THE ZOCALO TODAY – August 2, 2008

What's New
The Babylon 5 community is abuzz with reaction from JMS' last post
regarding Babylon 5's future. If you listen to the Babylon 5 Podcast
this week, you'll hear some of what fans are thinking.

Post: July 13, 2008
Several things just to update folks.
First, many thanks to all those who sent along research suggestions
and offerings to be of assistance on the project I can't talk about.
I've been swamped with deadlines and unable to reply to any of the
public notes and private emails, but as soon as I can get my head
above water, be assured that I'll be in touch with many of you.
Second, as noted in the original thread before I hijacked it, yes, the
plan at the moment is that I will be at Comic Con San Diego this year,
primarily doing my thing on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
There is a *chance* -- mind you, it's just a slim chance but to be
honorable I must mention it -- that a work situation *may* preclude my
appearance there. Or it may not. I'll know more by the end of next
week, and for now as far as I know, everything's on target for me to
be at SDCC. If that changes, I'll be sure to let everyone know as far
in advance as possible.

One final note re: recent discussions on TMoS and more Lost Tales.
B5:TLT was commissioned at a $2 million budget to, yet one more time,
"test the waters" for B5. We did what we could with that, and that was
that. As we did with Rangers, which also suffered from not having a
lot of money because of concerns about "is there really a B5
audience?" Which is, of course, a foolish question from a studio that
has never really understood what it has in B5.

Of late, there have been more discussions from WB about doing more
DVDs, again at a low cost, or a cable thing, again with minimal
investment.

So for the last few months, I've been giving this whole subject a lot
of quiet thought. And I've come to a conclusion.

B5 as a five year story stands beautifully on its own. If anything
else is to be continued from that story, it should be something that
adds to the legacy of B5, rather than subtracts from it.

As well intentioned as Rangers and TLT were, as enticing as it was to
return to those familiar waters, in the end I think they did more to
subtract from the legacy than add to it. I don't regret having made
them, because I needed to go through that to get to the point where I
am now psychologically, but from where I sit now, I wouldn't make them
again.

So I've let everyone up here know that I'm not interested in doing any
more low-budget DVDs. I'm not interested in doing any low-budget cable
things or small computer games. The only thing I would be interested
in doing regarding Babylon 5 from this point on is a full- featured,
big-budget feature film.

It's that or nothing.

And if it's nothing, I'm totally cool with that because the original
story stands on its own just fine. I'm not lobbying for it, I'm not
asking fans to write in about it (nor should you) because such
campaigns never really have much impact...that's simply the position
I've taken up here. Lord knows I don't lack for other things to do
these days. I'm busier on more prestige projects with terrific people
and great film-makers than at any other time in my career.

At the end of the day, for me, it's not just a matter of getting more
B5. It's a matter of getting more *good* B5 that respects what came
before it and doesn't have to compromise visually or in terms of
action. The original show deserves better than that, the surviving
cast members deserve better than that, and the fans who have supported
it over the years definitely deserve better than that. A lot better.

So I've drawn that line in the sand, and I'm happy living on whichever
side of that line the universe puts me. Just thought you should know,
'cause it's your show too.

BABYLON PODCAST: SHOW 122
Welcome to Show #122!

Yes, it's late. These are late and lazy show notes.
We talked more about JMS' announcement, and fielded some more
commentary about it.

Go check out Deep Geeking when you get a chance, and if you want to
contribute something, get ahold of Summer.

To catch up on previous Babylon 5 Podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON - VIDEO CLIP
Found a video of JMS at Comic Con. Thanks to Mike for posting the
video on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. There are a few other things
up front, but JMS's panel is about half of the clip. Here's a link
http://animediet.net/archives/4448. Some great shots of the con. The
lines were WAY long.

PANEL DISCUSSION REPORT
Over at Comic Book Resources, you'll find a wonderful report by Marlan
Harris on JMS' Spotlight panel discussion. He talks about adapting
"World War Z" for the movies, "Brave & the Bold", the new Archie
superheroes he will be writing for DC Comics. He says that the rights
for "Lensman" were bought for him to write the screenplay with a
franchise of films in mind, with Ron Howard directing. He plans to
start prepping this in the next year. He also talks about
"Changeling", "Silver Surfer: Requiem", "Jeremiah" and other topics.
Good article.

BABYLON 5 TOPIC:
How do you feel about JMS' posting about the future of Babylon 5? Do
you agree with him that if Warners isn't ready to fully fund a
project, he should not do it? Do you feel he is just ready to move on?

Send in your comments to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them to
share with other readers.

OTHER VOICES - VOLUME 3

Babylon 5 Scripts: Other Voices
VOLUME 3
Price: $39.99

For more information and to order B5 Other Voices, go to
www.B5OtherVoices.com.

Volume 3 will never be offered at a discount again.
This limited edition run ends on September 30, 2008
Featuring these 6 scripts
• "The Long Dark" by Scott Frost
• "Soul Mates" by Peter David
• "There All the Honor Lies" Peter David
• "Gropos" by Larry DiTillio
• "Knives" by Larry DiTillio
• "Day of the Dead" by Neil Gaiman
All scripts include an introduction/commentary by the writers, written
exclusively for these volumes. Volume 3 has a total of 81 entries
detailing these B5 Script/DVD variations you probably never knew.

NEW DVDS

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Synopsis:
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian
Manhunter and Hawkgirl they have all used their unique powers to fight
evil across the galaxy. These 7 super heroes unite to become the
Justice League. These 26 adventures feature battles with favorite
villains like Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage and sorceress Morgan Le Fey.
Acts of justice include saving Aquaman from a coup and clearing Green
Lantern's name in a charge of genocide. From the smash hit TV series,
these triumphant tales of teamwork will enthrall and inspire!

TOM AND JERRY TALES V5
Release date: August 12, 2008
Official website: http://www.kidswb.com\whv
Tom and Jerry Tales: Vol. 5 presents viewers with 12 totally terrific
cartoons loaded with fur-flying, fun-filled chases, mischief and
general high-jinks, including encounters with space aliens in Invasion
of the Body Slammers, and Big Foot in Sasquashed. In Monster Con,
legendary monster hunter, Van Helsing, chases after Tom when he's
transformed into a werewolf. Jerry transforms into a skateboarder
while Tom chases him down on a dirt bike in Xtreme Trouble. Endless
Bummer features Tom, Jerry and the lovable Droopy entering a surfing
competition. Tom and Jerry Tales originally premiered on Kids' WB in
September 2006 and features characters from the classic Tom and Jerry
cartoons in newly created shorts, which audiences have not seen done
in 30 years. Tom and Jerry Tales can be seen online at kidswb.com.

Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid!: The Complete First Season
Official website: www.kidswb.com/whv
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Synopsis:
Cyber nerd Dexter Douglas surfs the web one fateful night, gets swept
into a digital techno-electro smash-up that bites him in the gigabytes
and ? ZAP! ? goes from geek to freak. To Freakazoid!, that is, a
smart- mouthing, butt-kicking, mega-voltage superhero with things to
do (unless there?s something really good on TV). It's Freaka-Me,
Freaka-You fun. Episodes. 14 episodes; each 22 minutes, Disc 1. 1)
Five Day Forecast / Dance of Doom / Hand Man, 2) Candle Jack / Toby
Danger in Doomsday Bet / The Lobe, 3) Mo-Ron / The Sewer Rescue / The
Big Question / The Legends Who Lunch, 4) And Fan Boy Is His Name /
Lawn Gnomes: Ch. IV - Fun in the Sun / Freak's French Lesson, 5) Foamy
the Freakadog / Office Visit / Ode to Leonard Nimoy / Emergency
Broadcast System, 6) The Cloud / Candle Jack (repeat). Disc 2 . Side 1
7) The Chip (Acts I - III), 8) The Chip (Act IV) / Freakazoid is
History, 9) Hot Rods From Heck / A Time for Evil, 10) Relax-O-Vision /
Fatman and Boy Blubber / Limbo Lock-up / Terror Palace, 11) In Arms
Way / The Cloud (repeat), 12) Next Time, Phone Ahead / Nerdator. Side
2, 13) House of Freakazoid / Sewer or Later, 14) The Wrath of
Guitierrez, Plus EC.

Clips from the WB
Sidekick Chronicles 1:58 with commentary (out of pilot)
Windows
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/freakazoid/season1/clips/
frkzds1eps1_sidekick_chronicles_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/freakazoid/season1/clips/
frkzds1eps1_sidekick_chronicles_qt_300.mov

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Official Release date: August 19, 2008
Website: www.terminatorondvd.com
The series stars Lena Headey (300), Summer Glau ("The 4400", "The
Unit", "Firefly"), Thomas Dekker ("Heroes"), and Richard T. Jones
(Vantage Point, "Judging Amy").
The mother of all destiny. Her son, the future leader of mankind.
Their protector, a terminator from the future. Together they must take
back the future as Sarah Connor (300's Lena Headey) prepares her son
to fight the war against machines determined to annihilate the human
race. The clock is ticking. Can they stop Judgment Day? The
man-vs-machines tale that has thrilled millions gets a reboot with
this popular series, set after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment
Day. Will John Connor (Dekker) seize his destiny? Will a cell phone
salesman's chess program evolve into Skynet? Can the sweet but deadly
cyborg (Glau) be trusted? Answers - and the fight for the future - are
here and now!
Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season
DVD Special Features Include:
" "Creating the Chronicles" featurette - an all-encompassing look at
the production process involved with every aspect of bringing
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles to television.
" Commentaries - includes executive producers Josh Freidman & John
Wirth, cast members Summer Glau & Thomas Dekker, and more.
" Terminated Scenes (i.e. deleted scenes)
" Gag Reel
" Cast Audition Tapes - includes Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, and
Richard T. Jones
" Storyboard Animatic - featuring the storyboard sequence of the
school session where Cromartie attacks and John narrowly escapes
" Summer Glau Dance Rehearsal
" Extended Director's Cut of Episode The Demon Hand

REVIEW
I hadn't watched this series when it first came on the tube. I was
never a fan of the original movies, but when I began watching
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, I got hooked. It is an
interesting and exciting drama that reminds me a lot of some very old
TV series -- like THE IMMORTAL. In this case however, the baddies are
almost invincible robots. Lena Headey is wonderful as Sarah Connor and
Summer Glau is terrific as their protector. If you have an afternoon
when it's raining and not much on TV (and that happen more and more
lately), pick up this series and give it a try. Season Two begins
shortly and you'll be able to catch up very quickly.

DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures
Official website http://www.DCSuperheroesfilmation.com Release date:
August 12, 2008
Synopsis:
Episodes. Disc 1. The Atom Cartoons, Invasion Of The Beetle-Men
(1967), The Plant Master (1967), The House Of Doom (1967), The Flash
Cartoons, The Chemo-Creature (1967), Take a Giant Step (1967), To
Catch a Blue Bolt (1967), Green Lantern Cartoons, Evil is as Evil Does
(1967), The Vanishing World (1967), Sirena, Empress of Evil (1967),
Disc 2. Hawkman Cartoons, Peril from Pluto (1967), A Visit To Venus
(1967), The Twenty Third Dimension (1967), Justice League Of America
Cartoons, Between Two Armies (1967), Target Earth (1967), Bad Day on
Black Mountain (1967), Teen Titans Cartoons, The Monster Machine
(1967), The Space Beast Round-Up (1967), Operation: Rescue (1967).

WITCHBLADE: THE COMPLETE SERIES
Release date: July 29, 2008
Official Website: www.witchbladedvd.com
Witchblade: The Complete Series
Synopsis:
In this adaptation of the Top Cow comic book, Witchblade is the story
of a New York detective, Sara "Pez" Pezzini, whose search for justice
brings her into contact with the Witchblade, an ancient, intelligent,
living weapon so powerful it can battle Earth's darkest evil forces.
Week in and week out, "Pez" employs her skills as a police detective
to fight crime. She finds she must employ the Witchblade to combat a
much greater and frighteningly organized conspiracy of evil that
threatens the very soul of humanity. As Sara tries to keep the secret
of the Witchblade, do her job and have a personal life, she finds that
her most formidable adversary may be the Witchblade itself.

