Just in case you aren't on the mailing list for the Babylon 5 Script
Books, here is the latest!

VOLUME 15 - GOOD NEWS #1

Are you sitting down?

Last week, we were having our regular pow-wow with J. Michael
Straczynski, detailing the production status of Volume 15. This is
when JMS told us that while he was adding one big, bonus piece of
content (which you'll read about in Good News #2), he also wanted to
do something extra special for the fans as a thank you for their
patience and loyalty to the script books.

"You could sign them," we replied in unison, half-chuckling, as if JMS
would lock himself up for weeks to sign every Volume 15.

"That's what I was thinking," he replied.

Stunned silence. We knew he wasn't kidding.

So that's what he's doing. Right now. As you read this. Signing.

Actually, to be more specific, he's signing the title page of each
book, and the signed title page will be bound with the rest of the
pages for Volume 15.

To do this, we paused production on Volume 15, dispatched a FedEx
convoy that arrived at an undisclosed location -- fondly referred to
by the team as the "Signing Bunker" -- and off-loaded box after box
after box after box of these title pages.

Signing stations were set-up throughout the Signing Bunker. Each
station has a table with a stack of title pages and a fresh-
out-of-the-box pile of red Sharpie pens. If you were to climb up on a
ladder all you'd see is row after row of these signing stations and, a
speck at one of them, hunched over.

(Important note: J. Michael Straczynski is signing his name only. In
other words, these aren't personally inscribed, meaning that they
don't include a inscription such as "To John". If you would like JMS
to inscribe your book, he's happy to do that during signings at his
personal appearances.)

Once JMS is done signing all the title pages, the FedEx convoy will
return to haul the pages back across country to Cafepress, who will
reunite the signed title pages with the rest of Volume 15's contents,
and then bind them.

We expect the whole process to take about 21 days -- give or take a
little.

Because Volume 15 is being shipped with Volume 14, we are holding the
shipping of all Volume 14s until we have the signed Volume 15s bound
and ready. Despite the slight shipping delay, you can still order
Volume 14 today, and as soon as Volume 15 is done, both will be
shipped together to those folks who have completed and submitted their
proof of purchase form.

So that's the first big piece of good news. Your Volume 15 will arrive
SIGNED.

VOLUME 15 GOOD NEWS #2
The second good news item is that JMS has added a new goodie to Volume
15 that he describes as "the most staggering document to appear in any
of these volumes. A Rosetta Stone, if you will, to the whole series of
script books."

This Rosetta Stone is called "Joe Cuts."

Joe Cuts is an inventory of every variation between all 92 scripts in
the 14-volume series and what you've seen on the DVDs. In other words,
a script archivist compared every single line of every single script
to what is in the episode on DVD, and itemized those differences, line
by line, shot by shot, scene by scene.

Here's an example of one entry:

         EPISODE: Infection -- Deleted Scene -- Ivanova has taken Mary
Ann on a tour of the Station and they end in C&C. Mary Ann asks a few
questions about Ivanova's family then thanks her and then asks if
there's anything Ivanova would like to say to the audience. Ivanova
gives some sound advice.

This is just one of 526 entries in the inventory. 526. This is why it
took 160 hours to compile and why it runs 70 pages.

So if your "things to do before I die" list includes watching every
episode on the DVDs along with the scripts from this 14-volume series
to spot the differences, you've just been given a chunk of your life back.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NEXT
We sent out an announcement with every Volume 13 that explained that
fans must submit their proof of purchase BEFORE they order Volume 14,
and that Volume 15 is being shipped with every Volume 14 that has a
proof of purchase form associated with it.

If you haven't ordered Volume 13 yet, or if you haven't completed your
set up to Volume 13, you'll want to read all about this. For full
details go to <http://babylon5scripts.com/proof>

Our mandate from J. Michael Straczynski is to make sure that every fan
who is entitled to the free Volume 15 gets one. If you have any
concerns, questions, special considerations, or notable exceptions,
and are worried that your proof of purchase form might not go through
successfully, worry NOT. We're here to help. Just email us at
help@... and put "Question about Proof of Purchase" in
your subject line.

If you've already completed your proof of purchase form, all you need
to do is order Volume 14. That's it. We will match your proof of
purchase form with your Volume 14 order and make sure that you get
your free Volume 15. It will be sent at the same time.

VOLUME 14 - JUST RELEASED

• The Wheel of Fire
• Objects in Motion
• Objects at Rest
• In The Beginning
• BONUS: "In The Beginning" Producer's Notebook

It's here. Volume 14 of the 14-volume series which includes not only
the last three scripts of the series, but the complete script of the
Babylon 5 movie-for-television: "In the Beginning."

But wait. There's more.

You'll also get a replica of the highlights of J. Michael
Straczynski's Producer's Notebook for "In the Beginning," including
documents never released to fans such as the Storyboards, Shooting
Schedule and One Line Schedule.

Volume 14 is also packed with more goodies, including the opening
narration credit voice-over scripts, more exclusive photos and an
appendix.

Yes, an appendix.

Now that you've got all 14 volumes, we figured it would be handy to
have a catalog of everything in them, and, more importantly, where to
find what you're looking for. So this section inventories every photo,
concept art, memo, script fragment and other highlights with a
succinct description and reference so you know in exactly which volume
of the 14 to find each of them.

But wait. There's even more.

As if it couldn't get any better, also in this volume JMS is releasing
a bit of "Sleeping in Light" Holy Grail: act one of the script he used
while shooting which contains his handwritten director's notes, some
set illustrations and set diagrams. As an extra treat, he's also
including five pages from the production draft script of "Sleeping in
Light" autographed by every member of the cast and most of the crew.

Remember, to get the free Volume 15 you must purchase all 14 volumes,
so complete your set today.

Finally, know that the 14-volume series may be over, but JMS has lots
more to share. Stay tuned.

Thank you all from the Babylon 5 Scripts Team.

For an overview of the Babylon 5 script series and Babylon 5
merchandise, go to
<a href="http://www.babylon5scripts.com"> www.babylon5scripts.com</a>.<p>

That's it.
Regular newsletter to follow -- probably tomorrow.
Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY - March 15, 2008

Thought I would drop you a quick note to catch up on things.  I was
away in early March; traveled to Chile to conduct some training.  Had
a marvelous time and enjoyed their summer weather, but had to come
back to the cold of the Northeast U.S.

Be sure to catch Bruce on ION TV tonight in “Aces and Eights”.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

GARY COLE
TV Guide reports that "Desperate Housewives'" exhaustive and
months-long search for an actor to play Katherine Mayfair's infamous
ex has come to an end. OFFICE SPACE and former "West Wing" star Gary
Cole has landed the pivotal part and will first be seen on the show on
April 20, "Desperate Housewives'" second episode back. Gary also
starred in Babylon 5's CRUSADE.

BRUCE BOXLEITNER
Bruce will star in a western entitled ACES AND EIGHTS to air on ION TV
March 15 at 9:00pm. Casper Van Dien from Starship Troopers also stars
in the film.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
Which movie are you most anxious to see that will be released in the
next six months? Is it THE DARK KNIGHT, INDIANA JONES 4, IRON MAN?
There are a number of fabulous movies coming in the next few months.
Which one are you waiting for?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. There are
some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic you want to
respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

BABYLON PODCAST #102

Welcome to Show #102
With the Vorlon away, the geeks will play.

Deep Geeking: Edmund joins Tim and Summer for episode geeking this
week, covering “Walkabout”, a bridge episode that packs a lot of punch
in some areas and that seems to fall off pace in others (in Summer’s
opinion, anyway).

We see Dr Franklin, hanging around in Down-Below, searching for
something, but not quite sure yet. What he finds for a time could be a
reflection of his own situation, or something else entirely. Then we
meet the replacement Vorlon ambassador, and Lyta returns to the
station, to resume her duties with the new Vorlon, desperate to find
out what happened to Kosh, and volunteers for a field trip on the
White Star.

Isn’t life just a little more interesting with telepaths on board?

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s castle is at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49.
To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW DVDS COMING

I AM LEGEND - AVAILABLE TUESDAY
Release Date: March 18, 2008
Available in Blu-ray, Hi-Def, HD DVD and On Demand
Official website: www.iamlegend.com

Synopsis:
Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain
the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made.
Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left
of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has
faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other
survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims
of the plague -- The Infected -- lurk in the shadows... watching
Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a fatal mistake.
Perhaps mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one
remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus
using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and
quickly running out of time. Director: Francis Lawrence Actors: Will
Smith, David Richardson, Salli Richardson, Alice Braga, Paradox
Pollack, Charlie Tahan

Get the 2-disc version and get the original theatrical release plus an
alternate theatrical version with a controversial ending!

AUGUST RUSH
Release date: March 11, 2008

Synopsis:
There's music in the wind and sky. Can you hear it? And there's hope.
Can you feel it? The boy called August Rush can. The music
mysteriously draws him, penniless and alone, to New York City in a
quest to find - somehow, someway - the parents separated from him
years earlier. And along the way he may also find the musical genius
hidden within him. Experience the magic of this rhapsodic epic of the
heart starring Freddie Highmore (as August), Keri Russell, Jonathan
Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard and Robin Williams. "I believe in music
the way some people believe in fairy tales," August says. Open your
heart and listen. You'll believe, too.

I saw this moving on the plane down to Chile on Saturday. I LOVED THIS
MOVIE! If you like music and movies that have a happy ending, this
movie is for you. It has drama, wonderful performances by Freddie
Highmore, Kerri Russell and Robin Williams. Music is the universal
language and it also binds people together. This movie lets the music
weave a story of hope and love that transcends adversity.

NANCY DREW
Official site: http://nancydrewmovie.warnerbros.com/
Release date: March 11, 2008

Synopsis:
With her magnifying glass and fingerprint powder in hand, Nancy Drew
leaves River Heights for La-La-Land...but not to meet that guy on
Smallville, as her boyfriend Ned fears. No, she's out to solve one of
the greatest mysteries ever: the death of movie star Dehlia Draycott.
But the bigger mystery is how our perky, plaid-clad sleuth will fit in
with the text-messaging teen queens of mean she meets at Hollywood High.

Be sure to watch Nancy Drew and the special edition version, Nancy
Drew: Drew's Clues premiering On Demand and Pay-Per-View March 11.
Join Nancy Drew in her adventures as you learn behind-the-scenes
facts, try to answer trivia questions, and explore "making of"
moments. Check your digital cable or satellite listings to order.

Love to shop? Log on to www.nancydrew-drewsclues.com and enter the
Clothes the Case sweepstakes for a chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree!

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Here are some video clips from this DVD that you will enjoy. The first
clip stars THE FLASH. The second clip is from the special feature,
showing Stan Lee and others who created the Justice League and
providing some history of the comic series.

Windows Media:
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_flash_fea_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_ec_superheroes_new_flash_300.asx>

Quicktime:
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_flash_fea_qt_300.mov>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_ec_superheroes_new_flash_qt_300.mov>

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

DOOMSDAY
With DOOMSDAY opening this week (March 14), writer/director Neil
Marshall said in a recent interview that he didn't deliberately set
out to follow his feminist horror film THE DESCENT with another film
featuring a strong female character, but that's what happened. "I
admire strong women," Marshall said. "I love strong women; I married a
strong woman. So it's all part and parcel to the kind of films I
make." Marshall also dismissed the idea that he's some kind of
feminist filmmaker. "It was actually pure chance that this film came
up next after Descent," he said. "It was not a deliberate choice that
I was going to do another film with a strong female role. This idea,
actually, I came up with it five years ago. And it was just by chance
this was the one that people wanted to make next. So I didn't want to
change the character into a guy just to avoid being like The Descent."
In DOOMSDAY, Rhona Mitra stars as Eden Sinclair, the leader of an
elite military unit. When a viral outbreak threatens to wipe out
humanity, Sinclair and her team must search for a cure to a deadly
virus in a quarantined zone that has been cut off from society for
three decades. "Rhona's character in the film is a product of this
society that's both isolated and divisive and of the future," Marshall
said. "The trick with this character was to make it different from the
six girls in Descent and come up with something new. And she has a
very strong kind of emotional journey that she goes on, and around
that emotional journey there's this hard shell. She's a tough cookie."
Marshall felt Mitra was ideal for the role because she possessed a
strength that was emotional as well as physical. "She needed to have
the emotional undercurrent to carry off the dramatic story," Marshall
said. "But at the same time, she needed to look like she could
convincingly kick you about the head if that was her inclination. And
she needed to look brutal and ruthless. And she [has] that kind of
cold look about her when she wants to. And that paid off brilliantly
with the character. But, at the same time, she connected with the
strong, dramatic storyline that drives the whole piece."

X-FILES 2 WRAPS
Slated for release on July 25, production has wrapped in Vancouver,
Canada, on the as- yet-untitled X-FILES sequel movie, with star David
Duchovny telling reporters that the crew staged the unauthorized Web
photos of Mulder (Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) kissing, the
Canadian National Post newspaper reported. "We've had lots of
paparazzi," writer-director Chris Carter told a post-wrap news
conference. "In Langley [British Columbia] a couple of days ago, a
black SUV pulled up on the side of the road and there was a long lens
pointed at us." The next day, pictures of Duchovny and Anderson,
locked in a full-on kiss as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully,
appeared on Internet fan sites. "We staged that," Duchovny said at the
news conference. Duchovny finished work earlier this week and was
catching a plane to Los Angeles. The rest of the crew were to finish
by week's end. The movie is a stand-alone story unconnected to the
series' ongoing conspiracy thread, but beyond that they're not saying
much.

VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
Variety reports that Sarah Michelle Gellar is in final negotiations to
star in the indie drama VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE. Larry Gross and
Roberta Hanley adapted the screenplay from Paulo Coelho's novel. Emily
Young is set to direct the project; Kate Bosworth was previously
attached to star.
Plot Concept: The story centers on a severely depressed woman who
rediscovers her will to live after learning that she has only days
left due to the irreparable damage done to her heart as a result of
her recent suicide attempt.

UNIVERSAL/DARK HORSE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Universal Pictures and Dark Horse
Entertainment have signed a three-year worldwide production and
distribution agreement that establishes a studio home for all of Dark
Horse's creative properties going forward. The agreement was jointly
announced by Marc Shmuger and David Linde, Chairman and Co-Chairman of
Universal Pictures; and Mike Richardson, founder and President of Dark
Horse.
The deal gives Universal creative access to all Dark Horse characters
and properties, as well as any material that Dark Horse might acquire
on its own and want to develop as a motion picture. In addition, Dark
Horse would have the opportunity to distribute movies through Universal.
Universal Pictures is opening HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, directed by
Guillermo del Toro and based on Mike Mignola's Dark Horse Comics
character, on July 11, 2008. "Dark Horse is one of the most creative
and innovative brands in the entertainment industry, as well as an
incredibly supportive home for some of the most exciting storytellers
working today," said Shmuger and Linde in a joint statement. "Their
unique connection to youth culture is proven, and we are thrilled to
be part of their expanding film production work."
Mike Richardson responded, "We've worked with many studios and have
had several great experiences, but we are particularly happy to be
joining forces with Universal Pictures in this deal. We feel a real
connection with their vision and the energy and creativity they bring
to developing our properties. We are also excited by the option that
we'll have to independently produce our own material and distribute it
through Universal; their flexibility in this collaboration is what we
were looking for, and we're glad we found it."
Donna Langley, President of Production, Universal Pictures, added, "We
are very much looking forward to working with Dark Horse's talented
writers and artists, and to realizing their wealth of creative content
onscreen."

HULU.COM
I LOVE THIS SITE! If you are a fan of old series, you just have to
visit www.hulu.com". While BABYLON 5 is not listed, there are a lot of
my old favorites, including IT TAKES A THIEF, IRONSIDE, AIRWOLF,
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (all of them), THE PRETENDER, REMINGTON STEELE,
HART TO HART, ROSWELL, MIAMI VICE, BIONIC WOMAN, THE SIXTH SENSE, JOHN
DOE, 24 -- and many, many more. The list of movies available is pretty
good as well, including ALIEN (4 of them), PLANET OF THE APES,
X-FILES, X-MEN (2) and more. I can see that I'll be spending a lot
more time on-line in the very near future. The only thing that could
make this site better is to have BABYLON 5 available, which according
to the Hollywood Reporter, will be there soon. While every season is
not available, I hope that they will build up the site with more
season and series.
There are some great series for the kids, including FLIPPER and ASTRO
BOY. The best part -- IT IS FREE!

THE FATE OF SEVERAL SF&F SHOWS HANGS IN BALANCE
The Hollywood Reporter has handicapped the SF&F TV shows currently "on
the bubble" for renewal or cancellation. For starters, the trade paper
was confident that Fox would renew TERMINATOR: THE STARH CONNOR
CHRONICLES, in part because the finale's ratings performance last week
was solid and because a fourth Terminator movie comes out in 2009,
offering promotional opportunities. NBC's KNIGHT RIDER, meanwhile,
performed well for NBC as a two-hour movie, and sources told the trade
paper that the network is in talks with a show runner, suggesting that
a regular series order is likely. As for CBS' vampire drama MOONLIGHT,
the trade paper reported that CBS is playing wait-and-see. The network
will watch to see if fans return once the show comes back from its
strike-induced hiatus. CBS' JERICHO has only two episodes left in its
short second season, and the network is expected to make a decision
quickly so that producers can use one of two endings: A series finale
or a season-ending cliffhanger. CBS notes that the show gains from DVR
viewership and online viewing, but after its performance the past two
weeks, most doubt that the show will get another reprieve. The CW's
REAOER has reportedly lost its way creatively after a strong pilot,
leaving its future in doubt.

