THE ZOCALO TODAY – June 28, 2008

WHAT'S NEW

It is hot, hazy and humid here in Washington. Not really a news flash,
especially for those of us who have lived here for a while. However,
this weather has moved in a bit earlier than usual this year – for
joy! It could be worse – and is for my readers of The Zocalo Today.
With record heat and rains around the United States, I hope that all
of you are safe and sound this Saturday morning.

Before I forget, I have noticed a lot more visits to the website and a number of
new subscriptions to the news group. Welcome to everyone -- old and new Babylon
5 and science fiction fans. There is a LOT of information for you below. Enjoy.

JMS INTERVIEW
Over at <http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16965>,
JMS talks about his latest projects, including THE CHANGELING and
RISING STARS along with his comic book efforts, THOR, SILVER SURFER
and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. This is just part I, so we'll have to wait for
the rest next week.

JMS - RESEARCH HELP
This is from the B5 moderated news group (June 17):
I apologize for the cryptic nature of what follows, but in time this
will all be cleared up.

Starting mid-July into August and possibly September, I'm going to be
traveling quite a lot in researching a new movie project that I
cannot, for the moment, announce. (Not Lensman, this is a different
project, and I've already started on Lensman.) Suffice to say that the
research stage is going to be extensive in the extreme.
The main emphasis is on advanced technology. If someone who can do the
math were to look down the road a million years and see what advances
might be there, based on what we know now, what would that look like?
Advanced tech here covers warfare, living, toys, environment, health,
media, space travel, you name it. Everything that a civilization a
million years more advanced than we are might use or encounter.

Secondarily to this would be information on planetary physics and
alien biology.

To that effect, my intent is to visit as many of the following places
as possible: NASA Florida, the Wright-Paterson Air Force Base High
Technology Labs, MIT, CalTech, and any other places that seem like
good prospects. (If there's anything missing from that list, feel free
to add it.) I'm going to listen, ask questions, and try to keep up.
And no, there's no money involved, though if anyone proves to be
insanely helpful, I can try to work out a consulting credit. No promises.

The studio is going to help with some of the legwork here, they say
they can get me into Wright-Pat, but we'll see...even so, the ways of
studios grind very slowly. So I turn to you lot for assistance since a
number of you either are, or know someone who is, directly involved
with this stuff.

So...let the games begin.
jms

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

BILL MUMY
Ranger Glenda from Bill's fan club dropped by this latest information:
Bill Mumy's new CD "Circular" will be released in July.
Bill will be performing July 12, at 9pm at the Universal CityWalk in
Los Angeles. There will be no charge for this gig.

FOR PETE'S WAKE
There are only four days left for voting on FOR PETE'S WAKE for the
Independent Features Film Festival. This film stars Babylon 5's Pat
Tallman (Lyta) and Robin Atkin Downes (Byron), who also directed the
film. Go to <http://cinema.lycos.com/movies/for_petes_wake> to watch
the film and vote. Film selection is done ONLINE via a web-based
competition. The top 21 films will receive an invitation to the
Independent Features Film Festival which will be hosted July 25-27,
2008 at the acclaimed Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. Please watch
the film, and vote, so they can make it into the fest!!!!!!

G'KAR MASK GIVEN TO MUSEUM
Ranger Amy sent along this link to make sure that all Babylon 5 fans
know that the prosthetic mask worn by Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar is now
on display at the Museum of the Moving Image. The mask is mounted on a
life mask of Andreas Katsulas. You have to read the wonderful story of
Babylon 5 fans who banned together to purchase the mask so that it
could be shared by fans and the general public. Go to
<http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056&representat\
ion_id=4587>
to read how this piece of Babylon 5 history was preserved. The Museum
of the Moving Image is located at 35 Avenue at 36 Street, Astoria, New
York 11106. There website can be viewed at
<http://www.movingimage.us/site/site.php>.

CARD GAME
Ranger Charles writes that he picked up the Babylon 5 CCG deck the
other day and started playing around with it. He writes that he has
come up with a new twist:

"It's been a while since I've played the game in competition, but I
was going through my cards a while back and came up with a 'Human
Faction' Military deck which I've dubbed " The Stars Are Ours," and I
was wondering if you could find the space in your next newsletter, if
you might publish it, so I (and others) could get some reaction(s?)

If the serious player will look at it, it show a way to jump from
Capt. Sheridan to John Sheridan to President Sheridan *without* the
help of Lorien. Just as long as the 'other' players don't know what
you're doing<g.>

Yes, I know that compared to the other races the Humans are weakest
militarily, but with this deck a person can (IMHO) bloody a nose or two.