REVIEW:
I remember this series when it was on TNT and thought it was
absolutely awesome. The special effects for a TV drama were just
astounding. Yancy Butler was unbelievable as Sarah Pezzini - in the
title role. She was perfect to play this very conflicted person who
saw so much injustice around her and was trying to make a difference
not only be being a policeman -- but by being a good policeman.
This was one of the most under-rated TV series of its day. The cast
was wonderful and you couldn't wait for the next week to see what
would happen next as Sarah learned more about the Witchblade and why
she was chosen to wear it.

Video clips from Warner Bros.
Murder Scene 1:41
Windows Media:
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
Witchblade_diplopia_murder_scene_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
Witchblade_diplopia_murder_scene_qt_300.mov
Photo Shoot 1:52
Windows Media
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_photoshoot_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_photoshoot_qt_300.mov
Sara Pezzini 1:17
Windows Media:
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_sara_pezzini_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_sara_pezzini_qt_300.mov
Witchblade 0:49
Windows Media
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_witchblade_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_witchblade_qt_300.mov

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

ROBIN HOOD - BBC SERIES
I don't know if any of you have been following this series, but Robin
Hood has been a favorite character of mine since I was a kid. The
bandit who robs the rich to give to the poor is a universal one -- but
the BBC version of the story is awesome. I have been watching it from
season one and it has been consistently good and tonight is the season
two finale. Just checked the BBC America forum to see that season 3
will not begin until January -- but as another posting said, it is
good to hear that the show will be back.

EDGE OF DARKNESS
Variety reports that actor Robert De Niro is moving from one police
thriller to another, though this time, he will be without a budget.
After recently wrapping up work with Al Pacino on RIGHTEOUS KILL, the
actor is reportedly nearing a deal to co-star alongside Mel Gibson in
EDGE OF DARKNESS, a film to be directed by Martin Campbell. Written by
William Monahan, the drama is an adaptation of a 1985 BAFTA-winning
six-hour BBC miniseries that Campbell also directed. Shooting begins
this month in Massachusetts. Plot Concept: Gibson stars as Thomas
Craven, a straitlaced homicide detective for the Boston Police Dept.
and single father, whose 24-year old daughter is murdered on the steps
of his home. The cop assumes he was the target, but his investigation
leads in another direction and uncovers his daughter's secret life, a
corporate cover-up and government collusion. De Niro will play an
operative sent to clean up the evidence.

BABYLON A.D.
Michelle Yeoh co-stars with Vin Diesel in Mathieu Kassovitz' upcoming
futuristic thriller BABYLON A.D. Shot on location in Prague, the
filming was long, tough, loud and high-energy affair, Yeoh said in a
recent interview while promoting her current project, THE MUMMY: TOMB
OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR. "It was a big shoot," Yeoh said. "We shot in
Prague for four months. It's got everything. It's got submarines,
helicopters, planes, Hummers, bikes, Jet Skis. You name it, we've got
it in there. Nature didn't help. We needed snow and didn't get it. So
it was a rough shoot." BABYLON A.D. is based on the book Babylon
Babies by French author Maurice Georges Dantec. Yeoh said that the
film "has been in the head of Kassovitz" for five years and added that
the finished product will be his take on the material. "It's one of
those movies whereby the interaction of the characters needed to
evolve within the script while we were filming," Yeoh added. "That's
never easy to accomplish, but somehow with Vin and Melanie Thierry and
myself, we had an incredible chemistry sparked off by the madness of
Mathieu Kassovitz." The story is set half a century in the future.
"Religion, war, everything is taken over, and people have lost
humanity and hope," Yeoh said. "And there is this mercenary [Diesel],
who has been hiding in the lost world in Europe, because it's war-torn
and ravaged. He tries to get home to America, and he's in conflict
because there's no way he could get back until someone presented him
with this option: Deliver this package, and we will give you safe
passage home." The package turns out to be a young woman (Thierry),
who may be pregnant with the next messiah. And she doesn't come alone;
she's protected by Sister Rebecca, a nun played by Yeoh. "These two
women have been living out in the remote mountains to get away from
all the chaos that's been happening," Yeoh said. "And as the three of
them journey back to America, they discover that people are chasing
after them. So it's a journey full of danger, hazard, and they're
trying to kidnap the girl as well. Is she a weapon of destruction? The
hope to our future? This is something we have to protect. We have to
make sure our girl goes into the hands of the right people."

KNIGHT RIDER
KNIGHT RIDER's Executive Producer, Gary Scott Thompson, said during a
recent interview that he learned lessons from last spring's backdoor
pilot movie as to the direction to take the fall show. "I didn't have
anything to do with the two-hour [telefilm]," Thompson said at San
Diego Comic-Con. "I was brought in after the movie to create the
series, but what I found was that fans missed certain things--like the
turbo boost and the interaction [between Mike, played by Justin
Bruening, and K.I.T.T., voiced by Val Kilmer]." A former executive
producer of LAS VEGAS, Thompson said that he was excited to join
KNIGHT RIDER and put his spin on the latest incarnation of the 1980s
series, about a team of crimefighters who use a high-tech talking car
to battle bad guys. Thompson's vision was to honor the past but
advance the concept for the new millennium. "I came in and wanted to
revamp," Thompson said. "I went back and watched the original series,
the first season, and asked, 'What's the mythology? Where are we going
and how do we create this 25 years later?' It's been all about taking
the concept to the next level." Among other things, the new show takes
into account advances in cars and technology in the intervening
decades. And then there's the geopolitical realities of the 21st
century. "The world has changed completely," Thompson said. "We live
in a world where two wars are going on, and there is terrorism. It's
not as simple as it was in the early '80s, when you just go and get
the drug dealer down the street. There is a much larger threat out
there." The new K.I.T.T. is a 2008 Ford Mustang GT500KR, loaded with
technology reflecting the most cutting-edge science. "I think the
biggest thing was embracing technology and owning it and making our
own," Thompson said. "We realize it is an iconic show and that [David]
Hasselhoff is an iconic person, but we couldn't redo the same thing
over again. I don't think the other half of the audience would stand
for it. And there's a whole new generation who has never seen it. [At
the KNIGHT RIDER Comic-Con panel,] we were in the room when the car
transformed, and the kids went crazy. I think we are doing the right
thing." KNIGHT RIDER debuts Sept. 24 and will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
ET/PT.

