THE ZOCALO TODAY, June 28, 2009

What's New

Yes, I know, it has been a while – but I wanted to make sure you had all the
latest news – before it became "old" news!

JMS AND THE WORLD OF Z
Following a comment by Max Brooks at Wizard World in Philadelphia, someone asked
JMS about his continued involvement on THE WORLD OF Z project. Brooks indicated
that JMS was out and that another screen writer had been brought in by the
producers to continue the project.

Here is JMS' comment from the b5 moderated newsgroup:
"One of the things that distinguishes film from TV is that it's the norm for a
script to go through many, many hands on the way to production, which is why you
see so many writers' names on movies. (As a parenthetical, so you can follow the
process better, when you see "Written by A & B" it means that A and B were
actually collaborators on the film, whereas "Written by A and B" means that B
was brought in separately.) Ivan Reitman, for instance, always has one writer do
a pass for character, another does a pass for humor, another does a pass for
action...and so on. This is just part of the feature business, especially once a
director comes on board, who may have ideas of his own that he wants to
incorporate and the original writer has gone through all the contractual drafts,
so that either you re-hire the same guy, or bring in fresh eyes.

So yes, another pair of hands is now working to simplify the script, which has
always been as much a political thriller as an action film, into something a bit
more straightforward."

THOR
Call it coincidence, but today SciFi has a TV movie about Thor on at 9:00.
Yesterday, we learned that JMS will be ending his writing stint with Marvel's
Thor comic book. Two "Thor" books are solicited for September: a "Thor" annual
by Peter Milligan, Mico Suayan and Clay Mann, and a 64-page "Thor: Defining
Moments Giant-Size" #1 by Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic. The solicitation
notes the issue will conclude Straczynski's run with the character.

JMS indicates "There were no creative differences, no animosity, no rancor...
just the question of how to handle being caught in the switches by my own
shortcomings and ineptitude. I have to say here that Warren and Dan were
absolutely understanding and supportive and gentle with me -- there are no
horror stories here. They are gentlemen and scholars and the kind of
business-men you want to work with, because through it all they remain human
beings, and that's rare.

The publishing schedule for the book was then slowed down and stretched out to
accommodate the search for a new writer, because finding someone to come on with
short notice is tough. I have no idea who they've chosen -- I imagine that will
be in the release or, at latest, at [Comic-Con International in] San Diego --
but I'm sure it'll be a terrific choice."

You can go to <http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21780> to read
more about this change for JMS.

LENSMAN
A number of news sources have picked up on the JMS interview on the Babylon
Podcast this week. Everyone, along with Tim Callender, is excited at the
prospect of a LENSMAN movie with JMS writing the adaptation.

Based on a series of sci-fi stories by Edward Elmer "Doc" Smith (1890 - 1965),
LENSMAN will follow a struggle between two powerful races that visited our
universe billions of years ago from outside of our time-space continuum. One
came to rule the emerging life in our universe and the other attempting to
protect it.

Here is an excerpt from SciFi Scoop:
A breeding program is instigated upon multiple planets (including Earth) by
those trying to protect the universe. In time, a number of beings from these
programs are selected to become guardians of the universe. In what might be
paralleled (in concept at least) to the Green Lantern, these chosen few wear a
"lens" , a life-force power created by an elder race of our universe that gives
the wearer a variety of super abilities. This group becomes a type of galactic
police force, entrusted with the task of battling to save, well, everything.

It is no exaggeration to say that Smith's stories are so epic they are difficult
to summarise without going into great length and that my summary above hardly
does the story justice at all. In any case, suffice it to say that the film
offers nothing short of mega-potential and may be a film of such grand scale
that, even in consideration of James Cameron's upcoming Avatar, has the
potential to be one of the biggest sci-fi films of all time.

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #161!

Faith Manages. The interview everyone clamored for but hadn't been holding their
breath waiting for has come to pass.

JMS, The Great Maker, graciously allows Tim and Summer to throw a seemingly
endless stream of questions about the origins and creation of Babylon 5, the
production and growing pains of the show, and dealing with the vagaries of the
industry of Hollywood, the bizarre perfect storm surrounding Crusade on TNT, and
more.

And yes, this interview went long enough that the only way to do it justice was
to split it over two episodes, so come back next week for part 2!

You have until June 27th to enter the contest to win a free iTunes copy of the
Harlan Ellison documentary Dreams with Sharp Teeth!
Second Life Info: FarPoint Media's Second Life space is now part of the village
that encompasses Third Life Books. You can find the village at
<http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49>.

Babylon 5 Information Gathering: If you know of a dead or abandoned B5 related
website that may be in need of a new home, let Summer know! Maybe we can mirror
it here or house it on a sister site.
Visit Deep Geeking, and if you want to contribute a geeking essay, send an email
to Summer.

To catch up on all the Babylon 5 podcasts, go to
<http://www.babylonpodcast.com>.