Please send any comments, suggestions, pro/con to: pogomil@...
If you are a CCG player, contact Charles at the e-mail address above
and see what he has up his sleeve!

DISCUSSION TOPIC:

If you had to describe Babylon 5 in a sentence or two, what would you
say? There have many descriptions written, but what would make a new
science fiction fan want to pick up the DVDs or VHS copies and watch –
and then read all the books that are canon?

Send your thoughts along to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them for
other readers to share and enjoy.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

The Works A21: Prison Break: As a representative of The Company, the
mysterious Susan caused a lot of trouble for banged-up Michael
Scofield in the third season. Jodi Lyn O'Keefe talks waterboarding,
severed heads and more. Oscar-winning star of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Javier Bardem and co-star Josh Brolin take a thoughtful look at their
roles as killer Anton Chigurh and opportunistic hunter Llewelyn Moss
respectively. CLOVERFIELD: He might have spent most of the film behind
a camera, but actor TJ Miller was vital to the movie's success as Hud,
the man who documents a shocking monster attack on New York. NATIONAL
TREASURE's Diane Kruger relates the horrors she was put through as
Abigail Chase, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer on producing high-octane
successes.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

July 4-6, 2008
JUMPCON
Place: Kalamazoo,Michigan
B5 Guests: Jason Carter
Other Guests: Tons of people from Star Trek, Andromeda and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/kalamazoo.

July 11-13, 2008
SHORE LEAVE
Place: Marriot's Hunt Valley Inn
City: Baltimore, MD
B5 Guest: W. Morgan Sheppard (Soul Hunter) Guests: David Hewlett,
George Takei, Malcolm McDowell, Jewel Staite, Kate Hewlett, Mark
Sheppard, Leah Cairns
For more information, go to www.shore-leave.com.

July 23-27, 2008
SAN DIEGO COMICON
City: San Diego, California
Place: San Diego Convention Center
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
Guests: Tons of people from the comic book realm
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/cci/.

July 26-27, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Guests: Anthony Forrest, Star Wars, Vanessa Branch and Lauren Maher,
Pirates of the Caribbean, THE BATMOBILE - 1966 model
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com.

NEWS UPDATE

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
As Doug Jones reprises his role as Abe Sapien in the HELLBOY sequel
film HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, he says that the project represents
a major professional milestone for him: He not only voices Abe for the
first time, he also plays other costumed creatures. "I've been acting
for 22 years, and I have never been this nervous, excited, jittery
about a film opening ever, and I think it's because I have a lot
riding on this one," Jones said at the Saturn Awards. "The role of Abe
Sapien has been expanded and grown so much in this that
[writer-director] Guillermo [del Toro] made him into a leading
romantic male for this film. So it's like, that's a lot. And also,
with the other two characters that I have in the film--the Angel of
Death and the Chamberlain--it was like I did triple duty on this
movie." Jones appeared in the first film as Sapien, Hellboy's
merman-like comrade in arms and fellow agent of the Bureau for
Paranormal Research and Defense (or B.P.R.D.), but his voice was
dubbed over by David Hyde Pierce in the final cut. This time, he
provided the voice for that character, as well as the other two he
plays. One of the most exciting aspects of the film for Jones was the
fact that Sapien will have a romantic storyline with an elfin princess
named Nuala, played by Anna Walton. "I get a love interest," Jones
said. "Aww. I've never had a love on camera like that. And she's
beautiful. Anna Walton played the princess, Nuala. And she's divine.
And she's Cate Blanchett good. You know what I'm saying? She's a
really wonderful actress. And I get to carry a weapon, and I fight bad
guys. I've got buddy-buddy brother time with Hellboy [Ron Perlman].
I've got brother-sister time with Liz Sherman, played by Selma
[Blair]. So it is a lot going on." Jones added that he got to play
some funny scenes as well. As for his future plans, Jones couldn't
confirm with certainty that he will be involved in del Toro's upcoming
project, a pair of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT. But he
did say that it was very likely. "I will quote Guillermo del Toro, and
that is, nothing official to report yet, exactly, on what role that
is, or what he might have for me," Jones said. "But he said, 'If I
direct a hemorrhoid commercial, Doug Jones will be in it.' So I think
that's a wink-wink, nudge-nudge that there's something for me in THE
HOBBIT, but I don't know yet." For trailers and prologue,go to
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/hellboy2thegoldenarmy/. For
more information on the movie, go to
http://www.hellboymovie.com/main.html.