FARSCAPE ON THE WEB
In a recent interview, FARSCAPE star Ben Browder said that he looks
forward to reprising the role of astronaut John Crichton in a
much-talked-about proposed Web revival of his critically acclaimed SF
series. Executive producer Brian Henson and creator Rockne O'Bannon
are talking about how to revive FARSCAPE on the Web in a series of 10
webisodes. "At the moment, that's Rockne and Brian's job, and I'm
aware that they're figuring out what they're going to do with it, but
I don't know how far along in the process they are," Browder said. The
recently settled writers' strike put a damper on the plans, and
Browder said that it's too early to figure out to what extent he would
be involved. Browder said that he spoke with Henson about the Web
series at last year's Comic-Con International in San Diego. "They
haven't come to me with any specifics yet, and I don't read anything
into that," Browder said. "But at Comic-Con, Brian discussed it and
said, 'Yeah, we're still figuring it out.' The writers' strike
happened immediately after that, ... and a lot of things went on hold,
and it will take a little while before a number of things get going
again." Browder was involved in the creation and writing of Farscape
early on. "I had the freedom on Farscape, [and] I was in the writing
room on a regular basis, virtually all the time when I wasn't on set,"
Browder said. "And so I had ... as much [input] as I could."

CUPID COMING TO ABC
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that ABC has given a green light to
producer Rob Thomas to update his 1998 comedy series CUPID. The
original series, from the creator of VERONICA MARS, starred Jeremy
Piven as a man who thinks he's a god sent to Earth by Zeus to unite
100 romantically challenged couples. Thomas has described the new
Cupid pilot as a "reinvention" of the original show. Thomas is also
talking with The CW and CBS Paramount Network TV about writing a
contemporary spinoff of Fox's 1990 hit BEVERLY HILLS, 90210.

HEAVY METAL
Variety reports that Paramount Pictures will make an animated film
inspired by the '70s SF fantasy magazine HEAVY METAL, with director
David Fincher spearheading the project. HEAVY METAL will be stamped by
the erotic and violent storylines and images that remain the trademark
of a magazine that debuted in the United States in 1977. The magazine
introduced the works of American artists and writers such as Robert
Silverberg, Harlan Ellison and H.R. Giger. The film will consist of
eight or nine individual animated segments, each of which will be
directed by a different helmer. Fincher will direct one of the
segments; Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), who is now
owner and publisher of Heavy Metal, will direct another. So will Tim
Miller, whose Blur Studios will handle the animation for what is being
conceived as an R-rated, adult-themed feature. Fincher, Eastman and
Miller will produce the film. The studio will lock in the other
directors shortly. The magazine previously spawned a 1981 animated
feature and 2000 sequel.

AMULET
According to Variety, siblings Willow and Jaden Smith, the offspring
of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, are attached to star in Warners'
adaptation of Kazu Kibuishi's AMULET. Akiva Goldsman's Weed Road
shingle and Will Smith and James Lassiter's Overbrook Entertainment
will produce. The graphic novel centers on a brother and sister who
move into their late great-grandfather's home after their father dies.
They must use his amulet to rescue their widowed mother from a beast
who lures her into an underground world. Five books are planned in the
Scholastic series, with the second installment slated for release this
year. Seven-year-old Willow appeared with her father in I AM LEGEND
and next appears in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mystery.
Nine-year-old Jaden appeared with his dad in THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
and next appears in Fox's remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
George Lucas made a surprise visit to ShoWest in Las Vegas on
Thursday, according to Variety, to sell theater owners on his upcoming
animated feature STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, which Warner Bros.
releases Aug. 15. "I think it can live up to the live-action movies,"
Lucas said before rolling a clip of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, based
on an animated series Lucas is producing for Warner's sister cable net
Cartoon Network. The film is set on the front lines of an
intergalactic struggle between good and evil, and fans young and old
will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi
and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin's padawan
learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains - led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and
General Grievous - are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and
the fate of the "Star Wars" universe rests in the hands of the daring
Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and
astonishing new revelations that fill STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS.

SPEED RACER TRAILER
A new trailer has been issued by Warner Bros. for SPEED RACER. Go to
http://www.movieweb.com/video/V08C48htuzIJMV to catch the latest. The
silver screen adaptation stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John
Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. Based on the classic 1960s
series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida that later was retooled
for North American audiences, the film follows the adventures of the
young race car driver Speed in his quest for glory in his thundering
gadget-laden vehicle, Mach 5. SPEED RACER hits theaters on May 9.

HARRY POTTER GETS TWO MOVIES
According to the Los Angeles Times, Warner Brothers will announce on
March 13 that it will split the movie version of J.K. Rowling's
seventh and final Harry Potter book into two parts, with one to be
released in November 2010 and the second in May 2011. The films will
be titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, producer David Heyman told
the newspaper. Director David Yates, who returned for his second tour
of Potter duty with the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince and is quite popular with the cast, will direct both Deathly
Hallows films, which will be filmed concurrently. Screenwriter Steve
Kloves also returns and, by completion of the franchise, will have
written seven of the eight films. "I think it's the only way you can
do it without cutting out a huge portion of the book," star Daniel
Radcliffe, 18, told the Times on the set of Half-Blood Prince, the
sixth Potter film, which is due in theaters on Nov. 21. "There have
been compartmentalized subplots in the other books that have made them
easier to cut--although those cuts were still to the horror of some
fans--but the seventh book doesn't really have any subplots. It's one
driving, pounding story from the word go." Heyman said Rowling signed
off on the idea. "I went to Jo, and she was cool with it," Heyman
said, "and that was quite a relief."

STARGATE: ARK OF TRUTH
The latest installment to the STARGATE SG-1 universe was released
yesterday as STARGATE:THE ARK OF TRUTH was released directly to DVD.
Ben Browder, who reprises the role of Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell said
in a recent interview that the movie was shot on 35 mm film and will
therefore look sharper than SCI FI Channel's original series STARGATE
SG-1. The TV series was shot on high-definition digital video. "I
think 35 looks better than HD does," Browder said. "The HD technology
is good, but I still don't think it's as good as film, at least not at
this juncture. So I think it looks bigger, [and] it looks better." The
movie, which picks up the story from the finale of the decade-long
series, also features more camera movement than was possible in the
series, which was shot on a short timeframe. "[Director] Robert
[Cooper] chose to move the camera in ways that we usually didn't move
it in the series," Browder said. "A little more time is taken in
advance, in preparation and, you know, a fraction more time on set.
You're still working at an incredibly rapid pace to shoot a movie like
this in 15, 16 days or whatever it is. It's a rapid pace, but it's a
little more time than we would normally have per minute than on the
series." ARK ties up the Ori storyline and answers questions left
hanging when SG-1 ended last year. It's the first of two planned
straight-to-DVD Stargate films, with STARGATE: CONTINUUM following in
a few months. ARK reunites SG-1 cast members Browder, Amanda Tapping
(Col. Samantha Carter), Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) and
Christopher Judge (Teal'c). Because of Ark's epic scale, Browder and
his castmates didn't have a lot of onscreen interaction, he said. "In
order to do everything that needed to be done, we were split up quite
a bit, so any there wasn't a lot of sort of what you'd call 'character
scenes,'" he said. "We were split up and talking to each other over
the radios quite a bit. [What] I would say is that I think Rob did an
excellent job of giving every character something to do and giving
everyone a chance to shine." THE ARK OF TRUTH DVD features
behind-the-scenes interviews and an hour-long recap of the series is
now available.

MONSTER ZOO
Variety reports that Paramount Pictures has acquired feature rights to
MONSTER ZOO, a graphic novel by Douglas TenNapel that will be
published in the spring by Image. Buckaroo Entertainment's Sam Raimi
and Josh Donen will produce with Ellen Goldsmith Vein. Vein is from
the Gotham Group. Raimi, who is prepping the Universal supernatural
thriller DRAG ME TO HELL, has committed only to produce at this point.
TenNapel, whose past graphic creations include Earthworm Jim and Cat
Scratch, tells the story of a young boy who discovers his local zoo
contains critters much more frightening than the ordinary collection.

UPRISING
According to Variety, Wolfgang Petersen (Poseidon) has signed on to
direct the SF thriller UPRISING for Columbia Pictures. Douglas Wick
and Lucy Fisher (Gladiator) are producing through their Sony-based Red
Wagon production company. The story revolves around the resistance
efforts of some citizens after Earth has been occupied by a powerful
alien race. Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond) is writing the screenplay.
Petersen previously teamed with the studio on DAS BOOT, IN THE LINE OF
FIRE and AIR FORCE ONE.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

March 28-30, 2008
First Annual Naruto-Star Trek Convention
Place: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
JAMES CAWLEY is the Senior Executive Producer of the Star Trek fan
series "New Voyages" and doubles as actor in his role as Captain Kirk.
The Naruto Trek Convention will be screening the episodes "In Harms
Way" and the latest New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time".
Visit our website (http://www.narutotrek.com) and see where all the
fun is! We have only one goal: to make this the best con you've ever
attended! The Naruto Star Trek Convention is a meeting place not only
for Naruto and Star Trek fans, but for all anime, sci-fi, animation,
comic book and manga fans. Resistance is futile -- Believe it!

March 29-30, 2008
STEEL CITY CON (Pennsylvania's Largest Toy Show)
Place: Monroeville Expomart
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Guests: Kenny Baker (Star Wars), Joyce Dewitt, Priscilla Barnes, Tony
Burton
Ken Kelly and others to be announced
For more information, go to www.steelcitycon.com

April 11-13, 2008
GRAND SLAM: THE SCI-FI SUMMIT
Place: Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
City: Burbank, CA
Guests: Brent Spiner, Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, James Marsters,
Nichelle Nichols, Roxann Dawson, Erica Durance, Kevin Sorbo and others.
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/stgs.htm.

I guess that is about it.  While JMS dropped a lot of information
while at WonderCon a few weeks ago, I haven’t seen any follow-ups
about projects he is working on.  Hopefully he will send along an
update soon, especially since THE CHANGELING has finished filming and
I’m sure he’s moved on to another project and we all want to know more!

If you have information you would like to see at the website or
available for newsletters, drop me a line.  Visit the website whenever
you can for the latest information <http://www.isnnews.net>.

Talk to you soon,
Take care,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – February 25, 2008

JMS NEWS
Ranger Jan sent us an update from WonderCon so be sure to read all
the news from JMS' session on Saturday. The news of JMS no longer the
exclusive property of Marvel is BIG news in the comic book world. JMS
will now be writing for DC as well -- the house built by Superman and
Batman. For those of you familiar with JMS, you know that he has been
a BIG fan of Superman since he was a kid. Being free to write in that
environment must really be exciting for him. He has often said that
Superman gave him his sense of integrity and honor as a kid growing
up. Be sure to read Jan's report below.

JMS NEWS AT WONDERCON
Ranger Jan sent in this report:

JMS had his spotlight at WonderCon today and there's news and updates
on *lots* of things!

- Book of Lost Souls: JMS is waiting on a determination on the status
of this. The Icon line is sort of reserved as a prize for Marvel's
exclusive writers.
- Dream Police: Ditto
- B5 comic with Wildstorm: JMS is looking to turn that in within a
couple of months.
- Squadron Supreme: JMS decided to stop and regroup after he felt
that he'd lost track of the story after the move to a team story
rather than the focus on Hyperion. To be revisited later.
- Rising Stars Compendium: He doesn't know anything about it.
- Asked about more Lost Tales: No new word on more. JMS retold how WB
had started talks for more but refused to accellerate the process,
thinking that there wouldn't be a writer's strike. The good news is
that WB is now starting to realize that they've really got something
in B5 ('bout time!). JMS told us why there were sock puppets
sprinkled in the Lost Tales Diaries: When JMS was told the budget
he'd have to work with, his response was, "For that amount of money,
I can do it with sock puppets, not people."
- Asked about working with DC: JMS didn't give any specifics on
titles though he mentioned that people who know the characters who've
influenced him will know what he's interested in (I'd guess that to
mean Superman).
- He does have a deal to write two creator owned titles for Image.
One is called "Justice" and the other "Ten Grand".
- Now that the writer's strike is over he's got seven other feature
films lined up, two of them genre from film and print. When asked for
hints, he simply mentioned how nice it was that Ron Howard had
acquired the rights to the "Lensman" series.
- JMS is starting his own production company named "And the Horse You
Rode In On Productions". I believe that he's looking to
bring "Midnite Nation" and "Rising Stars" into this company.
- World War Z, the adaptation that he's written from the Max Brooks
bestseller is, if production goes as currently planned, slated to be
a big tentpole production with a possible 100 million dollar budget.
- The Silver Surfer movie he's written will be an origin story which
is why that wasn't in the FF movie.
- For Marvel, he's got two miniseries planned: one SubMariner and one
Captain America.
- Asked if he might ever write an autobiography, JMS told of having
begun the "JMS Historical Reclamation Project" a while back by asking
fans for pictures of the many places he'd lived as a child and that
he's begun writing an autobiography focusing on how, if he could
become a success, anybody can.
- He continued on by pointing out that he never sits when doing his
spotlights, hasn't for a long time. The reason for that is because
you always stand when reporting to your superiors and that's those of
us in the audience who he looks to to create the next great stories.
It was a fun panel, as usual, with lots of joking and fun with the
audience.

Go over to www.Newsrama.com and read the entire article. It talks
about Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, The Twelve, Bullet Points and Silver
Surfer: Requiem. For comic book lovers, you'll want to know if JMS is
continuing his efforts on these books.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

BRUCE BOXLEITNER
Bruce will star in a western entitled ACES AND EIGHTS to air on ION
TV March 15 at 9:00pm. Casper Van Dien from Starship Troopers also
stars in the film.

PAT TALLMAN/JEFF WILLERTH/ROBIN ATKIN DOWNES:
I am told that FOR PETE'S WAKE will be previewed soon in Oklahoma.  I
will have specific details soon for those who may be close enough to
attend.

FOR PETE'S WAKE is a delightful comedy that stars PAT TALLMAN and
ROBIN ATKIN DOWNES.  It was amazingly shot in 3 days and is an
absolutely hilarious look at the complicated life of one particular
family – and extended family.

BABYLON PODCASTS

WELCOME TO SHOW #100
Jeff wishes everyone a Happy Vorlontine's Day, and Tim, Summer and
Jeffrey take a moment to recognize a podcast milestone; okay, moment
over. Let's get to the geeking!

Deep Geeking: We have a Deep Geeking treat for you: a guest geeker!
Mike McCafferty Mike McCafferty, actor and geek, joins us to share
his long pent-up Babylon 5 theories. He believes that `War Without
End' is the Grand Retcon of the series, and we all discuss a lot of
points from casting to plot adjustments and future Retcon necessities
in the series.

We argue about time travel and the story changes necessitated by
Sheridan replacing Sinclair, the differences in the time compression
between `Babylon Squared' and `War Without End', and so many more
nitpicks, that most B5 geeks should be quite satisfied.

Visit Mike's website and say hello. And we'll let you know when the
Invisible Man DVD hits the shelves!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media's castle is at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49.

If you go to Starship Sofa, check out the episode containing `Going
Through Changes' by Pat Murphy. Summer read the story, and people
have been enjoying the reading.

To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to
www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION:

UNIVERSAL UPCOMING PROJECTS
Now that the WGA strike is over, many studios have turned their
attention to future projects, in some cases, making extensive changes
to their 2009 line up. Variety broke down plans for Universal
Pictures and some possible issues for them now that director
Guillermo del Toro may have two Hobbit productions to contend with
for New Line & MGM.
The studio gave him a first-look deal, picked up a sequel
to "Hellboy" with a budget of more than $80 million, and even bought
the rights to his dream project, the H.P. Lovecraft epic, "At the
Mountains of Madness." Studio brass was stunned to see Del Toro
emerge as the likely director of the next two "Hobbit" movies for New
Line and MGM. That would lock him down for four straight years in New
Zealand. Langley acknowledges, "We're in discussions with how to
rectify that with Guillermo." There was also yet more hints that a
BOURNE 4 film was hitting theaters sometime in the near future and
more points about Universal's MUMMY franchise splitting it off into a
new spin-off franchise. All this bodes well for us, the viewer.

IRON MAN TRAILER
Marvel has indicated that the trailer for IRON MAN will debut during
the episode of LOST on February 28. It will probably be available for
the web shortly thereafter.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
According to Variety, moviegoers switched their gaze from Presidents
Day holdovers yesterday to Sony's "Vantage Point." Snapping up $8
million from 3,149 theaters, the Pete Travis political thriller is
positioned to take the top spot at the weekend box office. Last
weekend's No. 1 film, "Jumper" took a 57% dive from its previous
Friday figure into second place. The Fox-New Regency sci-fi actioner
collected $3.8 million from 3,430 engagements moving its cume to
$47.4 million. Disney-Summit's "Step Up 2 the Streets" lost 53% of
its box office beat from last Friday, grossing $3 million in third
from 2,480 playdates for a domestic cume of $34.6 million.
Paramount's "The Spiderwick Chronicles" charted the softest drop
among last weekend's Presidents Day entries with a -33%. The kid lit
pic captured $2.96 million in fourth place from 3,847 for a current
running cume of $33.9 million. Warner Bros.' "Fool's Gold" placed
fifth, collecting $1.96 million in coin from 3,075, off 49%. In the
midst of its third frame, the $48 million domestic B.O. for the Kate
Hudson-Matthew McConaughey headliner is trailing 15% behind the duo's
previous 2003 outing "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" which finaled at
$105.8 million.

ABC FAMILY SUCCESS
Variety writes that ABC Family has evolved into one of Disney's
biggest success stories as of late -- a dramatic turnaround for the
property, which cost Michael Eisner a staggering $5 billion seven
years ago. Eisner was widely lambasted at the time for the
acquisition, which had struggled to shed its old image. Fueled by
original hits like "Kyle XY" and "Greek" -- as well as off-net fare
like "Gilmore Girls" -- the cabler is coming off its top-rated year
to date. ABC Family ended 2007 with its most-watched month ever, 2.23
million viewers in December, and just netted its best January marks
yet in key demos. Cabler is also aggressively bulking up its series
output, picking up the comicbook-themed drama "The Middleman" and a
teen-oriented romantic hourlong from "7th Heaven" creator Brenda
Hampton. ABC Family has also ordered "Samurai Girl," based on the
young adult novels about a teen-turned-samurai, as a six-hour event,
to run over one weekend in August, and the project "Roomies."