BABYLON 5 BOOK SERIES - ASKED & ANSWERED SERIES
New release dates have been announced for the remaining volumes of the Asked &
Answered series.

OFFICIAL RELEASE SCHEDULE
Part 1: Now available at B5books.com
Part 2: July 16
Part 3: August 12
Part 4: September 16
Part 5: October 14

All remaining books will debut at $10 off the first seven days of release.
Go to <http://www.cafepress.com/b5books> for a list of the topics covered in
Part One, a sample of some of the questions covered and a link to 12 sample
pages.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

GARY COLE
Ranger Anne noted that Gary Cole (Captain Gideon from Crusade) is a guest on the
Season 2 premiere of A&E's THE CLEANER. The episode is called "Hello America"
and Gary's character is a national news anchor & spokesman for recovery. He
claims to have been clean for years... but it's all a lie. William Banks (played
by Benjamin Bratt) and his team of extreme interventionists have to discreetly
help the anchorman get clean... for real. Whoopi Goldberg also guest stars in
the episode.
"The Cleaner" is based on a true story about a former addict who leads a team of
interventionists who use any means necessary to help others kick their
addictions.

BRUCE BOXLEITNER
Bruce has a new movie -- TRANSMORPHERS 2: FALL OF MAN. To view a trailer, go to
http://www.scifiscoop.com/news/the-asylums-transmorphers-2-fall-of-man-trailer/.
According to SciFiScoop, the movie has its straight-to-dvd release on June 30,
timed to coincide with TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN.

EFREM ZIMBALIST, JR.
Ranger Anne sent along a story about Babylon 5 guest star Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
being honored by the FBI. The FBI series ran from 1965 to 1974 -- and I have to
admit is one of the reasons I came to Washington, DC following graduation. Go to
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090608/ap_on_en_tv/us_zimbalist_fbi to read about
the FBI recognizing his contribution by naming him an honorary special agent.
Babylon 5 fans will remember Mr. Zimbalist as billionaire William Edgars.

DANIEL DAY KIM - SEXIEST DAD
Daniel Day Kim, Babylon 5 fans know him as Lt. Matheson from CRUSADE -- others
know him as Jin from LOST, was voted one of the Sexiest Dads in a recent TV
Guide article.

ISN BLOG
I have a blog over at <http://isnnews.blogspot.com>. This is an experiment for
me -- and I hope you'll join me by entering news you have to share. I'll put in
stuff that I think is interesting for others to read about and we'll see how it
goes. So far it has been fun – and it is a great way of engaging readers.
Join me.

WARNER ARCHIVE - JUNE RELEASES
The Warner Archive Collection (www.WarnerArchive.com) continues to be one of the
best sources of old titles released on DVD.

The latest roster of cinematic rarities from the Warner Archive Collection
includes four MGM classics showcasing the irresistible charms of the legendary
Marie Dressler, and seven silent rarities from the studio vault that are now
available on DVD.

Thanks to special restoration efforts, several silent gems have once again been
combined with their original Vitaphone music scores for their DVD debut via the
Warner Archive Collection. This collection of Warner silents will surely be a
must-have for serious fans of silent film, and includes THE BETTER OLE, THE
DIVINE LADY, THE FIRST AUTO, OLD SAN FRANCISCO, as well as the John Barrymore
melodrama WHEN A MAN LOVES.

Go to <http://www.warnerarchive.com> for more information on this wonderful
resource for old films.

NEW ANIMATIONS
Artist Tye Bourdony has sent along links to some of his latest satires -- and
they are animated. Tye has brought us many satires in the past. Be sure to visit
his site:
Oompa: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed1CT77CPMM>
Geico: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsdx-UCHGhA>
Rorschach: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=racbmLCcpko&feature=channel_page>.

SUGGESTED READING

TOTAL SCI-FI NEWSLETTER
If you are like me, it is hard to keep up on what's new in the world of science
fiction. Totalscifionline.com at http://www.totalscifionline.com has launched
its inaugural weekly newsletter. Pop over and sign up!

TITAN MAGAZINES
Titan has updated their website to include all of their wonderful magazines. Go
to <http://mailing.titanmagazines.com/mailing> to sign up for their latest
information.

SCIENCE FICTION TELEVISION SERIES, 1990-2004
by Frank Garcia and Mark Phillips
Frank Garcia was interviewed a few weeks ago on the BABYLON PODCAST. He talked
about his new book and here's a review
<http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/articles/books/2009/nz13743.php>
This book is the ultimate for a science fiction fan. It provides a wealth of
information about series -- and many little known facts gathered through
interviews and extensive research.