With HELLBOY II getting ready to open on July 11, writer/director
Guillermo del Toro, thinks the second film is even better than the
original. "It's tenfold better, in my view," del Toro at the Saturn
Awards. "It's crazier, bigger, freer, and certainly creatively it was
much more fun to make. As an exercise in production it was as creative
as the first one, because the first one was [$66 million], this is
[$85 million]. But the scope we wanted was like that of a movie of
[$200 million] or more." But del Toro cautioned that his love for the
film is not necessarily an indication of its potential success. "I
felt this way with some of the movies I've done--not all of
them--where you know that you love the movie before it comes out, and
you can shout it to the wind regardless, because no one can predict
either the immediate future or the long future of a movie," del Toro
said. "But I can say safely that, regardless, I love the movie. It
happened to me with PAN's LABYRINTH. It happened to me, and that was
successful. It happened to me with DEVIL'S BACKBONE, which came out
and was barely noticed except by the critics. But went on to become a
movie that people know about and discover on DVD." The positive
response to the Oscar-winning Spanish-language fantasy film PAN's
LABYRINTH has brought del Toro fame among audiences who weren't
familiar with his work before. He said that he believes Hellboy II
will appeal to those audiences as well as to his longtime fans,
because it blends elements of his artistic projects with those of his
more commercial ones. "It's been great, because I think that PAN's did
that," del Toro said. "PAN's became that movie that put me in a
different view. Before, I would say that I love DEVIL's BACKBONE as
much, but, as I said, it was sort of an invisible movie for most of
the people. And most people knew me for the more commercial movies.
... People tend to distinguish. They say it's a Hollywood movie, or
they like the Spanish-language movies more. I think this one kind of
fuses both things into one. It has the same spirit and freedom that I
have in the Spanish movies, but with a much bigger scope."

SEQUEL FOR CLOVERFIELD ON HOLD
CLOVERFIELD director Matt Reeves said during the recent Saturn Awards
that plans for a sequel film have been put on hold until the
filmmakers can come up with an idea as interesting as the original.
"The thing that we sort of promised ourselves is we only wanted to do
another one if we could come up with something that felt as fresh to
us to make as that one did," Reeves said. He added: "We're still kind
of toying with what it's going to be and whether or not we're going to
find something that will be as exciting for us to make and, hopefully,
for an audience to watch. So we'll see. It's really in the baby, baby
stages. And right now it's definitely on hold until we come up with
what that would be." Press reports have suggested a prequel that would
go into the backstory of the creature that attacks New York in the
original or a parallel story set on the same night with different
characters. Reeves said that both of those ideas have been under
discussion. "We did talk about that, and I think that we would find
some way, if we did it," he said. "Some of the ideas we've come up
with reference this idea and reference the film, so that there is a
sense that it's related to this film. But it would be different. I
would need [it] to be really different." Meanwhile, Reeves has been
talking about other potential ideas with producer J.J. Abrams and
writer Drew Goddard that aren't necessarily related to CLOVERFIELD.
"We have a couple ideas," Reeves said. "We have a couple pretty
exciting ideas, but it's in the very, very early stages of that. And
whether or not that will develop into something that we want to do is
really unclear at this point. But as long as J.J. and Drew and I come
up with something that seems worth doing, then I think we'll do it."

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
According to Brendan Fraser, star of the latest version of Jules
Verne's classic, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, the 3-D film is
both a groundbreaking technical accomplishment and a vast improvement
over the 1959 big-screen version, which starred James Mason and Pat
Boone. Fraser plays scientist Trevor Anderson, who is joined on an
inadvertent trek to a world within the world by his young nephew (Josh
Hutcherson) and an Icelandic guide (Anita Briem). As they desperately
try to find a way out, they must contend with flying piranha,
translucent birds, rampaging dinosaurs, flesh-eating plants and
fast-rising temperatures. "We were able to make the world's first
live-action, feature-length, digital, narrative-driven 3-D picture
based on a classic piece of literature written by the godfather of
science fiction well over 100 years ago," Fraser said. "And for that,
it's a fleur-de-lis in the cap of filmmaking, because this film is
like none other ever created. Yes, it's in 3-D. I don't go to movies
all the time, but I recall that 3-D was something that showed up at
the end of the movie with Michael Caine and a shark went [motions as
if it's coming at him]. That was Jaws, and I was like, 'That's it?'"
(Fraser actually meant Jaws 3-D, with Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett
Jr.; Caine starred in Jaws: The Revenge). Three-dimensional imagery
actually dates back to the time of Verne, Fraser said. "Whether he
knew it or not, this guy was pretty innovative," he said. "I'd like to
think he's somewhere, hopefully not spinning in his grave, since Pat
Boone showed up with a ukulele and a goose and James Mason in Journey
to the Center of the Earth." The new JOURNEY opens nationwide on July 11.