DORIAN GRAY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Colin Firth has signed on to star
opposite Ben Barnes in DORIAN GRAY, the retelling of the Oscar Wilde
supernatural classic being directed by Oliver Parker. Based on The
Picture of Dorian Gray, the story centers on Gray (Barnes), a young
man who becomes the subject of a painting. As the man descends into a
hedonistic lifestyle, the portrait begins to age and morph, but he
doesn't. Firth will play Lord Henry Wotton, the aristocrat who
corrupts Gray with his worldview. (He is sometimes called Harry in the
novel.) Ealing Studios is behind the adaptation, which is being
produced by Barnaby Thompson. At May's Festival de Cannes, Thompson
said Parker plans to make a visceral, dark horror story and said the
themes of stardom are as relevant as ever. The movie began shooting
this week.

AN AMERICAN CAROL
Variety reports that Vivendi Entertainment has picked up North
American rights to David Zucker's new supernatural comedy AN AMERICAN
CAROL and will release it in the fall. The movie tracks a cynical,
anti-American filmmaker who sets out on a crusade to abolish the July
Fourth holiday. He is visited by three ghosts who try to show him the
true meaning of America. Directed, produced and written by Zucker,
known as one of the masterminds of the Airplane! and Naked Gun
franchises, the movie is also produced by Mpower's Stephen McEveety
and John Shepherd. The cast includes Kevin Farley (Monk) as the
filmmaker, plus Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen, Dennis Hopper, James
Woods and Jon Voight. Lewis Friedman and Myrna Sokoloff co-wrote the
script. A wide opening is set for Oct. 3.

HUNG
Thomas Jane (PUNISHER) is coming to TV, tapped as the lead in HBO's
hourlong pilot "Hung." The dark comedy pilot, directed by Oscar winner
Alexander Payne, centers on Ray (Jane), a well-endowed struggling
middle-age high school basketball coach who figures out a way to use
his best asset. HUNG has been a big priority for HBO's new
entertainment president Sue Naegle, who made the spec script by "The
Riches" creator Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson her first major
purchase and later her first pilot pickup.

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
Disney's PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME has moved out of it's
June 19, 2009 release date and rescheduled the release of the upcoming
film back nearly a year to May 28, 2010. This means that instead of
going up against TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN next summer, the
adaptation of the best selling video game will instead be appearing in
theaters a week after SHREK GOES FOURTH and a week before THOR. Since
the film has its leading cast and director already attached, the
reasons behind the delay likely point other directions. The studio
could be looking for some script polishing or perhaps, they just want
more time for post-production on the tent pole. When we receive word
on the reasoning, we'll pass it along to you. PERSIA will star ake
Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley. Mike
Newell is leading direction, based on a screenplay by Doug Miro, Carlo
Bernard, Jordan Mechner and Boaz Yakin.
Plot Summary: In the fantasy adventure based on Ubisoft's popular
video game, Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a young prince in sixth
century Persia who must join forces with Tamina (Arterton), a feisty
and exotic princess, to prevent a villainous nobleman from possessing
the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time and
allow its possessor to rule the world.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
Variety reports that HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has been
selected as the feature for Great Britian's Royal Film Performance, a
prestigious charity event to be held Nov. 17 in London; the screening,
to be attended by members of the royal family as yet unnamed, will be
the sequel's European premiere.
For a sneak peek, go to
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince/.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS producer, Catherine Winder, said recently
that the movie tells a story that fits between the events of Episodes
II and III. "It's something that [Star Wars creator] George [Lucas]
has been thinking about for many, many years, and, as you know, he's a
real storyteller, and he had lots of ideas and stories that he wanted
to tell during this time frame between Episodes II and III," Winder
said at San Diego Comic-Con. "And he didn't have the time to do it
before, working on all the other movies, so finally he decided that
this was the time." THE CLONE WARS centers on the Jedi Knights as they
struggle to maintain order and restore peace. Anakin Skywalker and his
Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with
far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with
crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents,
including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure
that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi
and Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the
forces of the dark side. Lucas had at one point said he was finished
making Star Wars movies. But that changed, Winder said. "He was ready
to tell the stories," she said. "And it's amazing how he can just
start riffing on some of these characters that you may have only seen
for a brief moment in one of the live-action films. And all of the
stuff that will come out from him. He just knows this inside and out."
And for fans who worry that the computer-animated film will retread
familiar territory, Winder said, "it's not just about the Clone Wars
as much as it's personal stories. It's dramatic, and there's comedy.
... It's all kinds of stories mixed into one, which is what Star Wars
is all about. And the characters that [the writers] wanted to delve
into exist at that point in the Star Wars universe and galaxy." STAR
WARS: THE CLONE WARS is slated to open Aug. 15.

KINGS
KINGS Executive Producer, Michael Green, was a staff writer for HEROES
and indicated that it was a big inspiration for the contemporary
drama, which is loosely based on the biblical story of King David. "I
wrote this while working on HEROES and was absolutely inspired by the
work we were doing there: the larger-than-life storytelling," Green
said at San Diego Comic-Con. "I absolutely bounced ideas off the
writers there and asked for their help and advice at various points. I
probably could not have written this without them being there
encouraging me and giving me good ideas when I didn't have them."
KINGS is a modern retelling of the David story, set in a nondescript
modern metropolis reminiscent of New York. David Shepherd (Christopher
Egan) is a soldier who rescues the king's son from enemy territory and
causes the path to peace to finally become clear. He returns home a
hero and must deal with his sudden celebrity and position of power.
"There are a lot of similarities to HEROES," Green said. "I look at
KINGS as a high-end family drama, where the family just happens to be
a royal family. There are similarities in that there will be ongoing
storylines, but KINGS lends itself a bit more to stand-alone stories
in the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA model. There are no barriers for entry for
audiences." Green added that he enjoyed contemporizing the familiar
story. "Taking these elements and thinking, 'What is Goliath in this
world?'" he said. "And taking these touchstone elements that people do
know from the story and bringing them to life in a new way. We are
taking inspirations from the original Bible story, so it's very much a
story of one king rising while another one falls. It's a way for me to
tell Godfather-like stories or these operatic stories." But Green said
the series is not literal in that he plays with the iconic story and
that it veers into what he calls "soft sci-fi." "I'm not afraid of
sci-fi, and I love it," he said. "We didn't want to do this as a space
opera. We wanted it to be a familiar world, but at the same time we
are inventing a world. We had a lot of fun inventing what this world
is going to look like. We are taking New York and impressing our own
aesthetic and own iconography. We got to have a lot of fun with that.
I remember talking to David Eick about this when he was doing
BATTLESTAR, and he said they were always asking themselves the
question, 'What do doorknobs looks like?' We decided that we wanted to
have things look like they could fit in our worlds, but you're not
sure what city it is." Green said that part of the SF element has to
do with the idea of "magic, faith, happenstance, luck, God." "I look
at it as the hand of faith guiding the heroes," he said. "I'm curious
to see how people perceive that. The ongoing discussions when people
see it are, 'Is that magic? Did something just happen beyond physics?
Is it something special or luck?' I won't answer that and will let
people interpret that." KINGS is set for a midseason start in early 2009.

