I am seeing
more about the story than I did the first, second – even third time.
How about you? Does knowing the story actually enhance your viewing
pleasure of the series? Or does knowing how it ends spoil it for you?
Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@... and I'll post
them for other readers to share on the Discussion Page.

NEW DVDS COMING
BOTCHED
Release date: May 15, 2008
Official website: www.botcheddvd.com
Synopsis
In the spirit of great horror comedies like Army of Darkness, Shaun of
The Dead, and An American Werewolf in London comes BOTCHED a film that
takes funny and gore to the next level. Having recently won best
feature at the New York City Horror Film Festival, the film's star
Stephen Dorff (Blade, World Trade Center, and who is currently filming
Public Enemies with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Director Michael
Mann) also took home Best Actor honors as well. Jamie Murray (Dexter,
and the BBC series Hustle) is also along for the ride along with a
ensemble cast of memorable characters. From producer Steve Richards,
who also brought you The Matrix: Reloaded, House on Haunted Hill, and
the upcoming Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla comes the story of Ritchie
Donovan (Stephen Dorff), a professional thief whose luck turns from
bad to worse. The only survivor from a heist that goes terribly wrong,
Ritchie is forced to take the rap and is sent to Russia to steal a
priceless antique cross locked in a safe on the penthouse floor of a
Moscow skyscraper. Unfortunately, his luck runs out, yet again, and
things rapidly go downhill. During the robbery, Ritchie and his
Russian accomplices are trapped by police and are forced to take
hostages, seeking refuge on the building's unused 13th Floor... and we
all know how unlucky the number 13 is. Director: Kit Ryan Actors:
Stephen Dorff, Sean Pertwee, Jaime Murray, Hugh O'Conor Critic's
Quotes: "A bloody great movie!" - Slasherpool.com "if you liked movies
like Severance and Shaun Of The Dead, you will definitely get a kick
out of this brilliant horror comedy." - Slasherpool.com "Hilarious
entertainment." - Horrorthon

Video clips from Warner Bros:
One Hostage - :39
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_one_hos\
tage_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_one_hos\
tage_qt_300.mov>

What is your handle - 1:32
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_what_is\
_your_handle_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_what_is\
_your_handle_qt_300.mov>

ONE MISSED CALL
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Official website: http://www.onemissedcallmovie.com
Synopsis:
It happens to one. Then another. And another. College students
discover eerie voicemail messages on their cell phones. Each call
comes from the near future. Each call has the chilling voice of the
student during his or her last moments alive. And each call comes
true. Terror is One Missed Call away in this got-your-number shocker
based on the hit Japanese thriller Chakushin ari. Does the viral spree
of calls have a single source? Is there something that links the
victims? Psych student Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) and detective
Jack Andrews (Ed Burns) scramble for answers. And they?re working
fast. Because Beth just discovered an ominous message. Director: Eric
Valette Actors: Edward Burns, Shannyn Sossamon, Azura Skye

Warner Bros. Clips:
All Connected: :46
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_all\
_
connected_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_all\
_
connected_qt_300.mov>

Fire at St. Lukes 1:17
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_fir\
e_
at_st_lukes_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_fir\
e_at_
st_lukes_qt_300.mov>

CONVENTION CALENDAR
May 10-11, 2008
Emerald City Comicon
City: Seattle, Washington
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, go to http://www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com.

May 30-June 1, 2008
The Wrath of Con
Place: Panama City Beach, Florida
B5 Guest: Jerry Doyle
For more information on the con, go to http://www.wrathofcon.org.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION
DOLAN'S CADALLAC
Christian Slater, Wes Bentley and Emmanuelle Vaugier are set to lead
in an adaptation of Stephen King's short story DOLAN'S CADILLAC.
Vaugier is set to play the unfortunate leading lady while Bentley is
set to play her avenging husband. Slater is the villain. Erik Canuel
is directing from an adaptation written by Richard Dooling. Production
is scheduled to begin May 14. DOLAN'S CADILLAC is a thriller about a
man (Bentley), who plots to avenge the murder of his wife (Vaugier) by
notorious and untouchable Las Vegas mob boss Jimmy Dolan (Slater).

IRON MAN
Set to open this week on May 1. As the Hollywood Reporter puts it,
"Iron Man," the first self-financed production from Marvel Studios,
should catch boxoffice lightning in a bottle, thanks to hiring
longtime Marvel Comics reader Jon Favreau as director and the
supersmart casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the conflicted protagonist.
The betting line about opening weekend grosses really pales in
significance to the real question: Will the film imitate its hero's
ability to blast into the stratosphere for many weeks? The guess here
is a big yes.