JEFF GOLDBLUM
JURASIK PARK's Jeff Goldblum has joined LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT,"
replacing Chris Noth, who is leaving the crime drama after three
seasons. Goldblum will split starring duties with co-lead Vincent
D'Onofrio the way D'Onofrio did with Noth. "Jeff's presence will add a
new dimension to an already successful show," series chief Dick Wolf
said. LAW & ORDER: CI migrated from NBC to USA last year and was
recently renewed by the cable network for an 16-episode eighth season.
The Wolf Films/NBCU Cable Studio series gets a second window on NBC.
Goldblum is coming off a starring turn on the stage opposite Kevin
Spacey in the London production of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow."
Goldblum will be seen next on the big screen in "Adam Resurrected."

CLASH OF THE TITANS
Variety reports that Warner Bros. has set Louis Leterrier (The
Incredible Hulk) to direct their remake of CLASH OF THE TITANS, with
script by Lawrence Kasdan. In CLASH OF THE TITANS, Perseus, the son of
Zeus, must overcome a series of obstacles to save his beloved Princess
Andromeda, including cutting off the serpent-tressed head of Medusa,
who can turn a man to stone with a single glance. The original 1981
CLASH OF THE TITANS starred Harry Hamlin as Perseus and Laurence
Olivier as Zeus but is best remembered for Ray Harryhausen's visual
effects that brought to life Medusa, the Kraken and other creatures.
No production date has been set.

WAR OF THE GODS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that producers Mark Canton and Gianni
Nunnari (300) will produce WAR OF THE GODS, and have attached Tarsem
Singh, much known as a music- video and commercial director, to
direct. Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, the brothers who penned the
script for Universal's 50 Cent vehicle LIVE BET, penned the WAR OF THE
GODS spec. The script concerns the battles waged by Theseus, a warrior
from Greek mythology. That moves it into a somewhat different
historical time than 300 -- which concerned the battles of King
Leonidas against the Persians -- but ensures a similar vibe and
young-male demo. Production on WAR OF THE GODS could start as soon as
early 2009.

CBS PREMIERES ANNOUNCED
CBS announced that its upcoming new supernatural drama THE MENTALIST
will debut on Sept. 23 and will air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, GHOST
WHISPERER returns Oct. 3 in its 8 p.m. Friday timeslot and ELEVENTH
HOUR premieres Oct. 9 and will air Thursdays at 10 p.m.

WALL*E
When Disney/Pixar's latest SF animated movie WALL*E opens today, SF
fans may feel a sense of deja vu when they hear the computer voice.
It's ALIEN star Sigourney Weaver, who famously fought her own evil
computer in that seminal SF movie. "We're all fans of science fiction
movies, including ALIEN and its sequels," said WALL*E's sound-effects
guru Ben Burttt, designer of the robot voices, in a news conference
last week. Burtt actually worked on the first ALIEN movie and made
sounds for that film's nefarious computer, Mother. "So I have a little
connection there," Burtt said. It was WALL*E co-writer/director Andrew
Stanton's idea to recruit Weaver to do the computer voice of the
starship Axiom. Stanton describes himself as "a sci-fi geek." "Her
voice was recorded straightforward in the studio, but during the mix
of the film it was put in a big echo chamber, so it comes from
everywhere, so it's this omnipotent voice," Burtt said. "You never
actually see the source of it. ... The idea is having it be omnipotent
and all powerful, I suppose." The movie, set 800 years in the future,
centers on WALL*E, a little trash-compacting robot, who is the last
thing on an abandoned, garbage-covered Earth. Humanity fled the
ravaged planet centuries earlier on the Axiom, a luxury cruise
starship. When a sleek probe robot arrives on Earth to search for
signs of life, WALL*E falls head over treads in love and finds himself
caught up in an adventure that affects the fate of both robots and humans.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that writers Michael Brandt and Derek
Haas (WANTED) have drafted a script for Sony and producer Neal Moritz
and his Original Film titled ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. The film
is set in a world where the animals control the planet and humans are
the minority. Creatures takes place in North America, where people are
living in forts and the animals are running free.