THE TRANSPLANTS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Disney has picked up THE
TRANSPLANTS, a superhero action-adventure pitch from writers Adam Jay
Epstein and Andrew Jacobson for Sam Raimi to produce via the Stars
Road Entertainment company he runs with partner Josh Donen. The
parties are keeping a tight lid on the high-concept project, though it
is described as a four-quadrant ensemble superhero story with a
comedic bent. Epstein and Jacobson, best known for NOT ANOTHER TEEN
MOVIE, were planning to execute their idea via a comic book, but
Disney executive Kristin Burr was so keen on it that the company
preemptively picked up TRANGSPLANTS. Last weekend, Raimi was at
Comic-Con International in San Diego, where he showed off
well-received clips from his return-to-horrror film DRAG ME TO HELL.
TRANSPLANTS marks the first Disney project for Raimi, who is known
more for his horror fare and Spider-Man movies, not to mention his
comedic sensibilities that attract the geek audience.

DA VINCI ON DISCOVERY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Discovery Channel is teaming
with producer Craig Piligian to try to bring to life the engineering
designs of Leonardo Da Vinci. During the 15th century, the Italian
artist conceptualized many inventions that are now considered hundreds
of years ahead of their time. His journals include blueprints of a
helicopter, a tank, a calculator and the harvesting of solar power.
Most of the designs have never actually been constructed -- until now.
"If Da Vinci had at his disposal the tools we have today, would the
inventions work?" asked Piligian (Discovery's "Dirty Jobs," Sci Fi's
"Ghost Hunters"). "How much of a genius was he really?" Discovery
Channel has ordered six one-hour episodes of the series, tentatively
titled "Doing Da Vinci." Each episode will attempt to build two of the
master artist's designs. "It's ingenuity under pressure and reaching
for the impossible," said Jeff Hasler, senior vp production and
development at Discovery. "It's right in keeping with our brand." The
"Da Vinci" design team will include a rocket scientist, a Hollywood
special effects expert and an everyday in-the-garage inventor.
Although the team will use modern tools, the building materials will
all be re-creations of what was available during Da Vinci's era. The
series is expected to debut sometime next year.

VENOM
The Hollywood Reporter says that Sony is moving forward with VENOM, a
potential "Spider-Man" spinoff. The trade says the studio is
developing the project, based on the villain who appeared in
SPIDER-MAN 3 and is hoping the character could serve as an antidote to
the aging "Spider-Man" franchise in the way that Fox has used
WOLVERINE to add longevity to its "X-Men" franchise. The studio had
commissioned a draft of the script from Jacob Estes (Mean Creek), but
the studio is considering going in a different direction from Estes'
script and is seeking writers for a new draft. Casting also is no
simple matter. Topher Grace played the character in the film, but
agents have been eyeing the role for their clients, as Sony is not yet
convinced the actor can carry a tentpole picture. The Hollywood
Reporter adds that neither Sony nor Marvel would comment for the
story. Sony is also still developing a fourth "Spider-Man" film for 2011.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN
Variety reports that Warner Brothers is launching development of a
MARVIN THE MARTIAN movie at Alcon Entertainment, which will blend live
action with computer animation. Alcon principals Broderick Johnson and
Andrew Kosove will produce, along with Steve Crystal. Marvin was
created by Chuck Jones and made his first appearance in a Looney Tunes
cartoon in 1948. The character was often intent on blowing up the
Earth, only to be foiled by Bugs Bunny. The film was pitched as a
Christmas story, with Marvin coming to Earth to destroy Christmas but
being prevented from doing so when he's trapped in a gift box.

STAR TREK - NEW KIRK
Chris Pine has big shoes to fill as he takes on the iconic role of
James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams' upcoming STAR TREK reboot movie. During
an interview to promote the film BOTTLE SHOCK, Pine said, "I think
what J.J. has created--and what we've been a part of-- is really the
birth of these characters. ... Not only their individual journeys and
how they all meet, [but also] the forging of those relationships and
how it carries on to the five-year mission." Pine added that Abrams
and writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci "infuse these characters
with as much humanity as possible, so not only are you getting the big
effects you would expect from a blockbuster, but also something of a
character movie, which I think is difficult to do, and I think we've
done extremely well." Pine also praised co-star Zachary Quinto, who
plays Spock. "People will be blown away," Pine said. "Zach is great.
Between him and Karl Urban and the rest of the cast, ... they've
really captured who these characters are." Pine added that he got
Shatner's blessing before taking the role. "I wrote him a letter in
the beginning of the process and introduced myself, and said hello,
just to make a connection, because I didn't know him at all," Pine
said. "And he was very nice, and he was very gracious and sent me a
letter back, and that's the only contact we've had. ... Except my
father--in the first week I got the Star Trek project--did a Priceline
commercial with William Shatner, so there was multi-generational
contact with Mr. Shatner." STAR TREK is slated to open May 8, 2009.