ANGELS AND DEMONS
Variety reports that Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer has nabbed the
female lead opposite Tom Hanks in Columbia Pictures' Da Vinci Code
prequel ANGELS & DEMONS. Ewan McGregor is in talks to join the
thriller, which is based on the Dan Brown best-seller. McGregor is set
to take on the role of a powerful Vatican insider who assists Hanks'
Robert Langdon. In the prequel, Langdon once again finds himself
entangled with powerful forces with ancient roots: the Illuminati--the
most powerful underground organization in history-- and the Catholic
Church. Zurer will play Vittoria Vetra, an Italian scientist who joins
forces with Langdon. Ron Howard is directing from an Akiva Goldsman
script.

THE HOBBIT
Variety reports that Guillermo del Toro has signed on to direct the
New Line-MGM's upcoming THE HOBBIT and its sequel for executive
producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. The announcement--which had
been rumored for several weeks--came from Jackson and Walsh, New Line
president Toby Emmerich and Mary Parent, newly named chief of MGM's
Worldwide Motion Picture Group. Del Toro will move to New Zealand for
the next four years to work with Jackson and his Wingnut and Weta
production teams. He'll direct the two films back to back, with the
sequel dealing with the 60-year period between The Hobbit and The
Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment of the LORD OF THE RINGS
trilogy. Like RINGS, THE HOBBIT is based on a book by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Del Toro won't leave for New Zealand immediately, as he's still in
post-production on HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, which is due July 11.
The official signing of del Toro comes four months after New Line
settled a lawsuit with Jackson over profits from THE LORD OF THE RINGS
and announced that it had agreed with MGM to turn Tolkien's book into
two live-action films. Sam Raimi had been preceived as the initial
front-runner as director, but Del Toro had emerged in recent months as
the likely candidate. Though no screenplay deal's been set, it's
expected that the Rings scripting team of Jackson, Walsh and Philippa
Boyens will collaborate with del Toro. With del Toro blocking out four
years for the project, it's likely that the studios are aiming at
starting shooting next year and releasing the films in late 2011 and 2012.

THE DARK KNIGHT
A new poster has surfaced for THE DARK KNIGHT. THE
DARK KNIGHT reunites director Christopher Nolan with star Christian
Bale, who returns to continue Batman's war on crime. With the help of
Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent
(Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham
for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find
themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker
(Heath Ledger), who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark
Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and
vigilante. The official website is located at www.thedarkknight.com.

BLAKE'S 7
Sky One has revealed that a new remake of the classic British SF TV
series BLAKE'S 7 could soon return to U.K. television screens. The
satellite channel has given the green light to the development of two
60-minute scripts for a "potential event series" based on the show,
about a gang of rebels fighting an evil federation that ruled the galaxy.

PLANET 51
PLANET 51, an upcoming animated SF comedy, stars the voices of Dwayne
Johnson, Seann William Scott, Jessica Biel and Justin Long. The film,
which Johnson describes as a "reverse E.T." is now looking at a fall
2009 release. The film, developed at New Line Cinema, is now with
Warner Brothers. Johnson (Get Smart) said in an interview on April 24,
"I think it's going to be released next November." The movie--from Joe
Stillman, the writer of the Shrek movies--features Johnson as the
voice of astronaut Capt. Charles "Chuck" Baker, leader of an
expedition to the title world, which is inhabited by green creatures
who fear an alien invasion. "I go on their planet, and I'm actually
the alien," Johnson said, adding: "Of course, I befriend a little boy
[to try to] get back to my spaceship. It's really great." The film
marks Johnson's first foray into animation. "It was a lot of fun to
get in there and find his voice," he said. "But the character's great,
and I had a great time. We still have some more voice-overs to do, but
I'm really excited about that." The film also reunites Johnson with
his SOUTHLAND TALES Tales co-star Scott. The two share scenes
together, "but we laid down our stuff ... separately," Johnson said.
PLANET 51 is produced by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios. Jorge
Blanco is directing, with Javier Abad and Marcos Martinez co-directing.

CASTLE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Nathan Fillion (FIREFLY) is in
negotiations for the lead in an ABC pilots: "Castle." "Castle," from
ABC Studios, is a comedic procedural about a famous mystery novelist
(Fillion) helping the NYPD solve crimes.
Fillion recurs on ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and recently wrapped
the feature "Chilled in Miami."