RED SONJA
USA Today reports that GRINDHOUSE director Robert Rodriguez will
produce a new film adaptation of RED SONJA, starring his real-life
girlfriend, Rose McGowan. McGowan would play the flame-haired
comic-book warrior in a movie slated to open in 2010. The film will be
an origin story, to be directed by longtime Rodriguez associate
Douglas Aarniokoski, and will take its cues from the comic books, as
well as works by pulp novelist Robert E. Howard, father of the
original Sonja (then spelled Sonya) and Conan the Barbarian (also
undergoing a movie revival).

JAMES BOND - QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Columbia Pictures has announced they'll be releasing the first ever
trailer for Bond's next adventure QUANTUM OF SOLACE, this coming
Monday. The trailer will hit the internet on AOL here in America and
on MSN everywhere else, during a very brief, two-hour window Monday
June 30th at 9:00 am, after which it'll be sent out to independent
sites for sharing.

HEROES - SEASON THREE
During an interview at the Saturn Awards, HEROES creator and executive
producer, Tim Kring said that the upcoming third season will take the
show and its characters in entirely new directions--including deep
into the backstory. "One of the things that this volume is going to do
that, I think, is really going to be fun for the audience is that
there were very initial sort of primal questions that the show asked,"
Kring said. "Who am I? What's happening to me? How am I connected?
Where are these powers coming from? All of those questions get
reframed and turned on their head in a very interesting way in this
volume." As with the previous two seasons, the third will be divided
up into volumes. The first is titled "Villains" and will focus on the
nature of good and evil, Kring said. "You're going to see a lot of bad
guys in this one," Kring said. "The idea, also, is we're playing off
the idea of our characters as heroes or villains. So it's really the
duality of good and evil. ... We're playing off of this duality of
good and evil. All of our characters were given these powers and
possess these powers, and at some point it becomes sort of free will
and human nature as to what you're going to do with that. And all of
us are given the choice to make decisions that lead us down very dark
paths or towards heroic ends. And so, literally, every one of our
characters gets faced with that dilemma." Kring also said that the
popular villain Sylar (Zachary Quinto) will continue to be an integral
part of the show in the third season. Quinto had originally been
written out of the last half of the second season due to his shooting
schedule on the upcoming Star Trek film. But because of the writers'
strike, that part of the story was pushed into the third season, and
Sylar was written back in. "Well, we have no plans of saying goodbye
to Sylar right now," Kring assured fans. "I mean, that was yet another
silver lining for the strike, was Zach Quinto's availability to us in
the third volume. I mean, that was a huge thing for us to be able to
have him back. As you guys know, he would have disappeared for a large
chunk of the second half of season two. And so, for us, it was a big,
big deal." The third-season premiere of HEROES is scheduled to air on
Sept. 22.

JERICHO MOVIE????
Brad Beyer and Ashley Scott (Stanley Richmond and Emily Sullivan on
JERICHO) said during a recent interview at the Saturn Awards that they
have been hearing rumors of a possible feature-film version of the
show and would be interested in doing it if the opportunity presented
itself. "We got here and caught wind of a possible movie idea, which
we thought was really good," Scott said. "I think Brad had heard about
it online the other day, and I just heard tonight, and I thought that
would be really wonderful, wouldn't it? Kind of put a closing on it."
JERICHO was canceled after the end of its first season in 2007, but
returned for seven additional episodes earlier this year after a fan
campaign convinced CBS to bring the show back. It was canceled again
after the episodes aired to mediocre ratings. Beyer said that he would
like to see the film cover the escalating civil war between the
remaining survivors of a nuclear attack in the U.S. "We kind of feel
like it needs some closure, because it still feels kind of weird,"
Beyer said. "I mean, we didn't get to a whole second season. ... I
think you can do a lot more with it. I think there's a lot of
different ways you can go with the story." Fans of the show are
currently campaigning for another network to pick the show up. Both
actors said that they would gladly come back, whether it be for a
feature film or a new incarnation of the series. "I think we're all
very passionate about the show." said Scott. "We have been from the
moment I read the script, the first script, the pilot. I think we're
all very passionate about it. We're so thankful that our fans have
been so incredible. It's been such a blessing to know that we're
thought of that way. I think, at least speaking for myself, I know I'd
be back." Beyer added: "Yeah. I think everybody that I keep in contact
with would definitely jump on board with it. ... We're all pretty much
open to it. It was such a great, positive experience, why wouldn't we
want to do it again?"