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Scottish rock star-turned-actress Shirley Manson admitted that she had
always wanted to get into acting, but she never found anything she was
really interested in. All that is changing, however. This season she
will play a nefarious businesswoman in the Fox's TERMINATOR: THE SARAH
CONNOR CHRONICLES. When friend Josh Friedman, the creator of Sarah
Connor, called her up, "[He] said, 'Would you be interested in
auditioning for the show?'" Manson recalled. "And I said, 'Yeah.' I
didn't really think it through; it was just sort of a trigger
response, because I was a big Terminator fan. And then he said, 'Well,
you need to come in for audition tomorrow.' So I was in the audition
process, [and] I got the part before I really understood the full
implications of what I'd gotten myself involved in." Manson turns up
as Catherine Weaver, the chief executive of Cyberdine Systems, which
all Terminator fans know develops the computers that eventually become
Skynet. "She's the CEO of a corporation that develops certain
technologies," Manson said. "And she's very self- empowered,
successful, self-assured, singular. So it's a cool character to play."
(She added that producers will let her keep her Scottish brogue.) Even
though Manson's Weaver finds herself on the wrong side of the war
against the machines, Manson herself admitted that she identified more
with Sarah Connor, as played by Linda Hamilton in James Cameron's
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY. "I just felt she was so intense and
powerful," Manson said. "Like, I just responded to that. Because I was
young and disenfranchised and I wanted to be her. I wanted to be
empowered. I wanted to kick ass. I wanted to push back against the
people that I felt weren't treating me right. And so I identified with
her more than anything. Who doesn't want to be a Terminator, right?"
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES kicks off its second season on
Sept. 8 and will air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

SMALLVILLE'S GREEN ARROW
Justin Hartley is very excited about his permanent status this year on
SMALLVILLE as Oliver Queen (aka Green Arrow). During an interview at
Comic-Con International Harley said, "I had actually just shot a pilot
with [fellow regular] Cassidy [Freeman], and they didn't pick it up. I
think it was a day or two later that I got the call from Smallville.
We talked a lot, and I love playing the character. I have a lot of
faith in the writers that they will write great stuff for me." Queen
first appeared in the sixth season as a love interest for Lois Lane
(Erica Durance). As a master archer who uses his powers for good,
Queen also served to spur Clark Kent toward his own destiny of helping
humanity. Hartley said that dynamic will continue to evolve this
season. "Clark and Oliver are buddies and friends in the premiere,"
Hartley revealed. "It's actually why Oliver is coming to back: to look
for Clark. But Oliver gets broken down a little bit. He starts to look
at all the things he sacrificed to do what he does, and he starts to
wonder if it was worth it. It's kind of cool, and I think everybody
does that. But once you start to question something and your heart is
not in it, then it becomes really dangerous to keep doing it, because
you are vulnerable and susceptible. It's like the football players
that say if you're not going to play 100 percent, you are going to get
hurt. Oliver starts to question if it's worth it anymore, and Clark
starts to embrace his 'destiny' a little bit more. It's interesting,
because the guy that's worn the suit is going the other way, and the
guy who has never worn the suit is going that way." Hartley said
audiences will also get to see more of Queen's origin story. "We're
going to go back into the Smallville mythology and explore how Oliver
became the Green Arrow, why he is the Green Arrow and how he became so
good at archery," he said. SMALLVILLE's eighth season kicks off Sept. 18.

HEROES - WEBISODES
Don't miss the new webisodes for HEROES over at NBC.com. Also check
out the photo gallery and wallpaper available for our computer.

JMS' BRAVE AND THE BOLD
Over at Newsrama, you'll find an interview with JMS about the "Archie
Heroes" - that is, the super-hero characters that were generated by
Archie Comics beginning in the `40s (and who have had various
incarnations in the decades since). Among the more famous of the
characters are The Shield, The Web, The Comet, The Fly, The Jaguar,
and The Black Hood. JMS will be working with some of these characters
as part of his BRAVE AND THE BOLD book.

TERMINATOR SALVATION
Bryce Dallas Howard takes over the role of Kate in the upcoming
TERMINATOR SALVATION. Her character is the physician wife of John
Connor, future leader of the resistance against Skynet and the
machines. Howard's character was played in Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines by Claire Danes; John Connor is being played by THE DARK
KNIGHT's Christian Bale. During a news conference at San Diego
Comic-Con, Howard added that the Terminator reboot film is set in a
post-nuclear world that we can easily imagine, sadly. "In the
imagining of a post-apocalyptic world, you do have unfortunately a lot
of references that we can go to today," Howard (Spider-Man 3) said.
"War-torn countries and third-world countries where people don't have
access to ... basic clean food and water and necessities and medical
provisions. And that's something to kind of examine I think for us, to
say, 'OK, yes, we're making a picture about totally devastating
circumstances, but the fact that it does reflect things that are going
on currently in this privileged world that we're living in--where
there hasn't been an apocalypse and robots haven't taken over the
world--I mean, I think that's something definitely for us to
re-investigate and to continue to make choices for our own future." In
TTERMINATOR SALVATION, Howard's Kate and Bale's John are part of a
resistance against the robots, who are engaged in a program to
exterminate humanity, while also rounding some of them up for a
nefarious purpose. "For my character, because she is a physician, you
really are trying to just to the best that you can given
circumstances, and, I mean, I assume she's just finding books, and
she's just talking to as many people who have survived at the hospital
to learn techniques so she can continue to save lives," Howard said.
"So that's been a really fascinating journey for me, personally."
TERMINATOR SALVATION opens May 22, 2009.

SMALLVILLE
SMALLVILLE's Executive Producers Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin, said
during a San Diego Comic-Con interview that one of the new villains in
the upcoming eighth season, Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman), is a
brand-new character crafted in the writers' room. "She is a nod to
both Ms. Teschmacher [Valerie Perrine, from Superman: The Movie] with
Tess, and then her last name, Mercer, is a nod to Mercy from the comic
books," Swimmer said. "But she is neither Teschmacher nor Mercy. We
are taking a little bit of both, but the storyline and who she is and
where she came from and where she is going is completely created by
the [producers]." While little is known about Mercer, the producers
revealed that she is Lex Luthor's handpicked successor to LuthorCorp.
She matches her mentor's ambition and drive, so that will translate to
her becoming a formidable opponent to Clark Kent. "This is a girl you
don't mess with," Slavkin added. "Cassidy Freeman is great. She is a
young actress, and we love that you haven't seen her face everywhere.
She is very fresh. Before we came down to [Comic-Con] we saw a first
assemblage of the premiere, and we are so ecstatic with her. She's
remarkable." Swimmer added, "She hit the stage day one and nailed it.
As you can imagine, not that she's becoming the new Lex Luthor, but
now that Michael [Rosenbaum] is not on the show, we were wondering if
we could get somebody with the layers that he brings to that
character, and we think Cassidy really does that. We're excited."
SMALLVILLE's eighth season kicks off Sept. 18.