Knowing that you are all interested in any JMS news that comes our
way, I thought I'd drop you a quick note to send this along. Be sure
to drop over to the website to get more current information as it
comes my way.

Take care.
Sandy

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

Hi again.  One of readers mentioned that the link for the JMS interview
I sent in this morning's newsletter didn't work.  So I thought I'd drop
you a note with a link that did work:

<http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=304861>

Enjoy!
Take care,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY

Hey there.  Just thought I'd drop you a few notes so that you wouldn't
miss things like the FIREFLY marathon on SciFi tomorrow.  It would be
wonderful if the networks (cable or regular) would bring back some of
the old favorites while we're waiting for new episodes of appear. With
the writer's strike ended, we still won't see new episodes of our
favorite shows for a while.  It is a perfect opportunity to bring back
some fresh material – even if it is reruns – for people to enjoy –
perhaps for the first time.  NBC is doing this with Dexter, Monk and
some others.  I hope the other networks will take the hint!  SciFi –
bring back BABYLON 5!

Look below and you'll find a number of contests for the amateur video
maker.  STAR WARS has begun it's fan video competition, Warner Bros.
has opened up an animation site that is a lot of fun.  I hope you'll
drop over to both of these sites and see what they have to offer.

The latest discussion topic has to do with favorite science fiction
films.  SciFi Wire is pulling together their favorites and are asking
readers to send in their most favorite films.  Check out the topic and
let us know your favorites – and least favorite – that are either on
the AFI list or not.

JMS RADIO INTERVIEW
Scott Hinze and Sean Jackson, co-hosts of Fanboy Radio conducted an
interview with J. Michael Straczynski on Sunday night. Here is the
link Sean provided for the archived file
http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=304861. They discussed
Babylon 5, JMS' scripts and proces, Spider-Man, Thor, The Twelve, The
Changeling, Silver Surfer, NBC's HEROES and more.

Having listened to the interview, I have to say that it is terrific.
Sean and Scott go back and forth between TV shows, comic books, other
stories with JMS and it is wonderful listening.

CONVENTION ALERT: JMS AT WONDERCON
From JMS News:
On Friday and Saturday (Feb. 22-14) I'm signing from 2-3, and I have a
writing seminar/ talk on Friday at 4, and my spotlight is at 4 on
Saturday. More things may be added along the way but those are the key
events.

Information about WONDERCON is below:

February 22-24, 2008
WONDERCON
Place: Moscone Center South
City: San Francisco, CA
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/wc/index.php.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
In today's news section, there is a piece about picking the BEST
SCIENCE FICTION FILM. The list of 50 compiled by the American Film
Institute is pretty good, but I think there are some surprises there
-- at least for me. Of the 50 mentioned, which do you think don't
belong and which ones have not been included?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. There are
some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic you want to
respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

NEW E-MAIL NEWSLETTER
I have been toying with the idea of starting up a new Babylon 5
newsletter – one that would only go out via e-mail. It would not be
just a collection of items from the website, but also include some
fresh items written by readers and fans of Babylon 5. Items could be
book reviews, movie reviews, a discussion piece you want to submit to
others, etc.

If you are interested in contributing, send me a note and let's talk.
I know I don't have a lot of free time either, so a monthly
publication would be ambitious, but possible if enough people help
out. Drop me a note at sgbruckner@... if you are interested in
contributing.

A few folks have already responded but I thought I'd send out another
note to see if anyone missed the first one.  I'll be contacting
interested parties soon to see if we can pull something together.
Thanks to those who have responded so far.

BABYLON PODCAST
WELCOME TO SHOW #99
Mike got rid of Netflix and now is using only his Apple TV. He's
actually listened to Babylon Podcast through his new system, and he
likes it.

Oh, and if you're inside Second Life, FarPoint Media's castle is at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49.
If you go to Starship Sofa, check out the episode containing "Going
Through Changes" by Pat Murphy. Summer read the story, and people have
been enjoying the reading.

[Jeffrey, delirious with fever, prepares for the Brawl In The Hall.
Later he will have no memory of proposing to Bruce Boxleitner] Deep
Geeking: This week, the geeking goes for "Interludes and
Examinations", and Jeffrey sticks around to give us some behind the
scenes info on The Day the Vorlon Died.

Oh, and remember when Jeffrey said he was ill the day they filmed the
smackdown in the hall with Bruce Boxleitner? He found the pictures!

Claudia Christian Charity Sale

For Fans in the US …
Claudia is offering some of her personal items for sale! These items
will only be available for shipping to the United States. Proceeds
will go to Charity. Here are the details.
http://www.claudiachristian.net/home.htm

Hi folks,
I have decided to keep all charitable contributions in the USA this
year as we need it more then ever. Between all of the great funds in
New Orleans to help people rebuild, local Children's Hospitals and
homes for battered women, I believe we can pump up the coffers a bit
by getting rid of some personal belongings…call it recycling for a
better cause! I hope everyone has a beautiful year and by then end of
it, I hope to be able to make a nice donation to some of my favorite
charities thanks to each and everyone of you.
Much love,
Claudia

To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION:

FIREFLY MARATHON ON MONDAY
Thank you SciFi for giving us something to watch this President's Day
holiday. A FIREFLY marathon will begin at 8:00am EST and run until
7:00pm EST. Episode titles are below in the "What's On The Tube" section.

STAR WARS FAN FILMS
AtomFilms and Lucasfilm Ltd. are once again calling for submissions
for the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge. If you want to be in the
competition, vying for the coveted George Lucas Select award, then get
your cameras or animation rolling, and complete and enter your parody,
mash-up or fan fiction by May 27, 2008.

Top fan movies will be selected by AtomFilms and Lucasfilm --
including George Lucas as one of the judges! Awards will be announced
at San Diego Comic Con on July 24th and one of the award winning
movies will air on SpikeTV.

What will your fan movie be about? You can cover any topic you want,
but if you're searching for inspiration, well, it is an election year.
Use the Star Wars Universe to express your political angst! Is
Huckabee the next Darth? Does McCain display Wookiee tendencies?
Hillary as Padmé? Give it your best shot and show us some awesome.
Also, mash-ups produced at Official StarWars.com MashUps site are
eligible this year for Fan Movie awards. For the first time ever you
can use actual Star Wars footage to mash up with your own and create
an all new cinematic beast.

As if shiny awards and internet fame weren't enough -- SpikeTV will
air the most deserving fan movies!

For more information on how to get started and details about the
challenge, check out the official site.

This is always a great competition. I can't wait to see what STAR WARS
fans will come up with.

CABLE FAVORITES COMING TO NETWORK TV
Two networks -- CBS and NBC -- have decided to give primetime exposure
to programs that first made their mark on cable. CBS begins airing the
first season of Showtime's "Dexter" this week. NBC, meanwhile, plans
to run the most recent seasons of USA Network's successful "Monk" and
"Psych" in April.

Variety reports that in recent weeks, several networks have held
serious talks to bring other cable shows to primetime, including AMC's
Golden Globe-winning "Mad Men." The end of the strike has cooled those
conversations. But some industry observers believe the economics of
using cable series on network TV means more shows could end up making
the jump from cable to broadcast.

"Not only is this a new business model, it's a better business model,"
argues NBC scheduling and strategy chief Vince Manze. "Shows have been
going the other way, to cable, for a long time. Now you're going to
see it going both ways."

While nets have put cable shows on their air before, they've often
done so reluctantly, with little fanfare, or during slow viewership
periods such as summertime (think ABC's summer repeats of "Kyle XY" or
NBC's random showings of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy").
Still, the shows are technically repeats, which means the broadcast
networks can license them for a fraction of the cost of firstrun fare.
And while neither net will discuss financial specifics, it helps that
NBC and CBS are both dealing with sister networks -- something that no
doubt makes the cost of importing shows even more attractive.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILMS
The American Film Institute has come up with a list of 50 SF films
that it deems among the best ever; it will pick 10 as the best SF
movies of all time for a TV special that will air on CBS in June.
SCI FI Wire is building their own list of the best SF movies of all
time. Pick from their list and send it to SCI FI Wire before March 1
with "Top 10" in the subject line. Editors will post SCI FI Wire's
Readers' Choice list of the top 10 that week.

If your favorite movie isn't in the list below, feel free to add it to
your choice and SCI FI Wire will run a separate list of the top 10
most underappreciated SF movies of all time.

The AFI defines "science fiction" as a genre that marries a scientific
or technological premise with imaginative speculation. It has selected
the following 50 movies as contenders for the best, in alphabetical
order (in the case of movies that have been made more than once, we've
designated by date which version the AFI has selected): A.I.
Artificial Intelligence, Alien, Altered States, The Andromeda Strain,
Back to the Future, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Blade Runner,
Children of Men, A Clockwork Orange, Close Encounters of the Third
Kind, Cocoon, Contact, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Destination
Moon, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Escape From New York, Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fantastic Voyage, The Fly (1986),
Forbidden Planet, Frankenstein (1931), The Incredible Shrinking Man,
Independence Day, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Invisible
Man (1933), It Came From Outer Space, Jurassic Park, Mad Max Beyond
Thunderdome, The Matrix, Men in Black, Minority Report, Planet of the
Apes (1968), Repo Man, RoboCop, Rollerball (1975), Silent Running,
Soylent Green, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Star Wars: Episode IV--A
New Hope, Starman, The Stepford Wives (1975), Terminator 2: Judgment
Day, Them!, The Thing From Another World, The Time Machine (1960),
Total Recall, Tron, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The War of the Worlds
(1953), Westworld.

THE CW SCHEDULE AHEAD FOR NEW EPISODES
The CW announced that SMALLVILLE will return with five new episodes
starting April 17, SUPERNATURAL comes back April 24 with four new
episodes, and REAPER is back April 22 with five new segments.
GHOST WHISPERER
CBS announced the renewal of its supernatural series GHOST WHISPERER
for a new season, beginning in the fall.

NBC RENEWALS
NBC has announced renewal of its freshman SF spy drama CHUCK and its
hit series HEROES for the 2008-'09 season. The two shows and NBC's
LIFE will have major relaunch campaigns next year now that the
writers' strike has ended. Meanwhile, NBC will continue to air new
episodes of MEDIUM on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT as it gears up for new
episodes of several sitcoms and dramas in April.
In addition, these dates have been set to premiere returning series:
"My Name Is Earl" (one-hour episode) -- April 3
"30 Rock," "The Office," "Scrubs," "ER" -- April 10
"Law & Order: SVU" -- April 15
"Law & Order" -- April 23

CBS PREMIERE DATES
Now that the writer's strike has ended, CBS announced the premiere
dates and episode orders of its returning series:
"How I Met Your Mother," March 17, 9 episodes
"The Big Bang Theory," March 17, 9 episodes
"Two And A Half Men," March 17, 9 episodes
"CSI: Miami," March 24, 8 episodes
"Cold Case," March 30, 5 episodes
"Criminal Minds," April 2, 7 episodes
"CSI: NY," April 2, 7 episodes
"CSI," April 3, 6 episodes
"Without a Trace," April 3, 6 episodes
"Ghost Whisperer," April 4, 6 episodes
"Numb3rs," April 4, 6 episodes
"NCIS," April 8, 7 episodes
"Moonlight," April 11, 4 episodes
"Rules Of Engagement," April 14, 6 episodes
"Shark," TBA, 4 episodes
*"The Unit," "Cane" and "Shark" are on previously announced hiatus to
accommodate the mid-season launches of Big Brother, Jericho and Dexter.
**The drama series "Swingtown," which hasn't been scheduled yet, will
also resume production.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D
The first trailer for New Line's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D
has popped up online courtesy of Cineplex. The new update of the Jules
Verne classic stars Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem in
the title roles. Eric Brevig handled the directing, based on a
screenplay by D.V. DeVincentis. Check out the trailer at
<http://video.cineplex.com/?fr_story=590745146d482e8be177a0c6c4e6f69a07efc27b&rf\
=bm>.


Plot Summary:
An exciting adventure based on the classic Jules Verne novel "Journey
to the Center of the Earth," "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D"
stars Brendan Fraser ("Crash," "The Mummy") as a science professor
whose untraditional hypotheses have made him the laughing stock of the
academic community. But on an expedition in Iceland, he and his nephew
stumble upon a major discovery that launches them on a thrilling
journey deep beneath the Earth's surface, where they travel through
never-before-seen worlds and encounter a variety of unusual creatures.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" is directed by Academy
Award-winning visual effects veteran Eric Brevig ("Total Recall,"
"Pearl Harbor") from a screenplay by Michael Weiss and Jennifer
Flackett & Mark Levin. The film is a co-venture between New Line
Cinema and Walden Media.
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D will hit theaters July 11, 2008.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN has a new official poster.
It's a lot like the last one, except this time Caspian means business.
And so, by the way, does the little mouse down in the poster's bottom
right corner. His name is Reepicheep, and you'd better not laugh
because he's out for blood. He's also almost without a doubt the most
popular character in the Narnia universe, so it's good to see him
showing up all over the movie's advertising materials. First the
movie's logo, and now the dashing new poster. The movie is set to
launch on May 16.

Starring: Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian), Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes,
William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Liam Neeson (voice of Aslan), Peter
Dinklage (Trumpkin the Dwarf), Vincent Grass (Doctor Cornelius) Alicia
Borrachero (Prunaprismia, wife of Miraz), Sergio Castellitto (Miraz).

WALL-E
If you enjoyed movies like SHORT CIRCUIT, Disney has a movie for you
coming on June 27. WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter
Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting
knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes
to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the
planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the
humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return
home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets an
adventure into motion. Joining WALL*E on his journey across the
universe is a cast of characters including a pet cockroach and a
heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots. For more info, go to
http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/walle/.

INDIANA JONES TRAILER
You have just GOT to go over to
<http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html> to see the new teaser
trailer for INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. The
trailer aired on ABC's Good Morning America and will be screened in
theaters starting on Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, Variety reported that
USA Network has acquired the rights to the sequel and the three
previous installments, which would give the cable network the first
run of the first three Indy movies in May as a marathon promotional
vehicle for the new film. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL
SKULL --starring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett--opens
May 22.

This has to be one of THE most anticipated movies of 2008, at least in
my book anyway.

Ain't It Cool News has pointed out tweaks to the U.S. version of the
teaser trailer for INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
to remove guns from one scene. At the :40 second point in the U.S.
version of the trailer, which was released last week, Indy (Harrison
Ford) and his sidekick, played by Ray Winstone, are surrounded by
uniformed men, some with guns.

But in an international version of the trailer (on the site of the
U.K. tabloid The Sun), there are more men and more guns.

Fans of director Steven Spielberg recall that he removed guns from
some shots in a digitally remastered version of E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial a few years back. But AICN speculates the tweaks to
the U.S. Indy trailer may have come at the behest of the Motion
Picture Association of America to make the trailer more suitable for
families.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Australian actress Melissa George
(30 Days of Night) is in final negotiations to star in the
supernatural thriller Triangle for director Christopher Smith
(Severance). The story revolves around the passengers of a yachting
trip in the Atlantic Ocean who, when struck by mysterious weather
conditions, jump to another ship only to experience greater havoc on
the open seas. George will play a woman with a mental disorder who
relives the harrowing experience through each of her three
personalities. The movie is set to begin shooting in April in
Australia. George also appears in the HBO series In Treatment.

PLANET 51
Variety reports that Jessica Biel will join Dwayne Johnson, Justin
Long and Seann William Scott as the lead voices in PLANET 51, New Line
Cinema's first 3-D animated feature film. The studio has set a July
24, 2009, release date for the film. Johnson (Get Smart) will voice
astronaut Chuck Baker. Thinking he's the first to set foot on the
surface of Planet 51, he finds it is inhabited by green people who
live in an innocent world right out of the 1950s, complete with the
paranoia that they will be overrun by alien invaders. Joe Stillman
(Shrek and Shrek 2) penned the script, and the film is produced by
Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios. Jorge Blanco (co-creator of the
video-game series Commandos) is directing, and Javier Abad and Marcos
Martinez will co-direct. The film will be completed by March 2009.

DIARY OF THE DEAD
DIARY OF THE DEAD opens today in theaters. In a recent interview,
Geoge A. Romero said that DIARY OF THE DEAD pokes fun at the
mainstream media, comments on the Internet blogging phenomenon and
also sends up horror movie cliches. But it wasn't all fun and games.
DIARY OF THE DEAD is shot from the point of view of a group of student
filmmakers who set out to document the takeover of the Earth by the
walking dead. Its style is similar to that of The Blair Witch Project
and Cloverfield in that it makes use of subjective first-person
hand-held camera shooting. "Oh, man, I just had a ball doing this,"
Romero said. "However, everyone says, 'Hey, it must be so free and
easy to just turn the camera on and shoot,' and that's not the case.
It required, in a way, a lot more discipline than anything I have ever
done." Romero cited as an example one eight-page shot that involved
all of the central characters. "They walk into the heroine's house,"
the director said. "They walk through the living room, through the
dining room into the garage, around the car, back around the car, back
into the kitchen. ... The choreography was unbelievable. The stunt
guys had to duck under the lens. This guy with the light had to duck
under the lens when the camera went past him." Setting up such scenes
involved a lot of planning, Romero said. "That shot, it was the only
shot we did that day," he said. "We spent six hours setting it up,
lighting it, figuring out how to be able to shoot it, and then the
rest of the day was just pulling it off and shooting it."