X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
The official Web site for The X-Files: I Want to Believe has been
updated, with new video and other features; the sequel film opens July
25. Looks like another movie to put on your list for the summer!

SATURN AWARDS
SciFi.com reports that LOST was a big winner at the Saturn Awards on
June 24, earning four awards, including best network television
series, best actor (Matthew Fox), best supporting actor (Michael
Emerson) and best supporting actress (Elizabeth Mitchell). Among
nominated movies, ENCHANTED won three awards, including best picture
(fantasy) and best actress (Amy Adams). SWEENEY TODD, RATATOUILLE and
300 each received two awards.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films presented the
34th Annual Saturn Awards in a ceremony in Universal City, Calif.,
hosted by Jeffrey Ross. Guillermo del Toro, director of the upcoming
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, accepted the George Pal Memorial Award,
while producers Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr. received the
Life Career Award. Director Matt Reeves was recognized with the
Filmmakers Showcase Award for directing CLOVERFIELD.

A complete list of the winners follows. Look for your favorites to see
how they did:
Best Science Fiction Film: Cloverfield
Best Fantasy Film: Enchanted
Best Horror Film: Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: 300
Best Actor: Will Smith (I Am Legend)
Best Actress: Amy Adams (Enchanted)
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Best Supporting Actress: Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Freddie Highmore (August Rush)
Best Direction: Zack Snyder (300)
Best Writing: Brad Bird (Ratatouille)
Best Costume: Collen Atwood (Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet
Street)
Best Makeup: Ve Neill, Martin Samuel (Pirates of the Caribbean: At
World's End)
Best Special Effects: Scott Ferrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John
Frazier (Transformers)
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best International Film: Eastern Promises
Best Network Television Series: Lost
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Dexter
Best Presentation on Television: Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Best Actor on Television: Matthew Fox
Best Actress on Television: Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Michael Emerson (Lost)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Summer Glau (Terminator: Sarah
Connor Chronicles), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)
Best DVD Release: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Best DVD Special Edition Release: Blade Runner five-disc ultimate edition
Best DVD Classic Film Release: The Monster Squad
Best DVD Collection: Mario Bava Box Sets 1 & 2
Best Television Series Release on DVD: Heroes
Best Retro Television Series Release on DVD: Twin Peaks

THE STORYTELLER
Icelandic actress Anita Briem (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) is
about to start work on THE STORYTELLER, a fantasy film in which she'll
play opposite Wes Bentley (Ghost Rider). "Wes is the writer to my
illustrator, and we create children's books together," Briem said. "My
character suffers from an extreme case of agoraphobia, so the friends
and family of Wes Bentley's character start to believe that I am a
figment of his imagination. So, you know, that is kind of magical in a
different way [from Journey] and a different genre altogether, too."
THE STORYTELLER will also feature American Idol's Katharine McPhee as
Bentley's assistant. Robert A. Masciantonio wrote and directed the
film. His credits include the 1999 vampire film COLD HEARTS.
Production is slated to begin later this summer in Philadelphia, with
an eye toward a March 2009 release.

39 CLUES
According to Variety, DreamWorks has acquired screen rights to THE 39
CLUES, a multiplatform fantasy adventure series to be launched in the
fall by Scholastic Media. Steven Spielberg is eyeing the project as a
directing vehicle. Spielberg is expected to set a screenwriter in the
next few weeks. THE 39 CLUES, which launches Sept. 9, is envisioned as
a 10-book series to be released over two years. It's described as a
multimedia adventure that will include a set of collectible cards and
an online game that will serve as a portal as young readers try to
solve a mystery for a grand prize of $10,000. The contest will run for
two years. The focus of THE 39 CLUES is the most powerful family in
the world, the Cahills, who count Napoleon and Houdini among their
relatives. Readers will be challenged to discover the source of the
family's powers, revealed through 39 clubs that are hidden around the
world and scattered throughout history.