FOUNDATION
According to the Hollywood Reporter, New Line Cinema
founders-turned-producers Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne have signed on
to produce their first project since they received their post-New Line
deal at Warner Bros. Pictures, boarding an adaptation of Isaac
Asimov's futuristic sci-fi epic FOUNDATION, that they'll produce
through their Unique Features production company. Warners recently
picked up FOUNDATION, which had been in development at Fox. Vince
Gerardis, who had been attached as a producer in the Fox incarnation,
will remain on board as a producer for the Warners project with Shaye
and Lynne. FOUNDATION is based on Asimov's "Foundation Trilogy," which
centers on a society that has figured out how to predict the future
based on a method called psychohistory and sets up a foundation
devoted to scientific research to protect itself and ensure its
survival. Shaye and Lynne's goal is to adapt the first book for now,
and, if it's successful, potentially follow the New Line "Lord of the
Rings" template by developing adaptations down the road of the second
and third books.

NEW STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO
The Hollywood Reporter writes that CBS is developing a contemporary
remake of the classic 1970s cop series "The Streets of San Francisco,"
which starred Michael Douglas and Karl Malden. The trade says feature
writer Sheldon Turner (The Longest Yard) and "Numb3rs" producer Robert
Port are writing the script, with Simon West on board to direct the
potential pilot. CBS Paramount TV, which owns the rights to Quinn
Martin Productions' original series, is producing the new take that
has received a script order from the network. Turner and Port, a
certified member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, had
worked on reinventing "Streets" for the past seven months. They spent
time in San Francisco, riding along with SFPD cops. The trade adds
that the remake will keep key elements from the original series: the
title, the names of the two main characters and, of course, the
backdrop of the City by the Bay. The series will also feature elements
of a traditional crime procedural.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Executive Producer David Eick told fans at San
Diego Comic-Con that the second half of the fourth and final season of
the series will have a number of extra-long, jampacked episodes as it
works toward the climactic finale. In a subsequent interview, Eick
said that producers have been "able to convince the network to let us
air ... long episodes--[to] take single episodes and make them double
episodes, ... [and to take] double episodes and make them quadruple
episodes." Eick added: "Our episodes are always ... long, and we're
constantly getting into the editing room with 10, 15, sometimes 20
minutes of material that you can't get into an episode." With just a
half-season remaining, Eick said, "the story has become so critical in
order to realize the arc of the series that we can't just cut stuff
out and save it for later or push it 'til next year, the stuff we're
used to doing. It's all got to be there."
Eick and the cast members refused to divulge any details about the
final episodes, other than to express excitement over the upcoming
storylines and to praise the finale, written by executive producer
Ronald D. Moore, which they have just finished shooting. "There are so
many great episodes in between, but ... the script of the finale, it's
poetry, ... it really is," Michael Trucco (Samuel T. Anders) said.
Jamie Bamber (Lee "Apollo" Adama) said that the final season, "like
all good endings, ... sort of ties [into] the beginning. ... It's like
a great piece of music where all the strains and all the melodies that
you've had so far come and are referred to in the end. And there is a
new beginning as well. ... The same for Lee. It's an ending and a
beginning, and it's sublime."
As for bringing the series to a close, Eick said, "We were trying to
do something different with science fiction, ... with the space opera;
we were trying to kind of blow the wheels off the sort of Star Trek
aesthetic, and I think on that front we feel very accomplished. ...
It's definitely gratifying to feel like we captured some part of the
public's imagination and that the show overcame its title and
overcame, in some respects, its genre to get the respect it's gotten."
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA returns with new episodes in early 2009.

LOST
LOST Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse made their
annual panel appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, along with surprise
guest Matthew Fox (Jack Shepard) and a few spoilers about the upcoming
fifth season. The revelations of the hour included confirmation that
the characters of Jin (Daniel Dae Kim - BABYLON 5 CRUSADE) and John
Locke (Terry O'Quinn) would return to the series, despite their
apparent deaths; that Vincent the dog is alive and well and will be
back; that Danielle Rousseau's (Mira Furlan-BABYLON 5) story will be
told; and that the show's trademark character flashbacks and
flash-forwards will change yet again. "We are steering away from the
word flashback and embracing a whole new word," Lindelof said to more
than 6,500 fans packing the San Diego convention center. "Once again,
when season five starts, you're not going to know when and where you
are. We do this fun thing every year where we let the audience figure
out where they are." Cuse continued, "There will still be flashbacks
and flash-forwards on the show, but we are going to do something
different this season and mix it up. There will be storytelling both
on the island and off the island and in different periods of time.
It's just going to be organized differently and not constrained by the
rules of flashbacks and flash-forwards." The panel also featured an
elaborate skit revolving around the Dharma Initiative Recruitment
project, which was promoted with a mysterious television commercial
during LOST's season finale and on ABC's Web site. The interactive
game culminated with a Dharma booth on the convention's exhibition
floor, which "tested" prospective candidates for a new Dharma project.
Those selected as the most desirable candidates were brought on stage
with Lindelof and Cuse before they were escorted to Phase II of their
recruitment. In the last minutes of the panel, a "candidate" named Dan
raced back onstage and shouted that he had answers for the crowd that
he shot in the booth with his video camera. The footage was then
screened and showed "Dan's" hand-held footage inside the Dharma booth
and a brand-new cryptic video featuring Dr. Marvin Candle confessing
his true name and that he and his Dharma colleagues would be "purged"
but that "time was of the essence" to stop their fate. LOST returns
for its fifth season in early 2009.