CONVENTION CALENDAR
July 10-12, 2009
SHORE LEAVE
Place: Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn
City: Baltimore, Maryland
Guests: Jason Momoa, Rachel Luttrell, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips,
Christopher Heyerdahl, Jasika Nicole -- and many more
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 10-12, 2009
TCON
Place: Sheraton Parkway North Toronto Hotel
City: Richmond Hill, Canada
Description: We have over 300 hours of programming including special media guest
Q&A's, scientists, authors, discussion panels, anime & video, gaming, autographs
& photo sessions, masquerade contest, dances and art displays. They host a
charity auction that raises money for Gilda's Club of Greater Toronto -- and
they have the 3rd Annual Constellation Awards.
For more information, go to TCON.

July 23-26, 2009
San Diego Comic-Con
Place: San Diego Convention Center
Guests: Too many to list
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/cci.

August 6-9, 2009
OFFICIAL STAR TREK CONVENTION
Place: Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, 3000 Paradise Rd.
Guests: Just about anyone you can think of that has been associated with the
show
For more information, go to www.creationent.com.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Variety writes that Mchael Bay's TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN earned yet
another $36.7 million on Friday to bring its three-day domestic total to $125.9
million. While "Revenge of the Fallen" is heading for a five-day worldwide box
office record, it is estimated that its domestic haul over the same frame could
be more than $190 million. THE DARK KNIGHT holds the five-day opening domestic
record with $203.8 million. REVENGE OF THE FALLEN could earn $115 million this
weekend for a five-day total of $205 million. The DreamWorks/Paramount release
is currently playing at 4,234 theaters, 169 of which are IMAX.

SUPERNATURAL CAST ADDITION
The CW confirms that Mark Pellegrino -- a former "Dexter" baddie, as well as
"Lost"'s Jacob -- is joining SUPERNATURAL to play the pivotal role of Lucifer.
No word yet on how this casting news will impact his part on "Lost," but because
Lucifier is just a recurring character, he could certainly pop up on both shows.

MARVEL PRODUCTION UPDATE
At the recent Saturn Award, Marvel's head of marketing, Doug Finberg, provided
an update on Marvel projects. Finberg confirmed that the working title of the
Captain America film is THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA. That would both
introduce Cap and lead into the concept of The Avengers, which would follow.
"It's something we're considering, and really at the end of the day, everyone is
going to know that he is Captain America," Finberg said.
AVENGERS screenwriter Zak Penn said earlier in the week, at the L.A. Film
Festival, that he is running around between IRON MAN 2, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA
production offices to make sure his script coordinates with the introduction of
key superheroes, and, of course, his script has to be done before the other
films are. Finberg was confident that all teams could unite for a solid Avengers
film. "Having everybody on board and really being able to actually work as a
team together and develop the Marvel cinematic universe is what's most important
to us," Finberg said.
The long-term plan is to introduce Thor and Captain America, then combine them
with Iron Man to form the Avengers. But that still only accounts for three
members of the famed superhero team, four if they throw in the Hulk. Could Penn
introduce any new supporting superheroes in the Avengers film itself? That's not
off the table, according to Finberg. "I think that really remains to be seen,"
he said.
Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to continue playing Nick Fury, agent of
S.H.I.E.L.D., in the Marvel universe films. Expect him to play a major role in
the upcoming films, with the possibility of his own film down the road, Finberg
said. "Well, we have a multi-picture deal with him, so obviously we're in
business with him for a while to come, and we really enjoy working with Sam," he
said.
Thor will be another case of Marvel's trusting a director to bring a unique
vision to their property, as Sam Raimi did for Spider-Man, Bryan Singer did for
X-Men and Jon Favreau did for Iron Man. "Kenneth Branagh at the head of it all
is really the critical thing to us, to really create his vision" of Thor,
Finberg said. "He and [Marvel honcho] Kevin [Feige] are working really closely
together."
As for IRON MAN 2, which is currently in production, Finberg assured fans they
can expect more of the same action and improvisational drama courtesy of star
Robert Downey Jr. There may be no way to manage fan expectations for the sequel
to a $300- plus-million-grossing film, but Marvel is committed to pleasing them.
"It really is more to come," Finberg said. "Ultimately, the final expectation,
the final verdict, is with the fans, and that's something that the team of
Marvel does a phenomenal job at, actually making the best movie from the
material they can."
IRON MAN 2 is due out May 7, 2010. THOR is next, on May 20, 2011. Then CAPTAIN
AMERICA on July 22, 2011, and THE AVENGERS on May 4, 2012.

DAYBREAKERS
The first trailer has been released for DAYBREAKERS, the vampire thriller
starring Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. Hawke portrays a researcher in the year
2019, during a time when a plague has changed most of the world's population
into vampires.
As the human population dwindles, vampires hunt, capture and farm every
remaining human in order to survive, or else must find a blood substitute before
time runs out. But some humans won't go down without a fight ...
Use this link to see the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-TTlbkobHQ&feature=player_embedded. DAYBREAKERS
doesn't open until Jan. 8, 2010.