INSERAPABLE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Tricia
Helfer has been tapped to co-star on Fox's SF drama pilot INSEPARABLE.
INSEPARABLE, from ABC Studios and writer/executive producer Shaun
Cassidy, is a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde tale about Justin/Clyde
(Lloyd Owen), a partially paralyzed forensic psychiatrist with a split
personality whose alter ego is a charismatic criminal. Helfer will
play Mason Wicks, a psychiatrist who evaluates suspects for the police
department. The casting stems from the talent holding deal Helfer
signed with Fox in April. Also cast in the pilot is Morgan Turner as
Justin's daughter Emily. Helfer appears in the final season of
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

THE GHOST
MTV reports that Pierce Brosnan and Nicolas Cage will star in director
Roman Polanski's political thriller THE GHOST. The film, based on
Robert Harris' novel of the same name, centers on a ghostwriter who is
hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister. He
uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy. Brosnan would play
the prime minister, Adam Lang, and Cage the ghostwriter. Most of the
story takes place in an oceanfront house during the middle of winter.
Robert Benmussa and Alain Sarde will produce the film, slated to begin
shooting in Europe next fall.

AVENGER AND MARVEL STUDIOS
According to a story in USA TODAY, Marvel Studios has its proposed
lineup of superheroes for a proposed Avengers movie. IRON MAN director
Jon Favreau told the newspaper that the team's lineup has changed
throughout the years, "but the ones Marvel is talking about now are
Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Iron Man. I would love to see
that." Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios' president of production, confirmed
to the paper that he's working toward the day when "heroes can cross
into each other's adventures and occasionally team up if there's a foe
too great for any one of them to handle." Feiger and screenwriter Zak
Penn (X2 and The Incredible Hulk) are uniting to get Avengers in
theaters by summer 2011.

PARAMOUNT STUDIOS - A GOOD YEAR
Reuters reports that Paramount Pictures said it had topped $1 billion
in tickets sales at U.S. and Canadian box offices, boosted by the hit
films IRON MAN and INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL,
becoming the first studio to pass that milestone this year.

WANTED - THE MOVIE/NOT THE COMIC
In a recent interview promoting the upcoming WANTED SF action movie,
the Russian director, Timur Bekmambetov, told reporters that he stuck
with the film's source comic only for the first part of the movie. The
film is based on Mark Millar and J.G. Jones' comic- book series, about
a meek office worker who is recruited into a secret organization of
costumed supervillains and finds pleasure in the amoral destruction of
those around him. Gone are the costumes and the supervillains and he
turns to the character, Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), into a reluctant
assassin, recruited into a secret Fraternity of super-assassins. "I
think for the film audience, for cinema audience, it's quite important
to know why your hero's killing people," Bekmambetov said. "Not
killing just for fun. If not, you will lose your hero right away. It's
enough for 20 minutes ... I can do exactly like it is in the comic
book. But if I want to create the journey and to create the arc of the
character, I need an idea why my character wants to be different, you
know what I mean?" About all that is left of the comic is the film's
first act, which depicts Wesley's humiliating and soul-destroying
existence before he is mentored by the lethal Fox (Angelina Jolie) and
the enigmatic Sloan (Morgan Freeman). "If you want to keep audience
holding for longer, you need an idea, and the idea of the Fraternity
killing people to keep the balance of the world, ... [the] audience
will believe for two hours," Bekmambetov said in explaining the
changes. Bekmambetov, a Kazakhstan-born filmmaker, gained fame for his
visually arresting Russian-language films NIGHT WATCH and DAY WATCH.
WANTED is being released by Universal Pictures and opens June 27.

LALOLA
Variety reports that Fox has ordered a pilot from writer Kevin Falls
(NBC's Journeyman) based on Argentina's telenovela hit LALOLA, about a
womanizer who is transformed into a woman. Hyped in Argentina as the
next UGLY BETTY, the show puts its hero/heroine in a position to
endure the same kind of abuse he used to dole out. The show takes
place at a sports management firm and will also be set in the world of
entertainment and fashion. Falls will write the adaptation and
executive-produce; Jamie Tarses is also on board as an executive
producer. The U.S. version doesn't yet have a firm title; it's unclear
whether LALOLA will be used.

VIRTUALITY
The Hollwyood Reporter writes that Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, star of
Fox's canceled NEW AMSTERDAM, has signed on to Fox's two-hour SF pilot
VIRTUALITY. VIRTUALITY, from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA executive producer
Ronald D. Moore, is set aboard Earth's first starship, which is
equipped with advanced virtual-reality modules. Coster-Waldau will
play mission commander Frank Pike, a born leader. Moore and Michael
Taylor wrote the backdoor pilot, which is being directed by Peter Berg
(director of the upcoming superhero satire HANCOCK).