GHOULISHLY YOURS, WILLIAM M. GAINES
John Landis has just signed on to direct GHOULISHLY YOURS, WILLIAM M.
GAINES, a film about the life of the publisher of EC Comics and Mad
magazine. According to Variety, Landis will develop the biopic with
the film's screenwriter Joel Eisenberg. GHOULISHLY YOURS, WILLIAM M.
GAINES centers on an anti-establishment group of artists and writers,
led by a reluctant Gaines and partner Al Feldstein, as they produce
their comic books. Gaines became a First Amendment figurehead due to
his unapologetic testimony before a Senate subcommittee investigating
juvenile delinquency. Landis has not announced when he plans to start
production on GHOULISHLY YOURS, WILLIAM M. GAINES.

STAR TREK MOVED TO 2009
The Hollywood Reporter writes that on February 13, Paramount pushed
its highly anticipated STAR TREK movie to May 8, 2009, from an
original Christmas 2008 release, to take advantage of the summer
box-office season. "Star Trek is moving to summer because its has so
much box-office potential," Paramount spokesman Michael Vollman told
the trade paper. "It does not need any script tweaks. They're
two-thirds of the way through shooting, and we would have delivered a
great movie at Christmas." TREK is one of several films the studio
shuffled to new dates now that the writers' strike has ended. TREK's
shift is reportedly unrelated to script or cast considerations.
Replacing TREK on Paramount's holiday 2008 schedule is the Brad
Pitt-Cate Blanchett fantasy film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON,
which moves to Dec. 19 from Nov. 26. CASE 39, meanwhile, moves to
April 10, 2009, from Aug. 22 of this year. And NOWHERELAND, an Eddie
Murphy fantasy comedy previously set for Sept. 26, now will bow June
12, 2009.

LOST SCHEDULE CHANGE?
According to the TV Guide, ABC's post-strike schedule may move LOST to
another new timeslot: Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, right after GREY'S
ANATOMY, beginning in late April. The magazine added, based on
anonymous sources, that ABC is strongly considering keeping the lineup
intact in the fall and beyond. LOST is currently airing the eight
episodes that were completed before the writers' strike began last
fall. Now that the strike is ended, five new episodes are expected to
be produced and will air in the spring. LOST currently airs Thursdays
at 9 p.m.

SAMURAI GIRL
Variety reports that ABC Family has picked up SAMURAI GIRL, a six-hour
miniseries from X-FILES executive producer Frank Spotnitz. The cable
network will air SAMURAI GIRL as a three-part programming event over
the course of a weekend this August. SAMURAI GIRL is based on the
young-adult novels about a Japanese teen who discovers that her
adopted father is really the head of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia.
She winds up training as a samurai to combat her father's empire. The
project will start shooting this spring in Vancouver, Canada. Jamie
Chung (Dragonball) stars as Heaven; the cast also includes Brendan
Fehr, Saige Thompson, Kyle Labine, Anthony Brandon Wong, Steven Brand
and Kenneth Choi. Spotnitz, Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein
executive-produced the pilot, which was penned by Luke McMullen.

BUILD YOUR OWN CARTOON
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has a great little contest going. You
can build your own cartoon and post it for everyone to share. Go to
http://animationmashup.warnerbros.com/ and follow the directions.
Let's see what kind of cartoon you can build.

Well, I guess that is about it for now.  I am hoping that now the
writer's strike has ended, JMS will give us an update on some of his
projects soon.  If he does, I'll get that out to you as quickly as I can.

Have a great weekend (or what is left of it).  Be sure to visit the
website at http://www.isnnews.net to see more stories, trailer links
and pictures from movies along with new DVDs and reviews.

Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – FEBRUARY 3, 2008
It is a nice, bright Sunday morning and I thought I would catch you
all up with what's going on in the world of science fiction – and
Babylon 5.

JMS AT WONDERCON
From JMS News:
On Friday and Saturday (Feb. 22-14), I'm signing from 2-3, and I have
a writing seminar/ talk on Friday at 4, and my spotlight is at 4 on
Saturday. More things may be added along the way but those are the
key events.

Information about WONDERCON can be found on the Convention Calendar
below.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
Remakes of classics seem to be the rage. Do you think taking classics
like "The Day The Earth Stood Still", "The Birds", "War of the
Worlds", etc. and updating them is good? Do any of the remakes stand
up to the originals?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. There
are some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic you
want to respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW
Ranger Anne sent along this update on a number of cast members:

ROBIN ATKIN DOWNES:
I understand that Robin Atkin Downes is the narrator of the current
comedy film "Meet the Spartans," a spoof of "300." The cast includes
Sean Maguire (Leonidas), Kevin Sorbo (the Captain), Carmen Electra
(Queen Margo) and lots of celebrity lookalikes.

BRUCE BOXLEITNER/WALTER KOENIG
Bruce Boxleitner & Walter Koenig are appearing in the SciFi Channel's
upcoming TV movie "The Bone Eater," set to air next Saturday (2/9) at
9pm ET. The network's webpage for it doesn't seem to have a lot of
info about the plot. The page is: http://www.scifi.com/boneeater
It would be Bruce's third SciFi original telefilm, after "Snakehead
Terror" & "They Are Among Us."

DYLAN NEAL
Dylan Neal was in last night's episode of Stargate
Atlantis, "Outcast." He plays John Sheppard's brother David.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS
Michael Beck - February 4
Myriam Sirois - February 2
Ardwight Chamberlain - February 16
Karen Harrell - February 21
John Iacovelli - February 25
Bill Mumy - February 1
Matt Plummer - February 26
Majel Barrett Roddenberry - February 23
John Schuck - February 4
Myriam Sirios - February 2

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected
with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include
everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

VOLUME 13 OF BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS
Volume 13 of the Babylon 5 Script Books was released on January 23,
2008 at 10:00am Pacific Time.  If you want all 15 volumes, be sure to
read about what you need to do before ordering Volume 14.

VOLUME 13
� The Ragged Edge
� The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father
� Meditations on the Abyss
� Darkness Ascending
� And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder
� Movements of Fire and Shadow
� The Fall of Centauri Prime

With Volume 13 we hit the penultimate days of Babylon 5 and of the
history-making B5 Scripts Collection.

This volume contains more commentaries describing what went right,
and what went wrong, going into those final months...the inside scoop
on actors, production, writing, hidden meanings and untold stories,
in addition to behind-the-scenes photographs and never-before-
published memos from season five.

BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS - VOLUME 14 and 15
If you have purchased all of the Babylon 5 scripts and are anxiously
awaiting Volume 15 (free with the entire order), you will want to go
over to http://www.babylonscripts.com/proof to see what you will need
to do to insure you receive Volume 15. You will need all of your
order numbers from previous volumes -- but if you don't have them,
not to worry. Cafe Press has already set up a 60-second video to help
you.

YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE MUST BE SUBMITTED BEFORE YOU PURCHASE VOLUME
14. So take a couple of minutes and go over to watch the video and
see what information you need to gather. Insure you get Volume 15.
For an overview of the Babylon 5 script series and Babylon 5
merchandise, go to www.babylon5scripts.com.

BABYLON PODCAST
WELCOME TO SHOW #97
Hold onto your hats, people.  Business travel actually has Jeffrey
and Tim landing in the same city and the same time, and that means
they'll actually be encouraging each other to ratchet the puns to new
levels.

Voicemail: Monty Vorlon's Flying Circus' nothing more need be said.
We go through voicemails and emails this time around, and truly, no
one can stop the puns.

To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to
www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW DVDS COMING:
THE BRAVE ONE
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Official Site: www.thebraveone.com
The Brave One
Synopsis:
Why don't they stop me?? Eric Bain wonders. Bain, a popular N.Y radio
host, watched her fianc� die and nearly lost her own life to a
vicious, random attack. Now she discovers a stranger within herself,
an armed wanderer in the urban night, out for vengeance and at war
with her own soul. Two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, as
Erica, joins Oscar nominee Terrence Howard, as a determined cop hot
on her trail. Erica's future is uncertain, but one thing is not: THE
BRAVE ONE is a high- tension thriller that packs a visceral and
emotional punch.

THIRD WATCH: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Third Watch: The Complete First Season
Synopsis:
Every second counts. Every detail matters. Every 3-11 p.m. third
watch shift brings a rush of risk, fear and lives in the balance.
From John Wells (ER, The West Wing) and Edward Allen Bernero
(Criminal Minds) comes this action-packed drama about the brave and
dedicated people who serve as police, paramedics and firefighters.
For them, keeping the streets safe and answering cries for help is
all in a day's work. The 22-episode Emmy-Award-winning Third Watch
rolls out in a deluxe 6- disc set capturing all the highly kinetic,
highly praised moments from its debut season. Hit the streets with
these professional rescuers and experience day-in/day-out heroism at
its most exciting and intense.

For more information about this new DVD, go to
http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/third-watch.shtml here at The Zocalo
Today.

INVASION
Release Date: January 29, 2008
Official Website: http://theinvasionmovie.warnerbros.com/
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jackson Bond
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
SYNOPSIS:
The mysterious crash of the space shuttle leads to the terrifying
discovery that there is something alien within the wreckage. Those
who come in contact with it are changing in ominous and inexplicable
ways. Soon Washington, DC psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman)
and her friend, Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), learn the shocking
truth about the growing extraterrestrial epidemic: it attacks its
victims while they sleep, leaving them physically unchanged but
strangely unfeeling and inhuman. As the infection spreads, more and
more people are altered and it becomes impossible to know who can be
trusted. Now Carol's only hope is to stay awake long enough to find
her young son, who may hold the key to stopping the devastating
invasion.

For a complete run-down of the special features included with this
DVD -- and my review -- go to
http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/invasion.shtml  at The Zocalo Today.

With everyone gearing up to the big game, here is something to watch
BEFORE the Super Bowl. For all you football lovers out there, this
video gives you the story behind the big game.

WARNER HOME VIDEO CELEBRATES NFL AFRICAN AMERICAN PIONEERS
WITH THE RELEASE OF NFL THE LEADERS: BREAKING BARRIERS IN
THE NFL ON DVD JANUARY 29, 2008

BURBANK, CA (January 9, 2008) - Just in time for the Super Bowl,
Warner Home Video (WHV) and NFL Films have teamed to illustrate the
African-American athlete like never before. NFL The Leaders: Breaking
Barriers in the NFL DVD features all the remarkable stories, moments
and rich histories of some of the best players to step onto the
football field. NFL The Leaders: Breaking Barriers in the NFL DVD is
the perfect collectible and will be available on January 29, 2008 for
$19.98 SRP.

For more information about this DVD, including clips provided by
Warner Bros., go to NFL Leaders page or go to
http://www.profootballdvd.com.

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

February 22-24, 2008
WONDERCON
Place: Moscone Center South
City: San Francisco, CA
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/wc/index.php.

March 7-9, 2008
MEGACON 2008
Place: Orange County Convention Center
City: Orlando, Florida
B5 Guests: June Lockhart ("The Quality of Mercy") and Dylan Neil
("Legend of the Rangers" and "Blood Ties")
Other Guests: Adrian Pasdar ["Heroes" (Saturday/Sunday)], BSG's Mark
A. Sheppard, Steve Bacic (Andromeda/Stargate SG-1), Erica Durance
["Smallville" (Saturday/Sunday)] and author Tanya Huff ("Blood Ties"
series)
For more information, go to MegaConvention.com.

March 28-30, 2008
First Annual Naruto-Star Trek Convention
Place: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
JAMES CAWLEY is the Senior Executive Producer of the Star Trek fan
series "New Voyages" and doubles as actor in his role as Captain
Kirk. The Naruto Trek Convention will be screening the episodes "In
Harms Way" and the latest New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time".
Visit our website (http://www.narutotrek.com) and see where all the
fun is! We have only one goal: to make this the best con you've ever
attended! The Naruto Star Trek Convention is a meeting place not only
for Naruto and Star Trek fans, but for all anime, sci-fi, animation,
comic book and manga fans. Resistance is futile -- Believe it!

March 29-30, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville Expomart
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Guests: Kenny Baker (Star Wars), Joyce Dewitt, Priscilla Barnes, Tony
Burton
For more information, go to www.steelcitycon.com

April 11-13, 2008
GRAND SLAM: THE SCI-FI SUMMIT
Place: Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
City: Burbank, CA
Guests: Brent Spiner, Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, James Marsters,
Nichelle Nichols, Roxann Dawson, Erica Durance, Kevin Sorbo and
others.
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/stgs.htm.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION:

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
For all of you non-football fans, you may want to take in the Star
Trek Enterprise marathon today on SciFi. It starts early in the
morning and runs throughout the day. I have posted the 8-10:00pm
schedule in the TV section to give you an idea of where they are in
airing the series.

WRITER'S STRIKE
There are reports hitting the various wire services that the writer's
strike (WGA) may be coming to a close. While there are no official
reports, it looks like there has been some sort of breakthrough in
contract talks that could lead to a tentative deal as early as next
week. This is music to everyone's ears. I certainly hope that a fair
agreement can be reached so that writers can get back to work --
bringing along all of the production elements with them.

HUMBOLDT PARK
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the ensemble cast for the upcoming
family comedy HUMBOLDT PARK has just gotten bigger. Alfred Molina,
Jay Hernandez, Melonie Diaz, Luis Guzman, Vanessa Ferlito and
Mercedes Ruehl have all joined the cast. Alfredo de Villa is
directing from a script by Rick Najera, Alison Swan and Ted Perkins-
Lopez that revolves around a family reunion during the holidays in
the Chicago neighborhood of Humboldt Park. John Leguizamo and Freddy
Rodriguez have already signed on as two brothers in the famliy.
Molina will play the family patriarch who owns a bodega, Hernandez
will play a family friend who works at the bodega, Diaz is a former
lover of Hernandez's character, Ferlito plays the daughter and friend
to Diaz's character and Ruehl will play the mother. Principal
photography is set to commence on February 13 in Chicago.

BILLIONAIRE'S VINEGAR
According to Variety, Escape Artists and Overbrook Entertainment have
optioned the screen rights to Benjamin Wallace's novel, THE
BILLIONAIRE'S VINEGAR: THE MYSTERY OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE
BOTTLE OF WINE. I AM LEGEND actor Will Smith will produce the film
alongside Todd Black, James Lassiter, Jason Blumenthal and Steve
Tisch. THE BILLIONAIRE'S VINEGAR is a story about the scandal that
ensued when an auctioned cache of wine bottles purported to have been
owned by Thomas Jefferson were called fakes. Escape Artists and
Overbrook have announced first-look deals with Columbia. No word when
production for The Billionaire's Vinegar will start.

MOVIE CLIPS
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
Over at IESB.net, you can see a number of Super Bowl clips made
available by studios. This year, Walt Disney Pictures and Universal
Studios are giving fans an early online peek at the Super Bowl spots
for two of their highly-anticipated films.
First up is Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which
hits theaters on May 16 and is again directed by Andrew Adamson.

WANTED
Universal Pictures has also brought online the Super Bowl spot for
graphic novel adaptation WANTED, with James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie
and Morgan Freeman.
You can already see this clip over at IESB.net.

VANTAGE POINT
Also at IESB.net, you will be able to view six new film clips and two
TV spots from VANTAGE POINT starring Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox,
Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker and William Hurt. In Columbia
Pictures' action-packed thriller "Vantage Point," eight strangers
with eight different points of view try to unlock the one truth
behind an assassination attempt on the president of the United
States. Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Mathew Fox) are
two Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Ashton
(William Hurt) at a landmark summit on the global war on terror. When
President Ashton is shot moments after his arrival in Spain, chaos
ensues and disparate lives collide in the hunt for the assassin. In
the crowd is Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker), an American tourist who
thinks he�s captured the shooter on his camcorder while videotaping
the event for his kids back home. Also there, relaying the historic
event to millions of TV viewers across the globe, is American TV news
producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver). As they and others reveal
their stories, the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place � and
it will become apparent that shocking motivations lurk just beneath
the surface.

RANGER'S APPRENTICE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, two-time Oscar winner Paul
Haggis (Million Dollar Baby, Crash) has just signed a nonexclusive
deal with United Artists, which will give him an opportunity to
produce, write and direct at least two features a year through his
new production company Hwy61. United Artists took on the rights to
the RANGER'S APPRENTICE fantasy series and this latest deal with
Haggis has him writing the screenplay alongside his daughter and
possibly directing. The team will also get to work adapting the
Joseph Weisberg novel AN ORDINARY SPY, though the trade doesn't say
whether he will do anything but produce it through his Hwy61 shingle.

RANGER PLOT CONCEPT:
Australian author John Flanagan's first book in the "Ranger" fantasy
series, "The Ruins of Gorlan," was released in Australia in November
2004 and seven months later in the United States. It follows the
adventures of an orphan named Will who becomes an apprentice ranger
and fights to keep the mythical kingdom of Araluen safe from
invaders, traitors and other dangers with the help of his master
Halt. Seven books have been released to date.

GREATEST AMERICAN HERO
Back in the 80s, one of my favorite shows was THE GREATEST AMERICAN
HERO. William Katt portrayed a hapless school teacher who is given
a "power suit" by aliens. When he has the suit on, he has super
powers -- but he lost the instruction book. So he goes about trying
to figure out how to use his powers to fight injustice.
Well according to Moviehole.com, a casting call has already gone out
around Hollywood alerting would-be tights-wearers that they're
looking for a new Ralph Hinkley. Already locked into the project is
Stephen Herek, probably best known for directing Bill & Ted's
Excellent Adventure, The Mighty Ducks, and Mr. Holland's Opus .
They're looking for a major name for the project, someone between
ages 29 and 39, which leaves the door pretty wide open. I sure hope
it gets off the ground. The old series was a lot of fun.