SPIDER-MAN BROADWAY CAST ADDITIONS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming have joined
the cast of SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK, the upcoming Broadway musical about
the famous web-slinger.
Wood will portray Peter Parker's girlfriend Mary Jane Watson, while Alan Cumming
takes on the role of Norman Osborn, also known as the villainous Green Goblin.
The musical, directed by Julie Taymor, begins preview performances Feb. 25,
2010, at the Hilton Theatre.
An opening date will be announced later -- as will the actor who will play
Spider-Man.

WARNER BROS. AND SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON
This year's Comic-Con International San Diego have officially sold out. There
remains a lot of anticipation for what movies might have presentations at the
annual event, especially the big movie presentations in the 6,000+ seat Hall H,
which is always packed to capacity.
Warner Bros. is leading the pack of studios announcing their line-up, starting
on Thursday, July 23 at 3:30PM with the first-ever 3D Presentation in Hall H of
the fourth chapter of the horror franchise THE FINAL DESTINATION with producer
Craig Perry on hand.
The studio's biggest presentation will take place on Friday, July 24th between
10:15 AM and 12:30 PM with most of their biggest movies including Spike Jonze's
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, The Hughes Bros.' THE BOOK OF ELI (starring Denzel
Washignton), Platinum Dunes' relaunch of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, Richard
(Donnie Darko) Kelly's THE BOX (starring Cameron Diaz), as well as presentations
for JONAH HEX and Guy Ritchie's SHERLOCK HOLMES. No word on the talent attending
but going by past WB presentations, they should have most of the filmmakers and
hopefully a lot of the cast from all films as well.
Lastly, Robert Rodriguez will be holding a special presentation and Q & A for
his new family film SHORTS on Friday at 1:45 in Room 6DE.

I AM NUMBER FOUR
When I first heard the title of this upcoming movie, I thought it was a spin-off
of the PRISONER. All their "guests" had numbers -- but this project is totally
different. According to Variety, Michael Bay is undertaking a new sci-fi venture
to produce, with DreamWorks, and possibly direct I AM NUMBER FOUR, the first in
a six-book sci-fi novel series.
One of the more unusual developments is that one of the book's two authors was
said to be James Frey, the infamous author who penned A MILLION LITTLE PIECES.
The book was shopped around under psedonyms, but a source for the trade
indicates that Frey is one of the authors of the new book. The studio wouldn't
confirm if Frey is indeed one of the authors.
The book centers on nine teenage aliens who escape their home planet right
before its obliteration and head to Earth to blend in as high school kids. The
title character then discovers that he is being hunted by the enemy species that
destroyed his home planet. It was said that the book's publishing and screen
rights were being shopped simultaneously.
Frey became embroiled in scandal when it was learned that his beloved
non-fiction book, A MILLION LITTLE PIECES was partially fabricated and
embellished by the author.

HELLIFIED
Paramount has acquired the supernatural action script HELLIFIED by Andy Burg,
and set Dan Bradley to direct. According to The Hollywood Reporter, HELLIFIED is
described as a supernatural action movie involving a journey to hell.
The script and the accompanying six-figure deal mark a return to Hollywood for
Burg, a comedy and family-film writer who has worked on such movies as 1989's
K-9 and 1996's ALASKA. During the early 2000s, he segued to the Internet,
fashioning himself as a Web entrepreneur. With HELLIFIED the scribe hopes to
begin a new act as an action writer. No production date has been set.

WATCHMEN DIRECTOR'S CUT
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the director's cut of WATCHMEN, featuring
an additional 25 minutes of footage and the death of a supporting character,
will receive a limited theatrical rollout during the weekend ahead of its July
21 home-video release.
The superhero saga, which was considered to be a bit of a box office
disappointment during its first go-round in March, will screen in Los Angeles,
New York, Minneapolis and Dallas.
The rollout will culminate with a special screening July 25 at the Comic-Con
International confab in San Diego, taking advantage of a Blu-ray Disc feature
that will allow any viewer in North America to watch the movie at the same time
as the audience at Comic-Con, see and hear director Zack Snyder comment on the
movie, and even ask questions. The screening will then be archived and will be
able to be accessed for future viewings.
"Comic-Con, it isn't just comic book fanatics, it's cinephiles as well. It'll be
cool to discuss what people are thinking," Snyder said at a WATCHMEN press day,
held Wednesday at Warner Bros., where the news was unveiled.
The day was designed to showcase a bonus Blu-ray feature called Maximum Movie
Mode as well as features to be seen in Snyder's Blu-ray release of "300: The
Complete Experience." The theatrical rerelease is unusual, given that the costly
movie grossed just $107.5 million domestically. Critics were also divided about
the movie, with some saying it was too slavish to the graphic novel's many
devotees. Snyder, however, said, "I'm proud of the movie. It does everything I
wanted it to."