INVISIBLE MAN
THE DARK KNIGHT writer/director, David S. Goyer, is writing a new film
adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic 1897 SF novella THE INVISIBLE MAN
for Universal Pictures, which will pick up the story where Wells left
off. "It sort of starts kind of, like, about two months after the
events of the H.G. Wells book finish," Goyer (director of Blade III)
said in an interview at San Diego Comic-Con. "And the H.G. Wells book
kind of ends with, you know, the original invisible man, Griffin,
[who] has these three notebooks that all of his secrets are in, and at
the end of the H.G. Wells story, you establish that they're still in
existence. But ... nobody knows where they are. And my story begins
with those three notebooks falling into the hands of someone else, and
it takes off from there." Goyer said he envisions a period movie,
taking place around the turn of the 20th century, a few months before
Queen Victoria dies. "It's more sprawling, because it's ... big," he
said. "It's got elements of horror, but it's sort of a big, epic
adventure movie. Part of it takes place in England; part of it takes
place in Persia; part of it takes place in Siberia. ...And I added a
couple, I think, wrinkles to the notion of invisibility that nobody's
managed to do before. So it kind of takes it to an extreme level."
Goyer added that the film will have a Rudyard Kipling steam-punk vibe.
"Yeah, yeah, ... definitely," he said. "I mean, I've been reading a
lot of Kipling, a lot of steam punk, ... trying not to go in the sort
of movie-League of Extraordinary Gentlemen place [laughs]. But ...
there are a lot of real historical figures that are woven in among it.
... And I think I've come up with some pretty cool things in it that I
know haven't been on film before, so we'll see." Goyer added that
Universal has "high hopes for the film." Goyer's next film, the
independent horror movie THE UNBORN, opens later this year.

WATCHMEN
Billy Crudup plays the superpowered Dr. Manhattan in the upcoming
graphic-novel adaptation WATCHMEN. He said in a recent interview that
he was guided by the comic in trying to play a nearly omnipotent being
who may or may not be hanging on to his humanity. "I think the graphic
novel and the screenplay attempt to ask that question and to answer it
at the same time," Crudup said at San Diego Comic-Con. "So the
experience of doing it was the experience of asking that question
every time: Does he have any more humanity left?" Dr. Manhattan is a
former scientist named Jon Osterman, who finds himself transformed
into a giant blue humanoid who can manipulate matter, space and time
with his mind. He is one of a group of superhero characters in the
movie, based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's seminal graphic novel,
which is set in an alternate-universe 1985 New York. Crudup said of
Dr. Manhattan: "Mostly he was an entity that was distracted by what
for him were a higher order of problems. Which is: How does the
universe operate, or how do particles fundamentally [interact]. And he
was being asked to be a dutiful man at the same time by his
government, so he was trying to attend to both of those while trying
to carry on a relationship, and I think ultimately he discovered,
through his own journey, that he was no longer as interested in people
as he was in the ... universe. ... So I think my experience of doing
it was the experience of asking that question each and every day."
Fans got a glimpse of Dr. Manhattan in footage screened at Comic-Con.
To play him, Crudup wore a motion-capture suit covered in lights, with
dots on his face as a reference for computer animation that is to be
added in post- production. "It was a burden for about the first day,
until I saw what these guys [his fellow actors] were in, and then they
also had to go work out and watch what they were eating, blah di blah,
blah,blah," Crudup said. "I was as happy as a clam. Basically came in
and put on my pajamas, stood on my apple box, tried to figure out Dr.
Manhattan, so ... ." WATCHMEN opens March 6, 2009.

PIXAR'S UP
Director of the upcoming animated Pixar movie Up, Pete Docter, gave
attendees in a packed auditorium at San Diego Comic-Con International
a first look at footage of the film on July 26. The clip introduced
viewers to Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old widower who decides to
finally see the world as he had always dreamed of doing. Accompanied
by an unexpected stowaway--an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named
Russell--Carl embarks on a journey that takes him to the unexplored
jungles of South America. Docter told the audience that his initial
inspiration for the film's setting came when he saw a video of the
Lost World region in Venezuela--a land of flat-topped mountains,
"weird" rock shapes and "plants that are out of this world." "In UP,
we're taking you to a world you've never seen before," he said. "A
completely fantastic, weird place that I didn't even know existed
until we started this movie. This place felt like the perfect setting
for this story." The film features the voice talent of Ed Asner in the
role of Carl, with other characters voiced by Christopher Plummer,
Delroy Lindo and John Ratzenberger. Docter hinted at casting
surprises: "We have a great cast of characters that we didn't even
unveil all of today, so there's more to come," he said. The director
also told the audience about connections between Up and other Pixar
films, both past and future. "One of the characters from our film
appeared in RATATOUILLE," he said. "I won't say more, but if you
listen to the director's commentary you can find out more about that,
and we will have an advance sneak towards another film coming down the
pike."

THE PRISONER
Former JERICHO star Lennie James is taking up residence in a new
village. James, who played Robert Hawkins on JERICHO, has signed on to
AMC's remake of the classic 1960s show THE PRISONER. He'll play Number
147, a resident of the mysterious Village where a former secret agent,
now known as Number 6 ( Jim Caviezel), finds himself imprisoned. Three
other actors have also joined the series, AMC says. Ruth Wilson, a
Golden Globe nominee this year for a "Masterpiece Theatre" production
of "Jane Eyre," Hayley Atwell ("Mansfield Park," " Brideshead
Revisited") and Jamie Campbell-Bower ("Sweeney Todd") will play other
residents of the Village. Ian McKellen ("The Lord of the Rings," "Gods
and Monsters") was previously cast as Number 2, the apparent head of
the Village and Number 6's primary antagonist. AMC is producing THE
PRISONER with British broadcaster ITV and Granada International, with
Bill Gallagher attached to write. The six-hour miniseries is scheduled
to air sometime next year.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

August 6-10, 2008
STAR TREK CONVENTION
City: Las Vegas, Nevada
Place: Las Vegas Hilton Hotel
Guests: Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy and a huge guest list of Star
Trek cast members
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/stlv.htm.

August 6-10, 2008
WORLDCON 2008 - DENVENTION 3
Place: Denver, Colorado
For more information, go to http://www.denvention3.org

August 22-24, 2008
STARGATE CONVENTION
City: Chicago, Illinois
Place: Wyndham O'Hare
Guests: Michael Shanks, Ben Browder, Don Davis, Alexis Cruz, Lexa
Doig, David Kykl
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/sgchi.htm.

I guess that is about it for now. Be sure to send in your comments to
the discussion topic. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks.

Have a great weekend.
Take care.

Sandy

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