CRIMINAL MINDS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that A&E Network and ION Television have
snapped up rights to "Criminal Minds" from CBS Television
Distribution. A&E's multiyear deal for the exclusive cable rights to
"Minds" allows it to air episodes from the first three seasons on a
weekly basis starting in May before being able to strip the first four
seasons starting in September 2009. A&E executive vp and GM Bob
DeBitetto said he hasn't determined whether he ultimately will strip
the series, but he's eyeing a 7 p.m. slot as well as "opportunities to
use it vertically in primetime."

ION's multiyear deal for broadcast syndication rights to the
procedural, which is in its third season on CBS, allows that network
to strip the show in primetime starting in September 2009.
Sources said A&E paid $650,000-$700,000 per episode, while ION ponied
up $175,000 per episode. A&E's license fee indicates that the market
for off-net procedurals in cable has cooled a bit from just a few
years ago, when it seemed as if every new sale was a record-setter.
For example, "Minds" sold to A&E for less than half what TNT paid for
"Cold Case" and "Without a Trace" ($1.4 million each) and a third of
what Spike TV paid for "CSI: NY" ($1.9 million). However, "Minds" did
top other shows like "Bones," for which TNT shelled out about $450,000
an episode. DeBitetto said "Minds" will complement the network's
schedule, which includes such other off-net acquisitions as "The
Sopranos" and "CSI: Miami" and unscripted series like "The First 48."
A&E also is debuting its first original drama in several years, "The
Cleaner," in July. " 'Criminal Minds' is a great drama in a genre that
we know well and works very well for us," he said. "It's a franchise
that we had our eye on for quite some time." He also pointed to the
nonserialized nature of "Minds." A&E has tried its hand at highly
serialized off-net dramas like "24," which the network acquired with
the intention of airing as a primetime "event" before moving it to
daytime. It has since been pulled from the schedule. "We found that
after a time, because it was so hyper-serialized, it became more of a
challenge for us," DeBitetto said. "That was not a surprise or
unexpected. We also acquired it at a price that made it a success for us."

DRESDEN FILES
Fans of SCI FI's cancelled series, THE DRESDEN FILES, can still enjoy
adventures of wizard Harry Dresden. Best-selling fantasy author Jim
Butcher says his latest Dresden Files novel, SMALL FAVOR, continues
several ongoing storylines and gets involved in a couple of new ones
during the course of the investigation. "It's the 10th book of the
series, in which I plan to write a total of 20, more or less," Butcher
said in an interview. "Once all the 'case' books are written, I plan
to cap the whole thing off in a big old apocalyptic trilogy. I mean,
come on. Who doesn't love apocalyptic trilogies?" Harry Dresden,
wizard at large, has in the course of his investigations incurred a
debt to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, monarch of the Winter
Court of the Sidhe, Butcher said. "He owes the big bad queen of the
wicked faeries two favors, and in this story she shows up to collect
on one of them," he said. "Harry finds himself subject to attack by
the minions of Mab's enemy, Titania, the Queen of the Summer Court, as
well as in danger of being wiped out by friendly fire in the course of
a case he would much rather went unsolved--the kidnapping of Chicago
crime boss, John Marcone. Throw in a couple of holy knights, a cult of
demon warriors and the Billy Goats Gruff, and it's looking like a long
week for poor Harry." Faeries, in the Dresden Files books, "ain't no
pixie-dust spilling, friendly, cutely animated little Tinkerbells,"
Butcher said. "They're the faeries of the Grimms' tales, the original,
gruesome ones, and even the friendliest among them can be lethally
dangerous in the right circumstances. Harry finds himself maneuvered
into becoming a pawn in the continual war between the two major powers
of Faerie, the Summer and Winter Courts, and, as always, it takes
everything he has to survive the situation without abandoning the true
victims of the matter." Butcher is currently at work on the first
four-issue Dresden Files graphic novel for Dabel Brothers, an original
prequel story set a few days before the events of the first book in
the series, Storm Front. Following the publication of the prequel
graphic novel, Dabel Brothers will publish adaptations of the Dresden
Files novels.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
May 3 is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY so be sure to stop in at your favorite
comic book shop to see what is new on the shelves and check out new
titles.

Please visit the website often (http://www.isnnews.net) for up-to-date
information about all things Babylon 5 and science fiction in general. If you
have something you want to share with your fellow readers, send it along.

I guess that about covers it for now. I hope that you all have a fantastic
Sunday – and a good week ahead.
Take care.
Sandy

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