EARLY MEMORY STAMPS
TWILIGHT ZONE creator and host Rod Serling, the LONE RANGER and 18 other
television icons from the '50s will be honored on first-class postage stamps to
be released August 11. The U.S. Postal Service plans to hold a ceremony
dedicating the set of "Early TV Memories" commemoratives at 10:30 a.m. PT on
that date at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood, CA. The event
will be free and open to the public.

The set consists of stamps depicting (as seen in order below) Milton Berle; I
Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance; Red Skelton; puppet Howdy Doody;
Dragnet star Jack Webb; Lassie; William Boyd, aka Hopalong Cassidy, and his
horse Topper; You Bet Your Life host Groucho Marx; Dinah Shore; Ed Sullivan;
Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Phil Silvers; The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) and his
horse Silver; Perry Mason star Raymond Burr; Alfred Hitchcock; George Burns and
Gracie Allen; Ozzie and Harriet Nelson; Steve Allen; Rod Serling; and "The
Honeymooners" stars Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. It is about time these TV
icons got their own stamp! I wonder if you have to purchase the set -- or you
can get an entire sheet of The Lone Ranger???

NOAH WYLE TO TNT
ER's Noah Wyle has signed as the lead in TNT's untitled alien-invasion pilot,
marking a reunion with producer Steven Spielberg. The project, written by Robert
Rodat from an idea he conceived with Spielberg, is set shortly after aliens have
wiped out most of the human population. Wyle will play the leader of a ragtag
group of soldiers and civilians who struggle against the occupying alien force.
"It is a privilege to be starting a second series with Noah," said Spielberg,
whose company was behind "ER." "The first didn't do too badly."
TNT had been looking to extend into series its relationship with Wyle, whom TNT
head of programming Michael Wright called "an incredibly talented actor and an
extraordinary person."
Wyle has starred in four original films for the cable network: the "Librarian"
action-adventure franchise, which spawned three movies, and "Pirates of Silicon
Valley." "I couldn't feel more at home," Wyle said.

LEVERAGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jeri Ryan is set to recur on TNT's LEVERAGE.
On the sophomore drama about a group of vigilaties in pursuit of bringing down
bigwigs, she will play Tara, a smart-ass, street-wise con woman whom Sophie
(Gina Bellman) calls on for help and who gets sucked into the Leverage family.
Ryan most recently co-starred on CBS' SHARK. Her series credits also include
BOSTON PUBLIC, The OC and STAR TREK: VOYAGER.

UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Columbia is adapting the action-adventure
video game UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE into a feature film with Kyle Ward set to
write the adaptation.
The story follows a descendant of explorer Sir Francis Drake, a treasure hunter
named Nate Drake who believes he has learned the whereabouts of El Dorado, the
fabled South American golden city, from a cursed golden statue. The search
becomes competitive when a rival hunter joins the fray, then is racheted up
several notches when creatures -- actually mutated descendants of Spaniards and
Nazis -- begin attacking those hoping to learn the treasure's true secrets.
The game, from Sony Computer Entertainment, sold 1 million copies in the first
10 weeks of its release at the end of 2007. No production date has been set.

SATURN AWARDS
THE DARK KNIGHT won five awards at the 35th annual Saturn Awards on Wednesday,
taking home statuettes for best action/adventure/thriller film, best writing
(Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan), best supporting actor (Heath Ledger),
best music (Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard) and best special effects. The
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films sponsored the awards at The
Castaway in Burbank, Calif. Other multiple winners included THE CURIOUS CASE OF
BENJAMIN BUTTON and IRON MAN, with three each. BUTTON won best fantasy film,
best supporting actress (Tilda Swinton) and best makeup. IRON MAN won best
science fiction film, best actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and best director (Jon
Favreau).
Single winners included HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, for best horror film;
Angelina Jolie as best actress for CHANGELING; Jaden Christopher Smith for best
performance by a younger actor in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL; INDIANA JONES
AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, for best costume; LET THE RIGHT ONE IN for
best international film; and WALL-E for best animated film.
On TV, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA won three awards: best actor on television (Edward
James Olmos), best actress in television (Mary McDonnell) and best
syndicated/cable television series. DEXTER won two acting awards, for Jennifer
Carpenter for best supporting actress on television and Jimmy Smits for guest
starring role on television.
Single wins for TV series included LOST for best television series, THE
LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE for best presentation on television,
and Adrian Pasdar for best supporting actor on television in HEROES.
DVD winners included JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER for best DVD release, Stephen
King's THE MIST for best DVD special edition, PSYCHO (Universal Legacy Series)
for best DVD classic film release, THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION for
best DVD collection, MOONLIGHT for best series on DVD and THE INVADERS for best
retro series on DVD.
Jeffrey Katzenberg received the very first Visionary Award for his efforts in
advancing 3-D film presentation. Leonard Nimoy received the Lifetime Achievement
Award, for five decades of work in film and television, but really for Mr.
Spock. A Life Career Award went to longtime genre actor Lance Henriksen.