HERO OF COLOR CITY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Christina Ricci will voice the
lead role of the timid crayon Yellow in Exodus Film Group's animated
CG feature THE HERO OF COLOR CITY. Ricci, who voiced the role of
Gwendy Doll in the 1998 fantasy SMALL SOLDIERS, plays one of several
crayons whose colorful world is threatened by an evil tyrant. She is
the first member of the cast to be announced for the film, which is
now in preproduction. Exodus also announced upcoming lines of
merchandise, art supplies and educational products based on the film.
Upper Deck will manufacture trading cards and Kidthing will create
interactive games, digital books and activities available on its free
downloadable player at Kidthing.com.

SONS OF ANARCHY
FX on Tuesday picked up SONS OF ANARCHY to series for a September
launch. The cable network handed out a 13-episode order to the drama
from THE SHIELD writer/executive producer Kurt Sutter, FX Prods. and
Fox 21, which is set in the world of motorcycle clubs. The news comes
days after HBO began production on the pilot for its own biker-themed
drama, "1%." SONS, which Sutter is exec producing with father and son
Art and John Linson, explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club's
efforts to protect their town of Charming, Calif., from drug dealers
and local corporate developers. It centers on Jax Teller (Charlie
Hunnam), whose love for the brotherhood comes into direct conflict
with his growing apprehension regarding the club's lawlessness. Katey
Sagal, who is married to Sutter, stars as his force-of-nature mother.
The other central role, that of Jax's stepfather, who is the club's
president, will be recast. It was played in the pilot by Scott Glenn.

DISNEY ON-LINE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney will stream full-length
movies on its Web site for the first time as part of its "Wonderful
World of Disney" series on ABC, running now through August. FINDING
NEMO is available at www.Disney.com/WWoD through Friday after the film
aired Saturday on Disney-owned ABC. MONSTERS, INC., HAUNTED MANSION,
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, PRINCESS DIARIES 2, FREAKY
FRIDAY and PETER PAN also will be available on the site this summer. A
Disney spokesman said the decision to stream movies for free marks an
"evolution" in the company's online strategy. Fox, Universal,
Lionsgate and MGM have all previously placed titles on Hulu, the NBC
Uni/News Corp.-owned JV, while Disney has gone the pay route and kept
its films, for the most part, on iTunes. Disney Channel does, though,
stream episodes of its shows online for free. The spokesman said that
the "advertising strategy has not been finalized" for the films. NEMO
currently employs a pre-roll and the others will, most likely, have
the same, but this approach could change and a "presented by" option
is also being considered. The movies will be on Disney.com from
Monday-Friday after the film airs on ABC on the preceding Saturday
night as part of the "Wonderful World of Disney" presentation. PETER
PAN will be the last movie to stream, ending its run Aug. 8.
Disney.com also will stream the Disney Channel original movie CAMP
ROCK on June 23 at www.Disney.com/CampRock for a 24-hour window
following its TV premiere June 20 and subsequent airings on ABC on
June 21 and ABC Family on June 22.

GREEN HORNET TEASE
Sony Pictures has released their first official logo for the upcoming
hero adaptation. Perhaps, an official website is coming soon? The
character, previously played by Bruce Lee, is now being overseen by
Seth Rogen and his partner Evan Goldberg as screenwriters. Previous
reports have Rogen wanting martial arts star Stephen Chow in the role
of Kato but that hasn't been confirmed yet.
Plot Summary:
THE GREEN HORNET made his debut on January 31, 1936 on WXYZ Detroit,
the creation of the station's George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, who
also created the Lone Ranger. The series, which ran until 1952 on the
Mutual and NBC Blue networks, followed the adventures of Britt Reid, a
bored playboy whose life is changed when he inherits his father's
crusading newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. He saves the life of Kato, a
Japanese man with incredible technical and martial-arts skills, who
becomes Britt's closest ally -- and transforms Britt's car into the
supercharged Black Beauty, which gives them an edge as they search for
evidence to expose the city's underworld in the newspaper. When Britt
and Kato witness a brutal mob hit, Britt invents his secret identity
-- taking his name from his powerful car's defective horn. A skilled
fighter and expert marksman, the Green Hornet uses two special,
non-lethal guns to subdue criminals: one fires a potent knock-out gas
while the other produces the "Hornet's Sting" -- an electric shock.
THE GREEN HORNET will hit theaters June 25, 2010.

I guess that is about it for now. Please visit the website
(http://www.isnnews.net) to get the latest news from the world of
science fiction. Send along any suggestions of items to include as
well.

Have a great weekend.
Take care.
Sandy

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