SANCTUARY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the SCI FI Channel has
greenlighted a TV series based on the Web series SANCTUARY. The show
will be the first to use live-action actors against virtual sets in
the style of the features 300 and SIN CITY. SCI FI has ordered a full
13-episode season of the new scripted drama series, which originated
online as the first high-definition SF Web series. SANCTUARY is a
side project from the STARGATE SG-1 trio of star Amanda Tapping,
writer-producer Damian Kindler and producer-director Martin Wood.
They are executive producing the series with Sam Egan. Kindler
created Sanctuary, Wood directed the webisodes starring Tapping.
Tapping plays the enigmatic Dr. Helen Magnus, who is on a quest with
her young protege, Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), to track down, aid
and protect strange creatures that walk the earth. Tapping, Kindler
and Wood discussed Sanctuary with the network even before it launched
as a Web series. Talks shifted into high gear when the trio came back
with a DVD containing two one-hour blocks of webisodes. "We were
blown away by the level of quality they have been able to achieve on
a Web budget," SCI FI executive vice president of original
programming Mark Stern said. "We loved the world they'd created, and
we particularly loved their approach, since we had been looking for a
way to apply the virtual-set CGI environment from films like 300 and
Sin City to a television series." SANCTUARY, which features 90
percent CGI sets, will be retooled for its transition to television.
A new two-hour premiere episode will be produced for the network,
with expanded roles for some of the characters, although the cast
will remain intact. Much of the CGI footage from the Web series will
be enhanced incorporated into the show. SANCTUARY will be produced by
Stage 3 Media in association with SCI FI Channel. Filming is slated
to begin in March.

FRINGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Australian actress Anna Torv has
been tapped to play the lead role in FRINGE, Fox's upcoming SF drama
from J.J. Abrams and fellow Alias producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto
Orci. Veteran TV and stage actress Blair Brown and Jasika Nicole have
also joined the cast. Torv has been cast as Olivia Warren, a young,
tough FBI agent who is forced to confront the spread of unexplained
phenomena and work with Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), an
institutionalized scientist whose work might be at the center of a
coming storm. Brown will play the brilliant Nina Cord, a 16-year
veteran at Prometheus Corp., a cutting-edge research facility. Nicole
will play the recurring role of Astrid, a stunning federal assistant.
Lance Reddick and Kirk Acevedo also star. The two-hour pilot is being
directed by Alex Graves. In her native Australia, Torv has co-starred
on such TV series as The Secret Life of Us and Young Lions. Tony
winner Brown is probably best known for her Emmy-nominated role on
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd. Nicole co-starred last year on
NBC's pilot THE MASTERSONS OF MANHATTAN.

IRON MAN AND SHOWEST
IRON MAN star Robert Downey Jr. will be honored as male star of the
year at ShoWest 2008. Downey will be feted at a March 13 awards gala
set to close the exhibition confab. ShoWest begins March 10 at the
Paris and Bally's hotels in Las Vegas. "For almost four decades,
Robert Downey Jr. has been entertaining moviegoers with a resume of
films that is as diverse and impressive as anyone could imagine,"
ShoWest co-managing director Mitch Neuhauser said. IRON MAN bows May
2 from Paramount, in cooperation with Marvel Entertainment. Downey
next appears in DreamWorks' "Tropic Thunder," an action comedy
unspooling Feb. 22. He also will appear in DreamWorks' "The Soloist."

STAR TREK NEWS
As production continues on the new J.J. Abrams STAR TREK film, news
is coming out about more new cast members. Jimmy Bennett has been
cast to play a younger version of Chris Pine's James T. Kirk in the
film. Coming Soon reports the young actor, who turns 12 on Feb. 9,
has already established a respectable filmography, including Hostage,
The Amityville Horror, Firewall, Poseidon and Evan Almighty.
According to TrekMovie.com, 15-year-old Spencer Daniels (The Curious
Case of Benjamin Button) has been cast in the role of Kirk's older
brother, George Jr. The site reported that the boys will have a scene
together, but not with their parents (played by Chris Hemsworth and
Jennifer Morrison). The character of George Kirk Jr. was referenced
in the original Star Trek series in the episodes "What are Little
Girls Made Of?" and "Operation: Annihilate!" STAR TREK is set for
release on Christmas Day.

THE WOLF MAN
Variety reports that Mark Romanek, who was set to direct Universal's
upcoming remake of the classic monster movie THE WOLF MAN, has left
the project. Romanek (One Hour Photo) took issue with the studio's
constraints on the film's schedule and budget, despite having $100
million to work with (the film will only cost $85 million due to tax
breaks for shooting in the U.K.). Variety also cited "other creative
issues" as further reason for his departure. The new version of WOLF
MAN, written by Andrew Kevin Walker (Sleepy Hollow), is tentatively
scheduled to begin production in March for release in 2009. Benicio
Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt are attached to star. The
Hollywood Reporter indicates that the studio is looking at several
helmer contenders and is intent on starting production in March. One
complication is that no changes can be made to the script because of
the writers strike. Any director coming on board will have to work
from the screenplay Romanek developed with Andrew Kevin Walker and
others and won't be able to put his or her stamp on it.

MINUTEMEN
The Disney Channel original two-hour movie MINUTEMEN drew an audience
of 6.5 million viewers on Jan. 25, enough to beat every other cable
network in total viewers for the night, Variety reported. The youth-
oriented time-travel adventure, about students who use a time machine
to prevent social mishaps, helped the Disney Channel earn the largest
audience in prime-time and for the total day. MINUTEMEN averaged 2.9
million among kids 6 to 11, triple digits higher than second-place
Nickelodeon, at 700,000. It also averaged 2.6 million in kids 9 to
14, also triple digits higher than Nickelodeon's 448,000. The movie
stars Jason Dolley, best known for playing Newt Livingston in the
Disney Channel's successful Cory in the House series. MINUTEMEN will
be rebroadcast on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
For more information about the movie, go to
http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/originalmovies/minutemen/.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
According to Variety, Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad
Fuller and Andrew Form are set to relaunch the NIGHTMARE ON ELM
STREET franchise for New Line. The series, which began in 1984 with
Wes Craven's first NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET film, centers on the
iconic, striped-sweater clad killer known as Freddy Krueger, who
haunts the dreams of teenagers and kills them in their sleep.
Originally played by Robert Englund, Freddy went on to appear in nine
films and two TV series in what was New Line's most lucrative
franchise until THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The project is not the first
horror series revival for the trio of producers, who are currently
preparing to begin shooting new Friday the 13th film in May. That
film, from a script by Freddy vs. Jason screenwriters Damian Shannon
and Mark Swift, will be directed by Marcus Nispel. Nispel previously
worked with Platinum Dunes on the recent remake of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW
MASSACRE. At Rogue Pictures, the Platinum Dunes team is prepping an
exorcism thriller to be directed by David Goyer and a Near Dark
remake to be directed by Samuel Bayer. Bay, Fuller and Form are also
developing a Universal remake of Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS, with
Martin Campbell directing Naomi Watts.

CRASH - A SERIES
CRASH, 2005's Oscar-winning best film, is being turned into a
thirteen-episode, one-hour original drama series for the Starz cable
network. Director/Writer Paul Haggis along with producers Bobby
Moresco, Bob Yari, Don Cheadle, Mark R. Harris and Tom Nunan who all
worked on the 2005 film are involved in the series co-produced by
Lionsgate and debuting exclusively on Starz in 2008. This marks only
the second time a Best Picture Oscar-winner has been turned into a
series, the first being "In the Heat of the Night". Production on the
drama is scheduled to begin in the Spring.

NEW E-MAIL NEWSLETTER

I have been toying with the idea of starting up a new Babylon 5
newsletter – one that would only go out via e-mail.  It would not be
just a collection of items from the website, but also include some
fresh items written by readers and fans of Babylon 5.  Items could be
book reviews, movie reviews, a discussion piece you want to submit to
others, etc.

If you are interested in contributing, send me a note and let's
talk.  I know I don't have a lot of free time either, so a monthly
publication would be ambitious, but possible if enough people help
out.  Drop me a note at sgbruckner@... if you are interested in
contributing.

I guess that wraps it up for now.  I hope your team wins the Super
Bowl.  If you aren't a fan, I hope you have a good book or set of
DVDs to occupy your time today.  Be sure to drop over to the website when you
have a few minutes. There is a lot there I can't put into e-mail, including
movie clips from upcoming movies and DVD releases.  But for now,

Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – January 19, 2008

WHAT'S NEW
There isn't a lot to report – except that Volume 13 of the Babylon 5
scripts will go on sale January 23.  A description of what scripts
are included is below so make sure you get your copy if you are
collecting them.

With the writer's strike continuing, there isn't much else going on.
Various networks and movie houses have already started to lay off
staff.  A few entitles have made independent agreements with the WGA
and there is hope that the recent agreement made by with the
Director's Guild (DGA) might serve as a guide to an agreement with
writers.  The Hollywood Reporter writes that the WGA will begin
formal talks with studio CEOs, perhaps as soon as Monday, in an
effort to resume formal negotiations with the Alliance of Motion
Picture & Television Producers.  The striking WGA, which hasn't held
a negotiating session with the AMPTP since Dec. 7, will study terms
of the DGA contract all weekend, the guild insider said.

VOLUME 13 OF BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS - JANUARY 23
According to Cafe Press, Volume 13 of the Babylon 5 Script Books will
be released on January 23, 2008 at 10:00am Pacific Time

VOLUME 13
Episodes included:
The Ragged Edge
The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father
Meditations on the Abyss
Darkness Ascending
And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder
Movements of Fire and Shadow
The Fall of Centauri Prime

For other script books and Babylon 5 merchandise, go to
www.babylon5scripts.com.

Thanks Ranger Jan for the update on the scripts. I'm sure we all have
been looking forward to this volume.

LENSMAN
Ranger Don sent in a note the other day to give us all some
background on the LENSMAN series, since news had hinted at upcoming
movies and listed JMS as having been greatly influenced by the
series. I hope he doesn't mind that I am posting his note. It will
give everyone who is unfamiliar with the work a better understanding
of why this series is considered one of the best works of science
fiction.

I noticed, with great excitement, your news item on the ISN News Web
Site for January 11 regarding the negotiations between Ron Howard and
the EE Smith Estate for film rights to the Lensman Series. The
Lensman Series is one of the top 2 Science Fiction stories I would
like to see made into film. (The Other being Weber's Honor Harrington
Series).

However I feel the need to clarify one of the facts sited in your
article. Specifically "The Lensman series began in 1934 with
Triplanetary, a novel serialized in the pages of the magazine Amazing
Stories "

It is true that Triplanitary was initially serialized in the January
to April 1934 issues of Amazing Stories. However the Triplanitary
published therein was NOT a Lensman Story and was NOT set in the
Lensman Universe. Rather, it was a stand alone story about the space
pirate Grey Roger.

The Original Lensman Stories were initially contracted for by F.
Orlin Tremaine, then editor of Astounding Stories, in 1937. At that
time Smith envisioned The Lensman Series to be a 400,000 word novel
in 4 parts. He delivered an 85 page outline to Tremaine, who
committed Astounding to print the entire story, before he left the
magazine.

The Lensman Series was published in Astounding under the leadership
of John W. Campbell as follows:

"Galactic Patrol," serialized in "ASTOUNDING," Sep '37 - Feb '38
"Gray Lensman," serialized in "ASTOUNDING," Oct '39 - Jan '40;
"Second-Stage Lensman," serialized in "ASTOUNDING," Nov '41 - Feb '42;
"Children of the Lens," serialized in "ASTOUNDING," Nov '47 -
Feb '48.

In 1947 L loyd Arthur Eshbach, the owner of Fantasy Press, set up a
deal with Smith to publish the four books in hardbound editions. At
the time Fantasy Press was publishing hardbound editions of other
Smith Books, like the Skylark Series, with great success, and so
Eshbach sold Smith on the idea of reworking the earlier Triplanitary
Novel, so that it would fit into the Lensman Universe, and then write
a bridge novel "First Lensman" to connect everything to the first
four books. The Hardbound editions were published as follows:
"Triplanitary," Fantasy Press hardbound, 1948.
"First Lensman," Fantasy Press hardbound, 1950.
"Galactic Patrol," Fantasy Press hardbound, 1950.
"Gray Lensman," Fantasy Press hardbound, 1951.
"Second-Stage Lensman," Fantasy Press hardbound, 1953.
"Children of the Lens," Fantasy Press hardbound, 1954.

And that is why today, there are six books in the Lensman Series. If
you are interested, this and many other details regarding the Lensman
Series can be found in the Lensman FAQ forund at
http://www.outel.org/decomposed/goe/LFQ1.html.

BABYLON PODCAST
WELCOME TO SHOW #95
We're switching things up this week, and JEFFREY's running the
board, recording this episode from FarPoint Media's Los Angeles
studio. The only real downside was that there was no way to broadcast
a live feed for this episode. It was truly a session that deserved to
be on the feed, too.

Tim, Summer and Jeffrey are joined by Brad Bowyer, and we start out
pondering why we never saw the B5 command staff come down with the
flu or the runs, and the musing devolves from there.

Tim reads an email imploring fans to write letters in support of
getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Walter Koenig, and
he's the last remaining original Star Trek member not to have a
star.

Walk of Fame Committee Chairman Johnny Grant passed away a few hours
after we recorded this show, so please address your letters to:
Chairman, Walk of Fame Committee
c/o Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
7018 Hollywood Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Hollywood, CA 90028
You can find more details here:
http://www.walterkoenigsite.com/waltersstar.html

Deep Geeking: Tonight's geeking focuses on 'Sic Transit Vir', and
discussion on how the characters start adjusting to their new roles
as leaders of a breakaway station all alone in the night.
It takes a few viewings to appreciate just how much humor is running
just below the surface.

To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to
www.babylonpodcast.com.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
Apart from Babylon 5, what TV show is or has been your science
fiction favorite and why?  Is it Farscape, Battlestar Galactica,
Firefly, Jericho, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1?

Send in your selection and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will
post them on the Discussion Page for everyone to enjoy. See if you
agree with your fellow readers.  Add yours! We enjoy hearing from you.

NEW PUBLICATIONS COMING

Dark Horse Returns to Whedon's Verse for Serenity: Better Days
Captain Mal Reynolds and his compatriots ride their ramshackle
Firefly-class starship into another misadventure when Serenity
creator Joss Whedon reteams with co-writer Brett Matthews and artist
Will Conrad for Dark Horse Comics' Serenity: Better Days #1 (JAN08
0041, $2.99), the launch of a three-issue prequel to Whedon's
popular 2005 film, Serenity, and a January PREVIEWS Gem of the
Month!.

The Serenity crew's first comic-book journey, Those Left Behind (HC:
JUL07 0021, $19.95), sold more than 85,000 copies, illustrating how
popular Whedon's creation has become beyond the small and wide
screens. This newest caper find Mal and the gang doing what they try
to do best: pull off a grand heist. Of course, as Serenity followers
know, Mal's best-laid plans have a distressing tendency to self-
destruct. But this time, it looks like the plan may actually work.
With a cover by Serenity: Those Left Behind cover artist Adam Hughes,
the 40-page, full-color Serenity: Better Days #1 is set to ship on
March 12.

NEW DVDS COMING YOUR WAY

STARGATE: THE ARK OF TRUTH
U.S. RELEASE DATE - March 11, 2008 (DVD)
BUDGET - $7 million
WRITTEN BY - Robert C. Cooper
DIRECTED BY - Robert C. Cooper
STARRING - Ben Browder (Cameron Mitchell), Amanda Tapping (Samantha
Carter), Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson), Christopher Judge (Teal'c),
Claudia Black (Vala Mal Doran), Beau Bridges (Hank Landry), Tim
Guinee (Tomin), Currie Graham (James Merek), Morena Baccarin (Adria),
Julian Sands (Doci), Matthew Walker (Merlin), Sarah Strange (Morgan
Le Fay), Greg Anderson (Prior), Doug Abrahams (Prior)
With the Ori forces poised to launch a final assault on Earth, SG-1
must travel to their home galaxy in search of a way to stop their
onslaught.

You can pre-order this DVD now on Amazon.com.

WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY-DOO: COMPLETE THIRD SEASON
Release Date: January 8, 2008
Official website: www.scoobydoo.com
Synopsis:
In this third installment of What's New Scooby-Doo? finds the Mystery
Inc. gang fighting crimes and solving mysteries as they travel the
world and find themselves in a number of exciting, sports-themed
settings. In Diamonds are a Ghouls Best Friend, the gang travels to
Russia for the International World Cup hockey event and come face-to-
face with the ghost of a Russian hockey player who does his best to
ruin the event. Block-Long Hong Kong Terror finds the gang on a trip
to Hong Kong where they encounter a giant Chinese New Year's dragon
that has mysteriously come to life. In Gentlemen, Start Your
Monsters, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma find themselves
in a haunted stock car race. All 13 episodes of What's New Scooby-
Doo? The Complete Third Season are loaded with laughs and hilarious
escapades that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. A bonus
episode, Scooby-Doo Christmas, is also included.

This DVD will be a great addition to those you watch with your
children. It brings back many fond memories of watching Scooby Doo on
Saturday mornings.

CONVENTION ALERT:

FAR POINT: Mira Furlan's appearance at the upcoming convention has
been canceled due to a professional commitment. For more information
about the convention, go to http://www.farpointcon.com.

SHORE LEAVE, one of the best fan-run conventions on the East Coast
(in the U.S.), announced yesterday that George Takei will be one of
their guests this year. The convention dates are July 11-13, 2008 and
pre-registration is now open at http://www.shore-leave.com.

WRATH OF CON
Rick Albritton from The Wrath of Con has sent along information about
his upcoming convention where Jerry Doyle will appear. Dates are May
30 - June 1, 2008 in Panama City Beach, Florida. For more
information, go to http://www.wrathofcon.org.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

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

February 22-24, 2008
WonderCon 2008 Place: Moscone Center South
City: San Francisco, CA
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/wc/index.php.