DISAVOWED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Michael Ross has come aboard to write the
action thriller DISAVOWED for CBS Films. Irwin Winkler ("Home of the Brave") is
producing the film, originally written by Philip Shelby, about a group of
military prisoners in the U.S. secretly dispatched to the African nation of
Eritrea to retrieve a bio- chemical weapon that has gone missing. If the group
is successful in keeping it out of the wrong hands, the convicts' prison
sentences will be commuted.
"It's a really exciting and simple premise," said Ross. "I want to honor that
and make a really fun and engaging action movie. That's the goal, is to make it
moment- to-moment exciting, take advantage of the location and the simplicity of
the plot and the opportunity to work within a really fun genre, which is the
man-on-a-mission movie."
Ross wrote the screenplay for the Fox Atomic horror film "Turistas." He also is
working on the script for the remake of the thriller "Jar City" for Overture
Films. Ross also has scripts for the political thriller "Cartagena" in
development with 2929 Prods., the remake of "Near Dark" in development with
Rogue Pictures and an untitled Chernobyl action thriller in development at
Summit.

BURIED
Variety reports that Ryan Reynolds will be starring in BURIED for the Spain
based Versus Entertainment. The actor will play a contractor who gets kidnapped
in Iraq. He eventually wakes up buried in a coffin in the middle of the desert.
The only things he has on him are a cell phone, a candle and a knife.
Rodrigo Cortes will be directing from a script by Chris Sparling. Production on
this project will start this month in Barcelona.

SMALLVILLE FINDS ITS ZOD
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Callum Blue has been cast as Clark Kent's
fellow Kryptonian on Earth General Zod. The 31-year-old British actor, known for
his roles on Showtime's "The Tudors" and "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," will
play the son of Jor-El's future nemesis in the upcoming ninth season of The CW
drama.
The DC Comics villain is best known to moviegoing audiences as Terence Stamp's
megalomaniacal portrayal in 1980's "Superman II." The military leader was
sentenced to the Phantom Zone for his crimes, and when he escaped to Earth,
gained powers similar to Superman's because of the yellow sun.
Blue is also known for his roles in "Dead Like Me," the WB's "Related" and "The
Princess Diaries 2." SMALLVILLE returns to The CW on its new night, Friday, on
Sept. 25.

FRINGE CASTING NEWS
Meghan Markle (90210) has joined the cast of Fox's Fringe in the recurring role
of a new, attractive, brash and quick-witted junior FBI agent, according to The
Hollywood Reporter; Markle takes the place of Kirk Acevedo, whose FBI Agent
Charlie Francis won't be back.

DAYBREAKERS
A new poster has gone live for DAYBREAKERS, an upcoming sci-fi movie starring
Ethan Hawke as Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown
plague has transformed the world's population into vampires; the movie opens
Jan. 8, 2010.

RAY BRADBURY ON LIBRARIES
A recent interview by the New York Times had Ray Bradbury, author of FAHRENHEIT
451 and THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, defending libraries. "The Internet is a big
distraction," said Ray BradburBradbury said. Bradbury was being interviewed
prior to a public appearance benefiting Ventura County's H.P. Wright Library,
which is in danger of shutting its doors because of budget cuts.
"Yahoo called me eight weeks ago," he said. "They wanted to put a book of mine
on Yahoo! You know what I told them? 'To hell with you. To hell with you and to
hell with the Internet.'
"It's distracting," he continued. "It's meaningless; it's not real. It's in the
air somewhere."
According to the Times, a Yahoo spokeswoman said it was impossible to verify
Bradbury's account without more details.
"Libraries raised me," said Bradbury, as passionate about the public library
system as ever. "I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in
libraries because most students don't have any money."

AVATAR
In a recent story from The Hollywood Reporter James Cameron unveiled 24 minutes
of his 3-D, sci-fi film AVATAR at the Cinema Expo.
The film stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana and Stephen Lang.
On hand at the RAI convention center (in addition to Cameron) to talk about this
$300 million production were the film's producer Jon Landau, and Fox's Jim
Gianopulos. "Three years ago, I stood up here and said the 3-D renaissance is
coming," Cameron started. "And from what we've seen in the business, we can now
say it has arrived." In AVATAR, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran is brought to
another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with
their own language and culture. Those from Earth find themselves at odds with
each other and the local culture. Cameron said that the assemblage of footage he
was showing came from the first third of the film. He also showcased some images
from not yet finished portions of battle scenes later in the film. These
involved the earthlings and the aliens fighting over control of the fantasy
world Pandora.
According to Cameron, later in the film the action comes non-stop at viewers.
Worthington will be "a remote-controlled character created by melding his
crippled human form into a super-human being -- whose fate lies ultimately in
doing battle with his own former race." Members of the media that covered the
event were not allowed to discuss AVATAR images, nor could they interview
members of the viewing audience. The footage that was screened received a very
enthusiastic response.
"I just want to say that I think Avatar is going to play great in 3-D, 2-D, any
'D.'" said Cameron. A lot of the technology that was used to record the actor's
performances was created especially for AVATAR, and the crews behind the effects
at WETA Digital in New Zealand and Industrial Light + Magic in Northern
California. AVATAR comes to theaters on December 18 from 20th Century Fox.

HEROES - BRYAN FULLER LEAVES - AGAIN
Entertainment Weekly quotes Bryan Fuller confirming his departure from HEROES to
focus on developing new projects for NBC -- not because of creative differences
with series creator Tim Kring.
Fuller, who was a co-executive producer on the fairly well-received first season
of HEROES, left the show to run PUSHING DAISIES in 2007, but returned to HEROES
as a consulting producer and writer when "PD" was canceled earlier this year. It
was the hope of many a HEROES fan that Fuller would help put the series back on
track after its less successful second and third season.

THE LAST AIRBENDER
A new teaser trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender is now online.
Opening July 2nd, Paramount's big screen adaptation stars Noah Ringer, Nicola
Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun
Toub, Cliff Curtis and Keong Sim.
Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action
feature film is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four
nations: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.
The Fire Nation is waging a ruthless, oppressive war against the other three
nations. The film's hero, the reluctant young Aang (Noah Ringer), is the "Last
Airbender" -- the Avatar who, according to prophecy, has the ability to
manipulate all of the elements and bring all the nations together. Aided by a
protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her bull-headed
brother Sokka, Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to restore balance to their
war-torn world.
Jackson Rathbone plays Katara's brother Sokka, and Dev Patel plays Prince Zuko,
prince of the Fire Nation. Mandvi is set to play the role of Commander Zhao, an
ambitious and hot-tempered Fire Nation commander. Toub is cast as Uncle Iroh,
the retired Fire Nation general and devoted surrogate parent to Dev Patel's
character Zuko. Curtis is set to play the ruthless ruler Fire Lord Ozai. Keong
Sim has been cast in the role of Earthbending Father.

THE TESTAMENT
Author John Grisham has agreed to let Producers Mark Johnson and Hunt Lowry make
his 1999 book THE TESTAMENT, into a movie, says Variety.
In the novel, a billionaire defies his greedy relatives and leaves his $11
billion fortune to a mysterious illegitimate daughter doing charity work in the
Brazilian wetlands. A down-and-out lawyer helps her battle her relatives over
the fortune. The deal for THE TESTAMENT shows the power of persistence on the
part of producer Johnson, who has kept on Grisham and his agent-editor David
Gernert for the better part of a decade.
"I've been calling them since I read it the first time and felt it had the best
of the courthouse stuff that John writes so well, plus this exotic adventure in
deepest Brazil," Johnson said.

THE ZOOKEEPER
According to Variety, Adam Sandler, Cher, Jon Favreau, Sylvester Stallone and
Judd Apatow will provide voices for the animals in MGM's live-action comedy THE
ZOOKEEPER, starring Kevin James and Rosario Dawson.

THE GOBLIN
Variety writes that oscar-winning visual-effects specialist Charles Gibson will
make his big-screen directing debut with the Geoff Rodkey-scripted supernatural
family comedy THE GOBLIN. Tthe story revolves around a suburban family that
moves into its new home only to find a curmudgeonly goblin who doesn't want them
there.

HUMAN TARGET
Here's a trailer for you!!!! HUMAN TARGET is a new series coming to Fox this
year. If the series is anything like the trailer, this is going to be a GOOD
show to watch.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1545148137?bctid=23653034001. I
loved Mark Valley in FRINGE -- he looks even better in HUMAN TARGET.
Christopher Chance (Valley) is a detective-bodyguard hired by people in danger
to eliminate threats. The trailer has more action in it than most one-hour
dramas!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND featuring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena
Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen was
featured recently in USA Today.
The article explains that the March 5, 2010 release, co-starring Michael Sheen,
Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman, is
almost like a sequel to the original story:
The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of
writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast). Alice, 17, attends a party at a
Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of
hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a
hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet
doesn't remember.