March 7-9, 2008
MEGACON 2008
Place: Orange County Convention Center
City: Orlando, Florida
B5 Guests: June Lockhart ("The Quality of Mercy") and Dylan Neil
("Legend of the Rangers" and "Blood Ties")
Other Guests: Adrian Pasdar ["Heroes" (Saturday/Sunday)], BSG's Mark
A. Sheppard, Steve Bacic (Andromeda/Stargate SG-1), Erica Durance
["Smallville" (Saturday/Sunday)] and author Tanya Huff ("Blood Ties"
series)
For more information, go to MegaConvention.com.

March 28-30, 2008
First Annual Naruto-Star Trek Convention
Place: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
JAMES CAWLEY is the Senior Executive Producer of the Star Trek fan
series "New Voyages" and doubles as actor in his role as Captain
Kirk. The Naruto Trek Convention will be screening the episodes "In
Harms Way" and the latest New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time".
Visit our website (http://www.narutotrek.com) and see where all the
fun is! We have only one goal: to make this the best con you've ever
attended! The Naruto Star Trek Convention is a meeting place not only
for Naruto and Star Trek fans, but for all anime, sci-fi, animation,
comic book and manga fans. Resistance is futile -- Believe it!

March 29-30, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville Expomart
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Guests: Kenny Baker (Star Wars), Joyce Dewitt, Priscilla Barnes, Tony
Burton
For more information, go to www.steelcitycon.com

April 11-13, 2008
GRAND SLAM: THE SCI-FI SUMMIT
Place: Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
City: Burbank, CA
Guests: Brent Spiner, Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, James Marsters,
Nichelle Nichols, Roxann Dawson, Erica Durance, and others.
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/stgs.htm.

NEWS  AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

CLOVERFIELD
CLOVERFIELD opens this weekend (January 18) and director Matt Reeves
said during a recent interview that the codename for the movie kept
changing to dupe fans, but they weren't fooled. In the film,
CLOVERFIELD is the government's case designate for the monster that's
attacking New York City; and it also happens to be the name of a main
street near producer J.J. Abrams' office in Los Angeles. "There was a
kind of interest that was building as we were shooting the film, and
so we kept changing our title," Reeves (Miracles) said. At one point,
the name Slusho came up; it's a fictional Japanese drink that has
appeared in previous works by Abrams. It's also the subject of a
viral marketing Web site connected with the film. "Slusho obviously
has the ALIAS connection, and so people who knew anything about ALIAS
might make that connection," Reeves said. "At a certain point we
thought we should take a title and make it completely mundane, and
that was where Cheese came from." Reeves added, "We thought, 'We'll
go to New York and no one will be excited about a film called
CHEESE.' And on our first day of shooting in New York they'd already
found us. People were just incredibly smart about figuring out where
we were going and what we were doing. So that was just a funny part
of the journey. There were even more titles. We also had Chocolate
Outrage. Our script supervisor Dawn Gilliam came up with that one. At
a certain point we were asking for names from everyone on the crew."

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Reports indicate that a trailer for INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF
THE CRYSTAL SKULL will begin showing on February 14. ENTERTAINMENT
TONIGHT will show a teaser on their February 14 episode and the
trailer will premiere in theaters on the 14th as well. CHUD.com is
reporting that the much-awaited trailer to the fourth Indy flick will
premiere online at 12:01 a.m. on February 15.

JERICHO
As if the wait were not enough for this fine drama, Carol Barbee,
executive producer of CBS' post-apocalyptic series JERICHO, said
during a recent interview that the upcoming seven-episode second
season will tell a complete story--but that producers shot two
endings in case the show is picked up for a third season. "We don't
end the show," Barbee said. "What we do, we did two endings. We shot
two endings. And one of them basically just lets you know that
everybody is OK." She added: "The other ending shows you exactly
where we're going to go for the third season. ... I wouldn't call it
a cliffhanger as much as I would say you say, 'Oh, OK, now I know
where we're going to go. But if there's not going to be a third
season, the other one puts sort of a nice emotionally satisfying
point to it." JERICHO returns next month with an episode that picks
up the story from the season-one cliffhanger, in which the
townspeople of the small Kansas hamlet--led by Skeet Ulrich, Ashley
Scott and Lennie James--were preparing to go to war with neighboring
New Bern. Barbee offered a few spoilers for the first episodes of the
new season, "Reconstruction, Condor" and "Jennings & Rall." "We get
into Jericho and reconstruction has begun," Barbee said. "The
Cheyenne government is in town. They're rebuilding. People are
getting jobs, people are getting cell phones, life is coming back to
Jericho. But it's changed, because now there's this government,
Cheyenne, and they have contractors who are working for them named
Jennings & Rall, and ... this company ... [has] set up a storefront
on Main Street. And they're going to be a big presence in our lives
for the next season." Barbee said that the new season will take the
show into new territory thematically. "The headline is the first
season was about surviving the nuclear attack and saving the town,"
she said. "The second season is about saving the country and our way
of life, our system of government. And then the natural progression
is to have that be save the world for the third season." JERICHO
returns Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

STAR TREK TOUR OPENS
If you live in Long Beach, California, San Francisco, Minneapolis /
St. Paul, Chicago or Detroit, the STAR TREK TOUR will be coming to
your town soon. The limited engagement in Long Beach ends February 17
and will then move onto the other cities.
Original Star Trek star William Shatner waxed nostalgic about the
franchise as he unveiled a multimedia touring exhibition of Trek
memorabilia in Long Beach, California. "I must tell you I walked in
this morning and went to look at the bridge and felt this surge of
nostalgia," Shatner told reporters in a news conference in the Queen
Mary Dome, referring to a recreation of the original bridge of the
starship Enterprise. "It was quite incredible. I hadn't been on the
bridge set ... since I made the last movie." Shatner is the official
ambassador for the exhibition, called Star Trek the Tour. It wasn't
all a pleasurable trip down memory lane, Shatner joked. "I looked
over at the uniform that I was supposed to have worn back 40 years
ago, and I thought, 'That couldn't be me.' [It was] a little small,"
he said, evoking laughter from the crowd of journalists. The tour,
produced by SEE Touring Productions and presented by Metropolitan
Talent, features recreations of several Trek sets, including the
bridges of the original Enterprise and The Next Generation's
Enterprise D. The 50,000-square- foot exhibition includes costumes,
props, ships and other items from all five Trek TV shows and 10
movies. The tour also features a multimedia theater and several
flight- simulator rides. Shatner was eventually asked about the
upcoming 11th movie, a reboot of the franchise by director J.J.
Abrams. Will he appear in it? "I think they're about halfway through
shooting, something like that, or coming toward the end," Shatner
said. "They've got another three weeks to hire me [laughs]. I don't
think you'll be seeing me, unfortunately. I would love to have been
in it. For some reason, I'm not. I don't know the reason why. But I'm
sure it'll be a wonderful film, and I wish them all the best. I only
hope that Star Trek continues." Star Trek the Tour opens Jan. 18. For
more information and a glimpse at some of the exhibits, go to
http://www.startrek.com/custom/include/community/tour/news/article/1.h
tml.

Speaking of the STAR TREK movie, be sure to pop over to Moviefone.com
to check out the first pictures from the new movie. There are also
cast photos so you can get familiar with the new personalities and
who will be portraying your favorite character in the new film. The
movie is due in theaters this December.

SHUTTER
John Hensley (TV's NIP/TUCK) just completed SHUTTER, a remake of a
2004 Thai ghost film. "It will be scary, and good," Hensley said.
Hensley co-stars with Cursed's Joshua Jackson and Transformers'
Rachael Taylor, who play a newlywed couple. "I'm a friend of the
couple, and they are all haunted by ghostly images that they see in
photographs that are developed after a tragic accident," Hensley
said. "And this group of friends come together to try to help them.
The friends are reunited in Tokyo, and then things begin to happen."
The remake was shot in the Japanese capital. Roy Lee (The Ring)
produced, along with Doug Davison (The Grudge) and Takashige Ichise
(who did both the American and the Japanese versions of Dark Water
and The Grudge). SHUTTER also features HEROES' James Kyson Lee, as
well as David Denman (Fanboys), Natalie Okamoto and Albert Smith. The
film is directed by Masayuki Ochiai (Infection) and was written by
Luke Dawson. Shutter is expected to have a late-March release date.
Hensley can next be seen in the independent SF sex satire TEETH,
which opens Jan. 18.

TOP 10 SF&F DVD SALES Battlestar Galactica season three Ratatouille
Lost season three Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Family Guy: Blue Harvest Blade
Runner (Blu-ray) Stargate: The Ark of Truth Battlestar Galactica:
Razor Resident Evil: Extinction Source: Amazon.com, top-selling genre
DVDs, 1/11/08

STAR TREK WEBSITE
Paramount has put up a placeholder Web site at
http://www.paramount.com/startrek/ for J.J. Abrams upcoming Star Trek
movie, which is in production with an eye to a Christmas release.

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
While out promoting his next film (THE AIR I BREATHE), Brendan
Fraser, who reprises the role of Rick O'Connell in the upcoming third
Mummy movie, was very complimentary of his new leading lady, Maria
Bello when talking with reporters. He said that Bello (A History of
Violence) buffed up and worked out for the role of Evelyn O'Connell,
which she takes over from Rachel Weisz, who played the character in
the two previous films. THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR is "a
very different movie, and [Bello] is great, great, great," Fraser
said. "She's really got a lot of moxie. She can take care of herself.
She was good news, and there are a lot of bad guys who will be
suffering." The third installment of the hit Mummy franchise finds
Fraser's O'Connell, Bello's Evie and their grown son, Alex (Luke
Ford), in China, where they encounter the resurrected first Emperor
of Qin (Jet Li), a shape-shifting entity who was cursed by a wizard
(Michelle Yeoh) centuries earlier. Weisz, who has won an Oscar and
had a baby since the last Mummy movie, declined to sign on for the
third one. "Will people miss Rachel?" Fraser asked. "Oh, heck, anyone
could play Rick O'Connell or any of these roles. Any role can be
played. It's a role. Rick O'Connell. You tell me, but I had such a
good time making those movies that I couldn't resist coming back to
that, even if it is seven years later. That's good, because it allows
you to reinvent [the role]." Director Rob Cohen shot Dragon Emperor
in China, which was tough, Fraser admitted. "I don't like leaving the
creature comforts for that long, but it was a Chinese desert that we
were in," he said. "It was a good experience." Universal Pictures is
planning on releasing THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR on Aug.
1.

JUSTICE LEAGUE MOVIE ON HOLD
According to Variety, Warner Brothers has placed its upcoming Justice
League movie on hold in part because of the writers' strike; in part
by script issues (according to the Hollywood Reporter. Warner let the
options lapse on the young cast that director George Miller chose to
play DC superhero staples. The studio, which had set Jan. 15 as its
green-light deadline, confirmed that the project is on indefinite
hold, the trade paper reported. The project now most likely won't get
under way until late summer or fall at the earliest. Cast members
were informed late Tuesday that their options would not be exercised,
but they were also assured the studio is determined to make the film
with them in it. But before that can happen, there are several
problems to be resolved. The studio's reasons included not getting
the official response it needed on tax breaks from shooting in
Australia. And while Warner executives like the script they got from
Kieran and Michele Mulroney, it would benefit from a little more
work, something that isn't possible because of the writers' strike.
The decision to put the project on hold now frees up the actors who
had been cast in the roles of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green
Lantern and the Flash. D.J. Cotrona, Adam Brody, Anton Yelchin,
Common, Teresa Palmer and Megan Gale had been cast in the movie in
November, with their holding deals extended at least once as the
studio tackled the script problems.

SCI FI CHANNEL GETS A NEW PRESIDENT
Dave Howe has been named president of SCI FI Channel and will report
to Bonnie Hammer, president of USA Network and SCI FI Channel. Howe
will oversee original development, programming and marketing, global
brand strategy and market development, strategic planning, SCI FI
Digital (SCIFI.COM, SCI FI Pulse, DVICE.com), SCI FI Magazine, media
relations and SCI FI's recently launched public-affairs initiative,
Visions for Tomorrow. Howe is also charged with launching a new
global brand identity for SCI FI and driving SCI FI's continuing
strategy to expand and diversify its business portfolio beyond
broadcast and digital media into new affinity areas such as video
gaming, mobile, licensing and merchandising and the youth market.
Howe was appointed the SCI FI 's general manager and executive vice
president in July 2004 and had served as executive vice president,
marketing and brand strategy, since joining the company in September
2001. As general manager, Howe oversaw the launch of some of SCI FI's
most successful and ground-breaking programming, including TIN MAN--
which was ad-supported cable television's top entertainment telecast
among adults 25?54 in more than two years and was the most- watched
telecast in channel history--as well as the critically acclaimed
Peabody-Award- winning series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Howe also
spearheaded a major overhaul of SCI FI's brand strategy, focused on
redefining the genre and making it more relatable and accessible to a
broader audience and new generation of viewers. This led the way for
the hit drama series EUREAK and the hit reality series GHOST HUNTERS,
which have attracted record numbers of new female and younger viewers
to the channel. Prior to joining SCI FI, Howe spent 15 years at the
BBC in London.

X-FILES
In an interview with USA Today, Chris Carter, creator of the X-FILES,
sayd that we can say goodbye to any reference to the long running
mythology plotline for X-Files 2. The upcoming sequel from 20th
Century Fox will be a stand-alone movie. "We spent a lot of time on
(the mythology) and wrapped up a lot of threads" when the show went
off the air in 2002, says Chris Carter,. "We want a stand-alone
movie, not a mythology conspiracy one." Along with the article, two
new pics featuring Mulder and Scully were released. The next film was
penned by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz with the former back behind
the camera as director. This sequel stars David Duchovny, Gillian
Anderson, Xzibit, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Callum Keith Rennie
and Adam Godley.

DOOMSDAY TRAILER
A new trailer has gone live for Neil Marshall's upcoming post-
apocalyptic thriller film DOOMSDAY at Yahoo movies . In DOOMSDAY,
writer/director Marshall (The Descent) has created a future Great
Britain three decades after a Reaper virus has struck. Authorities
walled off Scotland and northern Britain to stop the virus' spread,
but it reappears in London. An elite group of specialists, captained
by Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), is dispatched into the quarantined
zone to find a cure, but the unit must battle through a landscape
that has reverted to a medieval nightmare. Doomsday, which also stars
Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester, Alexander Siddig and Malcolm McDowell,
opens March 14.

HYBRID
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Myriad Pictures' first project
from its recent first-look deal with comic publishers Studio 407 is
the live-action eco-horror film HYBRID. Peter Kwong will adapt the
screenplay from his comic book of the same name. The plot follows
vacationing college students stalked by a mutant creature from the
deep. The monster, who emerged from polluted waters, gets his revenge
on humans by fishing for them in the sea. Myriad president and chief
executive officer Kirk D' Amico and Studio 407 managing director Alex
Leung are producing. Principal photography is tentatively set to
begin in mid-2008 off the coast of Thailand. Kwong's comic-book
version of HYBRID will be published in June.

YESTERDAY WAS A LIE
YESTERDAY WAS A LIE, an independent SF noir movie produced by former
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Chase Masterson, will have its world
premiere at the Park City Film Music Festival. The movie, from
Helicon Arts, will premiere on the festival's opening night, Jan. 17,
in Park City, Utah. James Kerwin wrote and directed the black-and-
white movie, which stars Kipleigh Brown as Hoyle, a girl with a sharp
mind and a weakness for bourbon who finds herself on the trail of a
reclusive genius (John Newton). The cast includes Masterson, Mik
Scriba, Star Wars' Peter Mayhew, Nathan Mobley, Warren Davis, Megan
Henning, Jennifer Slimko and radio personality Robert Siegel. For
more information on the movie, go to
http://www.heliconarts.com/yesterday/.

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
According to Variety, Fox's Jan. 13 debut of TERMINATOR: THE SARAH
CONNOR CHRONICLES scored the best opening-night demographic ratings
of any new show in three years. The new series got a lot of help from
Warners with strong marketing and a big NFL playoffs lead-in. The
Warner Brothers TV-produced Terminator notched a 7.6 rating/ 18 share
among adults 18-49 and delivered some 18.3 million viewers with its
one-hour debut on Sunday at 8, preliminary Nielsen national data
showed. The pilot gave Fox its best premiere numbers for a scripted
show in eight years, since Malcolm in the Middle became an instant
hit on a Sunday night in January 2000. TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR
CHRONICLES moved into its regular Monday 9 p.m. timeslot on Jan. 14.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith)has
landed a part in Fox's sci-fi thriller THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.
Smith will play the rebellious Jacob, the 8-year-old stepson of
scientist Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) who first makes contact
with the humanoid alien Klaatu (Keanu Reeves). Kathy Bates and Golden
Globe winner Jon Hamm also star. Scott Derrickson is directing the
contemporary reinvention of the 1951 Fox classic being produced by
Erwin Stoff, Gregory Goodman and Paul Boardman. It is filming in
Vancouver. David Scarpa penned the screenplay about Klaatu's arrival
on Earth that triggers a global upheaval as governments and
scientists race to unravel the mystery behind his appearance. Smith's
Jacob and stepmother Helen get caught up in Klaatu's mission, coming
to understand the ramifications of his being a self-described "friend
to the Earth." Smith co-starred in 2006 with his father in "The
Pursuit of Happyness," for which he won a Teen Choice Award and an
MTV Movie Award.

THE ROAD
Variety reports that Charlize Theron has been cast opposite Viggo
Mortensen in the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD.
John Hillcoat (The Proposition) is directing the 2929 Entertainment
project, based from a screenplay by Joe Penhall. Dimension Films, a
branch of the Weinstein Company, will handle the distribution.
Shooting is scheduled to begin this month.
Plot Concept: Story centers on a man (Viggo Mortensen) who embarks on
a nightmarish road trip after a nuclear explosion in an attempt to
transport his son to safety while fending off cannibals. Theron, who
will play the wife of Mortensen's character, will be seen mostly in
flashback.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Don't miss the new pictures and wallpaper for this upcoming movie. I
don't know about you, but every time I hear the Indiana Jones theme,
I immediately remember my favorite scenes, the funny lines from
Harrison Ford or Sean Connery and the sense of adventure each of the
movies has brought to the big screen. I, along with many of you,
anxiously await the latest movie, coming on May 22. The wallpaper is
awesome! Go to http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html to pick
out one you'll enjoy on your desktop. Take a few -- one for each day
of the week.

THE 4400 FAN CAMPAIGN
Fans of THE 4400, canceled by USA Network recently, are mounting a
mail-in campaign to try to persuade network executives to reconsider
their decision. The the success of JERICHO fans in mailing in peanuts
to CBS and Tabasco sauce for ROSWELL, fans will ship sunflower seeds,
a favorite of 4400 character Dr. Burkhoff (Jeffrey Combs), in a
coordinated mailing daily for a week, starting Feb. 1. The fans have
also organized an online petition, which has more than 6,000
signatures to date. USA canceled the show in December, after four
seasons. The final episode, "The Great Leap Forward," aired on Sept.
16, 2007.

MARLA MASON SERIES
According to SciFi Wire, Phoenix Pictures has optioned the film and
television rights to Hugo Award-winning fantasy writer T.A. Pratt's
Marla Mason series, about the adventures of a wisecracking, ass-
kicking sorceress. No writers, directors or stars have been attached
to the project as of yet. The contemporary urban fantasy series
follows Marla Mason, a sorceress who defends her city (and the world)
from a variety of supernatural and terrifying threats with her magic
and wits. The first book, Blood Engines, was published by Bantam
Spectra in 2007. Volume two, Poison Sleep, is due out in April. Book
three, Dead Reign, is due in October, and volume four, Grift Sense,
comes out in April 2009.

SERIES RETURN
With the writer's strike, there isn't a lot to watch on TV so I know
everyone is happy that some series are returning this week. To
mention a few -- KYLE XY (I love this show), PRISON BREAK and
SUPERNATURAL (January 31). SUPERNATURAL creator Eric Kripke said in
an interview on TV.com that they only completed 12 episodes before
production was shut down because of the strike. We've already seen 8
episodes, so there are four new ones headed our way.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
WB's THE BUCKET LIST captured the top spot this weekend at the box
office with 19.5 mil in receipts after expanding into 2,895 theaters
in its 3rd week of release. In the first two weeks, it made only 1.4
mil so its total reflects that, which is now at 20.9 mil. WB has its
budget listed at 45 mil. Second place went to FIRST SUNDAY by Sony
Screen Gems. The film starring Ice Cube pulled in 19.0 million on
2,213 theaters across the nation, which amounts to an average of
$8,585 per showing. Screen Gems seems to continue making smart
decisions with their films by keeping small budgets and sneaking in
under the radar with these prospective hits. Fox Searchlight once
again expanded their JUNO release this weekend and once again enjoys
a spot in the top 3. The film written by Diablo Cody & directed by
Jason Reitman has received good word of mouth and has gained momentum
with each expansion while maintaining a steady income of revenue.
This weekend was no different with the film pulling in another 14.0
mil in its 2,448 theaters. This has it only dropping 11% from its
previous weekend and has its domestic total at 71.2 million. It's
clearly a big hit for the indie branch of 20th Century Fox. Fourth
place went to Disney's NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS. The sequel
took another 11.8 million this weekend in its 3,377 theaters, which
makes for an average rate of $3,400. In 4 weeks of theatrical
release, it has 187.2 mil domestically and another 102.0 overseas,
which has its worldwide gross at 289.3 mil. The studio will begin
pulling the film out of local cinemas over the next few weeks but not
before it likely hits the domestic 200 mark and who knows what it
will do in overseas numbers. ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS came in 5th,
pulling in 187.7 mil domestically after grabbing another 9.1 this
weekend. The family blockbuster is still showing in 3,384 theaters in
its 5th week of release. Following in 6th place is the biggest
success of the winter, WB's I AM LEGEND, which grabbed another 8.1
mil this weekend. In 5 weeks of release, it has pulled in 240.2 mil
here in the states and another 169.3 mil overseas. No budget listed
by the studio but it's obvious that a worldwide gross of 409.5 mil
makes this a blockbuster reminiscent of the summer numbers... Another
WB film, ONE MISSED CALL, follows in 7th place, which collected
another 6.1 mil in change this second week of release. In two weeks,
it has 20.6 million in domestic receipts. The fourth WB film for this
weekend also landed in the top 10 with P.S I LOVE YOU taking 8th
place. In 4 weeks of release, the film has pulled in 47.0 million by
banking as a credible alternative for couples and certain
demographics. Ninth place went to Universal's THE PRIATES WHO DON'T
DO ANYTHING, grabbing 4.4 million in its debut this weekend. The
studio only released the film in 1,337 so it had no shot at really
getting any higher against the heavier released competition. Last
place goes to the Focus Film ATONEMENT, which has been a limited
release throughout its 6 weeks of release. This weekend was no
different with the film pulling in 4.3 mil in its 950 theaters across
the nation. It has 25.2 million in domestic totals.

Well, I guess that is about it for now.  Be sure to visit the website
to get pictures and links to exciting trailers.  If you have some
news you'd like me to post, please send it along for your fellow
readers to enjoy.  If you see a B5 cast member in a new project – or
old movie – let us know so we can keep an eye out for it.  If you
have questions, send them along.  If I don't have an answer, perhaps
someone else will.

Take care and have a wonderful weekend.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – January 5, 2008

WHAT'S NEW
Happy 2008.  With the writer's strike still continuing, there isn't a
lot of new news to report.  Projects  that had begun before the strike
continue while others will have to wait until an agreement has been
made.  While the strike has caused many shows to close, this situation
may open up opportunities for some shows to see the light of day – as
viewers look for new things to watch.  We can only hope that some of
our favorites will find an audience they so richly deserve.

THE CHANGELING
There is a wonderful article by Scott Foundas published in THE PITCH
NEWS from Kansas City and the LA Weekly; the LA Weekly has a larger
photograph. Foundas interviews Clint Eastwood on the set and describes
Eastwood's style of directing and gives you a little background. As we
B5 fans know, J. Michael Straczynski wrote the story behind the movie
and we are all anxiously awaiting the final product. Thanks to Ranger
Bill for sending the LA listing along.

BE A SANTA UPDATE
Despite the many challenges the program faced this year, Pat Tallman
and her merry band of elves did a fantastic job of making this
Christmas Merry for the folks at Penny Lane. Here is an update from
Pat on their efforts:

The Delivery
We have a wonderful bunch of fun stuff for the bags. Every kid got a
beanie baby. Some were great for boys, reptiles and dragons, and some
were the cute animals the girls love. Each bag had several books,
small games, candy, and personal items that each child had written me
about. We had Mickeys and Poohs, Spiderman pillows, Sponge Bob throws.
I am sure I am forgetting things! The kids each received a gift card
to the Westfield Malls for $75 Each house got a box of videos & some
DVDs, books, board games & more. The kids were so happy. It was a
great night for the them.

What's Next
We take donations all year. If you can make an end of the year
donation to Penny Lane, we can sure use it. Thank you for all you have
given.
I appreciate any thing you can do to help bring in things the kids
will like. We had some break ins this year and a couple of the houses
lost their game systems and stereos. I replaced the stereos, but
couldn't afford X-Boxes or Playstations. If you have a used system you
don't need anymore, we can use it! I always need a couple of vaccum
cleaners. Let me know if you are local and have one to donate.

Pat Tallman,Be A Santa | 6433 Topanga Canyon Blvd. #207 | Canoga Park
| CA | 91303

You gave these kids a Holiday. You are angels ! Thank you so much for
all you do.

Peace,
Patricia Tallman
Be A Santa, director

DISCUSSION TOPIC
With a number of new series set to return in January, which one are
you anticipating the most? Is it LOST, JERICHO, MEDIUM? Are there any
new series you are really looking forward to?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. There are
some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic you want to
respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS
January 9 - David Allen Brooks
January 24 - Peter Woodward
January 27 - Julie Caitlin Brown
January 27 - Tamilyn Tomita

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected
with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include
everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

BABYLON PODCASTS

There will not be any new podcasts until 2008. Summer, Tim, Jeffrey
and others are busy rebuilding their studio to incorporate a new mixer
(thanks Jim for the news). We'll all wait to hear when the next new
Babylon Podcast will be ready for our anxious ears.

However, they have posted two Holiday Specials for 2007 that you will
not want to miss. In both, they look over the year's podcasts and
pulling together some highlights. Be sure to give a listen at
http://www.babylonpodcast.com.

Welcome to Show #93!
Tim, Summer and Jeffrey are joined by Brad Bowyer for tonight's
discussion. It really is all about Santa Kosh, and we discuss JMS'
thoughts on the current WGA strike.
Summer lists many B5 print resources, including novelizations and
guides… and if you are interested in buying/trading the books
currently in the B5 library, leave us a comment!

Deep Geeking: Tonight's geeking focuses on "Ceremonies of Light and
Dark", and some of the undercurrents simmering below the surface story.

B5 Audio Drama: The Three-Edged Sword Episode 21: "Across the River of
Fire" (TS: 47:48-52:38) What you're hearing here on The Babylon
Podcast is just a small part of the story… the full audio drama can be
heard at Voices of Babylon, so what are you waiting for? Head over and
check them out!
To catch up on the previous podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW WARNER PHOTO COLLECTION
The magic of Warner Bros. can now be yours! Warner Bros. has just
introduced it's extensive Photo Collection. Prints from Warner Bros.
extensive archive are now available for sale online -- direct from
Warner Bros. Studios Photo Lab. There are pictures from CHIPS to
Scarlet O'Hara in Gone with the Wind! Go to
http://www.wbphotocollection.com/ to see what is available. Motion
picture and TV history is now at your fingertips!

NEW WARNER APPLESEED EX MACHINA SITE UPDATE
Here is a great contest for you to enter. Go to . Register for the
contest and start to play around with the video and audio clips
provided. Create a cool trailer with your own feel that you can share
with your friends. The contest runs from December 7th, 2007 through
February 7th, 2008, but the sooner you post your version, the better
your chances to win! The Grand Prize Winner will receive roundtrip
airfare, hotel, and tickets for two to Wonder Con to meet the key
filmmakers of the movie. The trailer with the most views will win.
Check it out!

NEW PUBLICATIONS COMING
The following listing may be of interest. It is from the January issue
of PREVIEWS.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED HC
by Sean Williams
The official tie-in and novel adaptation of LucasArts' brand-new, next
generation video game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed! Set during the
largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the
Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, the expansive story of
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed — created under direction from George
Lucas — further evolves the prequel trilogy by exploring the aftermath
of "Order 66" (issued by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine as a military
response to what was shown by the Chancellor and the Senate as a
rebellion by the Jedi), focusing on the continued evolution of Darth
Vader, and serving as a direct bridge to the Classic trilogy. In it,
players are cast as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice," assisting the
iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi — and face
decisions that could change the course of their destiny!
(235/0-345-49902-6) (C: 0-1-2)

STAR TREK: NEW FRONTIER #1
by Peter David & Stephen Thompson
In its first year of Star Trek comics, IDW Publishing broke out of the
box with marquee titles like Star Trek: Year Four, the blockbuster
Klingons: Blood Will Tell and the fan- favorite Alien Spotlight
one-shots. Now, IDW takes it to the next level with the launch of its
Star Trek: Second Stage lineup, featuring some of the top Star Trek
creators in comics, books and television. It all begins here! New York
Times Best-Selling author and comics legend Peter David, the
hand-picked creator of the first Star Trek crew designed exclusively
for print, celebrates the tenth anniversary of his creation by writing
New Frontier's first-ever comic book series, showcasing all-new
stories and the official continuation of the hit books.
In issue one, "Slingshot," the most dangerous experimental vessel in
the galaxy—a prototype time ship—has vanished, and it appears that the
man who stole it is none other than Starfleet Admiral Edward Jellico.
Only Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the Excalibur have a hope in
finding him before the ship, intended purely for scientific
exploration, is used to disrupt the space-time continuum. With art by
Stephen Thompson (Beneath the Valley of Rage), who also delivers four
painted covers available as a Quad Cover™, all bound in the same
issue. Thompson also provides a bonus incentive cover featuring
"Starfleet Captain Peter David" in the command chair!

NEW PERIODICALS:
Cult Times #148: PRIMEVAL: The second season is ahead and there are
some big changes coming. Andrew-Lee Potts, who plays Connor Temple,
talks about alternate realities and nastier creatures! TORCHWOOD: When
the series returns in January, the series is bigger and brasher than
ever! Russell T Davies gives some hints of what's coming up. HEROES:
Dania Ramirez discusses her role as one of the new heroes, Maya, and
reveals why her ability has caught the attention of a familiar evil
face… STARGATE ATLANTIS: Producer/ director Martin Wood previews the
second half of season four and explains that the team seems to spend
most of its time getting trapped in rooms… BLOOD TIES: Dylan Neal, aka
cop Mike Cellucci, waxes lyrical about why life doesn't always play
out like a romance novel when you're fighting a Vampire for the love
of a sexy detective.

Cult Times Special #45: STARGATE ATLANTIS: Discover discovering what's
coming in the new season of ATLANTIS and how things are progressing on
the DVD movie front. Alan McCullough, formerly a writer on SG-1, is
now happily ensconced on Atlantis and tells a few secrets about what's
coming up in the fourth season. Jewel Staite - Firefly's Jewel Staite
is determined to make the role of new base doctor Jennifer Keller her
own. Christopher Judge - Gives his thoughts on 10 years of playing
Teal'c and continuing the franchise into DVD movies. Supernatural -
Creator and executive producer Eric Kripke unveils the terrors lurking
in the future of the brothers Winchester, including an evil Santa and
Friday the 13th legend Jason Vorhees!

Starburst Issue #358: TORCHWOOD: Leading man John Barrowman talks
about what's next for Captain Jack and his trusty Cardiff-based team,
as the imminent launch of the show's second season approaches! THE
GOLDEN COMPASS: Director Chris Weitz discusses his 10-year journey of
bring Philip Pullman's book from script to screen, and looks to the
future with the possibility of the concluding two films… SWEENEY TODD:
Legendary director Tim Burton talks about his adaptation of the
musical of the infamous murderous tale, starring Johnny Depp and
Helena Bonham Carter.

COMIC BOOKS:
CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #9
Written by Paul Jenkins, J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Millar, art
by Ramon Bachs, Steve Lieber, Ron Garney and Steve McNiven, cover by
Michael Turner.
Experience Civil War and its major tie-ins chronological order! The
landscape of the Marvel Universe is changing, and it's time to choose:
Whose side are you on? In Civil War: Front Line #9, the betrayer among
the Marvel heroes stands revealed, as war with Atlantis seems
inevitable! And Speedball comes face-to-face with his accuser! In
Amazing Spider-Man #537, Spider-Man embarks on what very well might be
the most important offensive of the Civil War that's rocking the
Marvel Universe. And in Civil War #6, Captain America's depleted
forces have determined the secret of File 42, setting them on a
last-ditch collision course with Iron Man and the Pro-Registration
heroes! It's the beginning f the battle of the century -- a conflict
in which virtually every superhuman on Earth will be forced to choose
a side to fight on! Collecting Civil War: Front Line #9, Amazing
Spider-Man #537 and Civil War #6.

THOR #8
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, art by Marko Djurdjevic, covers by
Djurdjevic and Oliver Coipel.
Part two of a two-part arc sees the mighty Thor ruling over a newly
glorious Asgard and all its people! But what danger has risen on the
horizon of its American heartland surroundings? And how will Thor
equip himself to face it?

THE TWELVE #3
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, penciled by Chris Weston, cover by
Kaare Andrews.
How will your now-elderly family react when you return to them after
an absence of 63 years? That's the crisis of the soul faced by Mister
E, and an emotional confrontation that shines a spotlight on secrets
about his past and heritage. Plus, the origin of the Fiery Mask! And
golden age Zombies!

NEW DVDS COMING

SEAQUEST DSV - Season 2
Here's a show that was probably a little ahead of its time. Roy
Schider starred in this action-adventure series about a sea ship that
protects the waters from both land threats and those from in the
water. The show got a complete overhall in the second season and for
many fans, it was too much. It did have pretty good special effects
for the time and it dealt with issues we hear more frequently now,
including global warming and the problems being caused by humanity on
Mother Nature.

BATMAN DOUBLE FEATURE DVD
Warner Home Video (WHV) and DC Comics will release the BATMAN DOUBLE
FEATURE DVD which contains two feature length animated made-for-video
movies to DVD for one value price – a first time for Batman! The
BATMAN DOUBLE FEATURE DVD will be available on February 12, 2008 for
$14.97 SRP.
Batman and Mr. Freeze: Sub Zero is a breathtaking animated adventure
that explodes into action when the villainous Mr. Freeze kidnaps
Batgirl. Now, racing the clock, Batman and Robin face off against Mr.
Freeze in the iciest showdown of the century. Batman Mask of Phantasm
was called "one of the most imaginative films of the past year" by
Chuck Rich (Westwood One). Only here will you discover all-new
revelations about Batman's past, his archrival the Joker and the most
grueling battle of Batman's life – the choice between his love of a
beautiful woman and his vow to be the defender of right.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

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

March 7-9, 2008
MEGACON 2008
Place: Orange County Convention Center
City: Orlando, Florida
B5 Guests: June Lockhart ("The Quality of Mercy") and Dylan Neil
("Legend of the Rangers" and "Blood Ties")
Other Guests: Adrian Pasdar ["Heroes" (Saturday/Sunday)], BSG's Mark
A. Sheppard, Steve Bacic (Andromeda/Stargate SG-1), Erica Durance
["Smallville" (Saturday/Sunday)] and author Tanya Huff ("Blood Ties"
series)
For more information, go to MegaConvention.com.