ANCHOR BAY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Anchor Bay has picked up all rights in the
U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand to the Tribeca Film Festival breakout from
writer-director Raymond De Felitta -- CITY ISLAND.
Paradigm packaged and repped rights to the pic, which stars Andy Garcia,
Julianna Margulies and Emily Mortimer in a dramedy about a family on the quiet
island off the New York coast. The movie centers on a repressed corrections
officer (Garcia) who harbors acting dreams but who gets caught in a series of
misunderstandings when he brings home his secret adult son from a previous
marriage to live with his family. The film's centerpiece is a riff from Garcia
in which he auditions for a role in a Martin Scorsese movie.
Drawing the tag of a New York "Little Miss Sunshine" from media at Tribeca,
"Island" was a crowd-pleaser at the festival, scoring its audience award.
Anchor Bay plans on a platform release in late '09 or early '10, with a wider
rollout to follow.
"We're definitely going to take risks with it, start small and grow it wide,"
Anchor Bay president Bill Clark said. "Everyone who sees the film loves it, so
we think we can capture a broad audience."
Anchor Bay, which is a division of Liberty Media's Starz unit, recently launched
a theatrical unit to complement its home video business. The company also has
picked up the Ashton Kutcher Sundance drama "Spread," which it plans on
releasing in August, and overall aims to release eight to 10 theatrical movies a
year.

V
A new trailer has surfaced for V, the remake of the 1980's TV series. You'll see
a number of familiar faces in this clip --Joel Gretsch from The 4400; Scott Wolf
from Everwood. ABC is positioning this for mid-season.
Premise: The world awakens to find spaceships hovering over all major cities.
Though the aliens claim to come in peace, some do not believe them. Homeland
Security agent Erica Evans discovers that the aliens have plans to infiltrate
our governments and businesses in a plot to take over the planet. Erica joins
the resistance movement, which includes Ryan, an alien who wants to save
humanity. However, the aliens have recruited earth's youth, including Erica's
son, to serve unknowingly as spies.
Enjoy.

SHERLOCK HOLMES
Two new one-sheet posters for SHERLOCK HOLMS have made their way to the net. The
movie is set for release on December 25 with Robert Downey Jr. as the legendary
title character and Jude Law as his trusty sidekick Watson. Other cast members
include: Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan and will open
on Christmas Day.

DORIAN GRAY
Ben Barns, from THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, stars as Oscar Wilde's
infamous immortal protagonist in the new major feature film adaptation of DORIAN
GRAY. Though no official artwork has been released at this time, an early promo
insert has found its way to the internet to provide us a first glimpse at the
thriller which also stars Colin Firth and hits UK cinemas on September 11th.
GRAY tells the story of a strikingly beautiful young man named Dorian (Ben
Barnes). He arrives in Victorian London and is swept into a social whirlwind by
the charismatic Henry Wotton (Colin Firth), who introduces Dorian to the
hedonistic pleasures of the city. When a portrait of Dorian is unveiled, such is
its beauty that he makes a pledge: he would give anything to stay as he is in
the picture - even his soul. DORIAN GRAY examines the destructive power of
beauty, the blind pursuit of pleasure and the darkness that can result.

NEW INDIANA JONES MOVIE COMING
Earlier this week, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL star Shia
LaBeouf hinted that director Steven Spielberg had "cracked" the story for a
fifth Indy adventure. Now producer Frank Marshall is confirming another movie is
indeed in the works. "The story for Indy 5 is progressing," Marshall tweeted.
"It is still in the research phase." Marshall also told Empire Magazine:
"It's really about the script," says the veteran Indy producer. "Once we see
that, we'll see. We're not going to wait another 20 years. We'd all love to make
another one. I'm anxious to hear the idea!"
But are Mssrs. Spielberg, [Harrison] Ford and [George] Lucas equally sold on a
fifth outing for the whip-cracking archeologist? "Yeah. We had a great time
making the last one and, as Harrison said, we need to make this one soon. We're
not getting any younger."

NEW CONAN FOUND
Lionsgate and Nu Image/Millennium are behind the reboot of CONAN THE BARBARIAN.
They may have found their new star in a creepy echo of original Conan star
Arnold Schwarzenegger's own rise to fame.
Here's what The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business blog reports:
The companies are in talks with a 41-year-old Austrian actor named Roland
Kickinger to play the title role that Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous in the
1982 classic Conan the Barbarian.
There are more than a few eerie parallels between the personalities.
Like Schwarzenegger, Kickinger is a bodybuilder-turned-actor from the Central
European country.
Like the California governor, he also had a role as a T-800 in the Terminator
franchise (in Warner Brothers' current TERMINATOR SALVATION).
Kickinger actually played a Conan-era version of Schwarzenegger in SEE ARNOLD
RUN, the 2005 A&E biopic about the actor-turned-politician.
Eagle-eyed TERMINATOR fans may recognize Kickinger's physique from his role as
the body double of Arnold's famed T-800 in McG's Salvation movie onto which
Arnold's 1984 head was computer grafted.

I think that pretty much brings you up to date. Be sure to tune into the next
Babylon Podcast to get the second half of JMS' interview with Summer and Tim.
Part 1 was fantastic – can't wait for the rest.

Be sure to drop over to the website (http://www.isnnews.net) when you have a few
minutes. This newsletter is just a portion of the information you'll find
there.

Have a great Sunday and enjoy the remainder of your weekend.
Be safe.
Sandy

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