March 29-30, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville Expomart
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Guests: Kenny Baker (Star Wars), Joyce Dewitt, Priscilla Barnes, Tony
Burton
For more information, go to www.steelcitycon.com

AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

STARGATE-WORLDS
For those of us who have enjoyed STARGATE for years, there is
something ahead that looks interesting -- particularly to those gamers
out there. Below is a press release from MGM on the new STARGATE
WORLDS game coming in July.

STARGATE WORLDS PC GAME EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK TRAILER TO AIR DURING
STARGATE ATLANTIS WINTER PREMIERE ON SCI FI
MESA, Arizona –January 3, 2008 – Fans of Stargate will have an
opportunity this week to view an exclusive sneak peek of Stargate
Worlds, the massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG)
based on MGM's record-breaking franchise. The special, all CGI trailer
can be seen during the broadcast of the winter premiere of Stargate
Atlantis on The SCI FI Channel this Friday, January 4, 2008, 10
p.m.EST/PST, 9 p.m. CST.

Starting January 18, fans can also enter for a chance to have their
name or likeness incorporated into Stargate Worlds in the "Unlock the
Gate Sweepstakes." .* Viewers are invited to watch Stargate Atlantis
every Friday (starting on January 18)in order to retrieve a unique
code to enter the sweepstakes.

"We have spent years looking for a quality gaming partner to extend
the Stargate franchise beyond television and DVD's," said Travis J.
Rutherford, executive vice president, MGM Consumer Products and
Location Based Entertainment. "This trailer is an exciting preview of
that extension, and we are proud to have the opportunity to debut it
as part of the Stargate Atlantis return. Our fans will jump at the
chance to have their likeness incorporated in the game and become a
part of Stargate history."

Based on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc's (MGM) Stargate franchise,
Stargate Worlds features tactical modern combat vs. science-fiction
weapons, non-combat advancement and instant travel across the galaxy
in a story-driven game.

"The trailer will give gamers and fans a glimpse at what they can
expect to find in Stargate Worlds," said Rod Nakamoto, senior vice
president of product development, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment.
"It's a mix of old and new elements that hint at the direction we are
taking the franchise."

In Stargate Worlds, gamers will explore new worlds and encounter
ancient, alien cultures across an evolving galaxy. While staying true
to the spirit of the Stargate franchise, Stargate Worlds will also
introduce new worlds, characters and action to the Stargate universe
that are far beyond the scale that can be shown on television.
"Stargate Worlds is about instant adventure in an epic, evolving
universe," said Stargate Worlds studio head Dan Elggren. "That's what
fans and gamers are going to see in this trailer."

Stargate Worlds is based on Stargate SG-1 and its spin-off series
Stargate Atlantis. From sci-fi masterminds Brad Wright and Robert C.
Cooper, Stargate is one of TV's most successful franchises. SG-1 made
history as the longest-running American sci-fi series ever on
television, while its . sister series, Atlantis, has been renewed for
a fifth season on SCI FI and will celebrate its 100th episode in
September. Stargate SG-1's thrilling journey also continues with two
movies set for releaseon DVD. Stargate: The Ark of Truth debuts
exclusively on March 11th and Stargate: Continuum will be released in
July.

STARGATE: THE ARK OF TRUTH
STARGATE: THE ARK OF TRUTH, a feature-length movie that continues the
story of original STARGATE SG-1 series will debut on DVD March 11 from
MGM Home Entertainment. The film concludes the Ori story arc of
seasons nine and 10 of SG-1 and picks up after "Unending," the series
finale. THE ARK OF TRUTH stars Amanda Tapping, Beau Bridges, Michael
Shanks, Ben Browder, Christopher Judge and Claudia Black. The story
centers on SG-1 as it searches for an ancient weapon that could help
them defeat the sinister Ori. Traveling to a distant galaxy aboard the
Odyssey, the team finds itself fighting two powerful enemies. The DVD
bonus materials will include feature-length audio commentary by
writer, director and producer Robert C. Cooper, actor Christopher
Judge and director of photography Peter Woeste, as well as the
featurette Stargate SG-1: The Road Taken: Prelude to The Ark of Truth.
The DVD will carry a suggested retail price of $26.98.

NEW BOND GIRL
According to the Hollywood Reporter, British newcomer Gemma Arterton
has been cast as the new Bond girl for the latest installment of the
James Bond franchise, currently filming in London for Columbia
Pictures and MGM, the film's production companies said. Arterton will
play "Fields" in the Marc Forster-directed movie, which has the
working title of "Bond 22" and stars Daniel Craig as Agent 007. Talk
of Arterton's casting has been swirling around the blogosphere and in
British tabloids since mid-December, but have remained unconfirmed by
the producers. On Friday, Eon Prods. in London and Santa Monica-based
Danjaq Prods., as well as Arterton's agent, ICM in London, confirmed
the casting. Details of her character were not available, but a Danjaq
rep said "it's a nice-sized role." The film will take up where 2006's
"Casino Royale" left off.

Variety reports that French actor Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and
the Butterfly) will play the villain in the upcoming as-yet-untitled
22nd James Bond movie. Daniel Craig is returning in the title role. A
studio executive also confirmed to the paper that Jeffrey Wright, who
played CIA agent Felix Leiter in the previous film, CASIONO ROYALE,
will reprise that role in Bond 22. Shooting has begun at Pinewood
Studios in London, nearly a month behind its original schedule. It is
still scheduled to premiere on Nov. 7 with Marc Forster directing. The
Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung previously reported that Swiss actor
Anatole Taubman has been cast as a villain/henchman.

REAPER TIME CHANGE
The CW is changing it's schedule to take advantage of the writer's
strike -- hopefully giving some shows a new audience and chance for
surviving their competition on the other networks.
REAPER will return at 8 p.m. Jan. 15 before moving to 9 p.m. Thursdays
on Feb. 28, leading out of SMALLVILLE. REAPER, which had previously
led out of "Beauty and the Geek," will replace SUPERNATURAL, which is
taking a break from the schedule.
"We're trying to give REAPER a chance as well, moving it away from
(Fox's) 'House' on Tuesday (at 9 p.m.) and seeing if we can find a bit
more of a compatible lead-in in SMALLVILLE," Kelly Kahl, senior
executive vp program operations at CBS said.

DVD FORMAT BATTLE - BLU RAY VS. HD
With the following announcement from Warner Bros. Entertainment,
Blu-ray Disc will now control 70% of the market (Sony, Disney, Warner
Bros., Fox, MGM and Lionsgate) compared to 30% for HD DVD
(Paramount/DreamWorks, Universal):
In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will
release its high- definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray
disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry
Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President,
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.
"Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format
is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct
way to give consumers what they want," said Meyer. "The window of
opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format
confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively
distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market
success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most
importantly, consumers."
Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD
format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD
and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in
HD DVD until the end of May 2008.
"Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an
effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and
drive down hardware prices," said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner
Bros. Entertainment. "Today's decision by Warner Bros. to distribute
in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision
both for consumers and Time Warner."
"A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference
toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching
mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be
for the industry," said Tsujihara. "Consumers have clearly chosen
Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right
step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to
the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely
with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we
have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working
with them on other projects in the future."

SUPERMAN
According to Variety columnist Anne Thompson, it is "highly unlikely"
that SUPERMAN RETURNS helmer Bryan Singer will return to shoot the
next Superman movie. Singer is finishing up Tom Cruise's Nazi film
VALKYRIE and prepping THE MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET. "The next Superman
we will see on the big screen will not be [Superman Returns star]
Brandon Routh, but a younger Superman among a cast of youthful
superheroes in ... Justice League," Thompson wrote. "That movie will
likely not be shot, however, until after the [writers'] strike is
resolved."

STAR TREK TRAILER
MTV.com reports that the first teaser trailer for J.J. Abrams'
upcoming STAR TREK film will be attached to CLOVERFIELD, which Abrams
is producing and which hits theaters on Jan. 18. CLOVERFIELD director
Matt Reeves has seen the trailer and told MTV.com that "it's amazing,
and it looks pretty incredible." "I thought 'Well, this does look
completely different and new.' But while having all the stuff that
will make fans of Star Trek still feel fulfilled," Reeves said.
Reeves, a longtime associate of Abrams from their days on TV's
FELICITY, added that he has seen some footage from the top-secret Trek
movie. "I've seen little bits of the movie, too, and I feel that way
as well," Reeves said. "He's doing an amazing job. It's very exciting.
It's not your grandfather's Star Trek, that's for sure." STAR TREK is
slated for release on Christmas Day 2008.

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed a rumor that filmmaker Tyler Perry
will head Starfleet Academy in J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK movie. Perry
joins an cast that includes Chris Pine, Eric Bana, Winona Ryder,
Leonard Nimoy, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto,
Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Karl Urban, Chris Hemsworth, Zoe Saldana and
Clifton Collins Jr. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who wrote the
screenplay, are executive- producing alongside producers Damon
Lindelof and Bryan Burk. Filming began in November. The film
chronicles the early days of the Enterprise crew.

BEYOND LOCH NESS
Former CHARMED star Brian Krause stars in the upcoming SCI FI Channel
original movie BEYOND LOCH NESS, describing his character is a cross
between Indiana Jones and an obsessive Loch Ness monster hunter.
Krause plays James Murphy, the son of a cryptozoologist killed by the
legendary creature. "I follow in his footsteps, wanting to stop this
animal from killing more people," Krause said. "I have made it my
personal mission to take this thing out. So I'm a bit of a rogue
character, not very happy, no family, no anything. I'm just focused
and driven on taking care of this thing." Krause said that he filmed
much of the movie on a lake in Vancouver, Canada, and shared most of
his scenes with co-stars Carrie Genzel (Flash Gordon) and Niall Matter
(Eureka). "Niall has a boat and takes me all over, and Carrie, who
plays his mother, gets in on the mix when he runs into some trouble
throughout the show," Krause said. "As far as the special effects,
there were a lot of those scenes were I didn't even see the monster.
It was a lot of wide shots, pretending it was there, and then they
just kind of laid it in." The iconic monster was created with a mix of
computer- generated imagery and actual mechanical creatures on set. "A
few times, I guess, they had puppets and whatever, but it's basically
a computer-generated creature, where we really had no idea what it
would look like," Krause said. "The guys that handled it, I had faith
that they'd create something along the line of what all science
fiction fans would be pleased with, because the creature has so much
lore wrapped around its name." BEYOND LOCH NESS, which also stars Don
S. Davis of Stargate SG-1, premieres Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

HARRY POTTER
Daniel Radcliffe, star of the HARRY POTTER series, donated the first
pair of glasses he wore as a child to an exhibition in Liverpool,
England, marking the horrors of the Holocaust, the Associated Press
reported. The British actor joins other celebrities and members of the
public whose spectacles will be linked together in the shape of a
railway track, recalling the trains that carried many of the Nazis'
victims to concentration camps throughout Europe. The exhibition will
open Jan. 21. The port city in northwest England will host Britain's
Holocaust Day commemorative service on Jan. 27, the anniversary of the
liberation of Auschwitz. Jason Isaacs, who stars as the sinister
Lucius Malfoy in the Potter films, will also take part in the service.
The 18-year-old Radcliffe, whose mother is Jewish, sent the oval, gray
metal-framed pair of glasses he wore as a 6-year-old. Organizers are
seeking a total of 110,000 pairs of eyeglasses. When installed inside
Liverpool Town Hall's main ballroom, mirrors will multiply the number
of spectacles and give the appearance of 330,000 pairs, the estimated
number of Jews in Britain at the time of the Holocaust. After the
display is dismantled, the glasses of the famous will be auctioned for
charity while the others will be donated to people in developing
nations through the charitable group Vision Aid Overseas.

INDIANA JONES COMIC BOOK
Dark Horse Comics has revealed the cover for the Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comic adaptation created by artist Steve
Anderson. Here is how Dark Horse describes the comic:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull TPB
Writer: George Lucas, David Koepp, John Jackson Miller
Penciller: Luke Ross
Inker: Fabio Laguna
Colorist: Dan Jackson
Genre: Action/Adventure
The most anticipated movie event of the summer comes to comics in this
adaptation of the fourth Indiana Jones film! The intrepid Doctor Henry
Jones Jr. is back in his biggest adventure yet! This time, the
world-renowned archaeologist finds himself caught in a series of
events that all point to a discovery unlike any other. But will his
rivals in pursuit of this priceless treasure seize his quarry from
right under his nose? Not if he, and a few unexpected companions, have
anything to say about it!
The thrill and the humor, the action and the romance, the hat and the
whip--everything you love about Indy is here! This is a tale sure to
please longtime fans as well as foster a whole generation of new ones!
Publication Date: May 22, 2008
Price: $12.95

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL IN VANITY FAIR
With all the new films coming out in 2008, there are a few that a more
eagerly awaited than others. At the top of my list is the latest
INDIANA JONES movie. The latest issue of Vanity Fair has a wonderful
article on the new movie and some terrific set photos. It also has a
few spoilers -- so beware. This long awaited fourth installment of the
series stars Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray
Winstone, Karen Allen, John Hurt and Jim Broadbent. Steven Spielberg
once again directs the film, based on a screenplay written by David
Koepp and Jeff Nathanson. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL
SKULL will hit theaters May 22, 2008.

INKHEART
No official word has been given as to why, but New Line has pushed
back their upcoming fantasy INKHEART to an unknown future date. The
previous release date (March 19) had three other wide releases
scheduled. Those films being two new comedies and a horror, which
include; Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, Drillbit Taylor and Shutter.
Whatever the reasoning, it's now under TBA status until we get a new
date. The fantasy was directed by Iain Softley, based on a screenplay
penned by David Lindsay-Abaire. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Paul
Bettany, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis and Eliza Hope Benn.
You can watch a trailer for the movie at
http://pdl.stream.aol.com/newline/gl/newline/trailers/2008/inkheart/Inkheart_Tea\
serTr1_Med_dl.mov.
Plot Summary:
Based on the book by Cornelia Funke, "Inkheart" is a timeless
adventure tale of imagination that centers on Meggie, a young girl
whose father has a secret ability to bring characters from books to
life when he reads them aloud. But when a power- hungry villain from a
rare children's fable kidnaps Meggie's father to bring others out of
the boundaries of fiction, she and a disparate group of friends both
real and magic embark on the kind of adventure she has only read about
in books to save him and set things right.

NEW AMSTERDAM AND UPCOMING FOX SCHEDULE
With the ongoing writers strike, many networks are having to take a
second look at how they will begin their midseason efforts. According
to Variety, Fox is moving its upcoming supernatural drama NEW
AMSTERDAM to Monday nights from its original Friday nights when the
show debuts in midseason. Besides NEW AMSTERDAM, which debuts in
March, Fox is unveiling TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES this
month. Mondays will consist of PRISON BREAK and TERMINMATOR until the
end of February. TERMINATOR premieres Jan. 14, and its season finale
is slated for March 3. On March 4, NEW AMSTERDAM debuts with a special
preview at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by a second preview hour on March 6
in the same timeslot. The show then moves to its regular Monday
timeslot at 9 p.m. on March 10. NEW AMSTERDAM finishes its run on
April 7 with a two-hour finale. In the series, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
plays John Amsterdam, a former Dutch soldier stationed in the colony
of New Amsterdam (the original name for New York) in 1642. When he
saves the life of a Native American girl during the massacre of her
tribe, he is granted immortality. He will only become mortal again
when he finds his true love, he is told. Flash forward to the present
day, where Amsterdam is a New York homicide detective who must hide
his secret while searching for the one who can break the spell.

NEW ROLE FOR HARRY POTTER
HARRY POTTER star Daniel Radcliffe has won the leading role in
JOURNEY, a film about photographer Dan Eldon's experiences during the
civil war in Somalia. The 22-year-old Eldon worked as a freelance
photographer for Reuters news service. Eldon spent months on the
ground in Mogadishu covering the increasingly desperate situation and
became friendly with locals, colleagues and peacekeepers. His photos
of the unfolding horror on the ground graced the covers of newspapers
and magazines around the world. In July 1993, he and three other
journalists were beaten, clubbed and stoned to death by an angry mob
furious over the 50 or so locals killed in an apparent bombing of
Habar Gedir clan leader Mohammed Farah Aidid's headquarters. Radcliffe
has the crucial backing of Eldon family, Eldon's mother is quoted as
saying that "We resisted a lot of older actors because Dan was a boy
emerging into manhood" and noted that Radcliffe's "puckishness, sense
of humour and energy" are much like her sons. The compilation of
Eldon's diaries, "The Journey is the Destination," has sold nearly
200,000 copies since it was published a decade ago. According to the
Guardian Unlimited, Eldon left behind 17 journals, thousands of
pictures and a legacy that has won admirers including Madonna and
Julia Roberts.

MORE HARRY POTTER?
According to the British Daily Mail newspaper, Harry Potter author
J.K. Rowling has strongly hinted for the first time that she could
write an eighth book in the series. During an interview with Time
magazine, Rowling said, "There have been times since finishing, weak
moments, when I've said 'Yeah, all right,' to the eighth novel." One
of her biggest fans--her 14-year-old daughter Jessica--has already put
pressure on her to revisit the character, the newspaper reported. But
Rowling said that if she were to write an eighth novel in the hit
series, it is unlikely that Harry would be the central character.
Rowling finished the seventh and supposedly final book in the series,
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, a year ago.

PROJECTS FOR 2008
With the start of 2008 just ahead, many of the major studios have
announced the release dates for their major productions. Here are a few:

WARNER BROS
January 4 - ONE MISSED CALL - a supernatural thriller
March 7 - 10,000 B.C. from director Roland Emmerich
May 9 - SPEED RACER, the Wachowski brothers'
June 20 - GET SMART, starring Steve Carell
July 28 - THE DARK KNIGHT, Christopher Nolan's follow-up to BATMAN BEGINS
November 21 - the sixth Harry Potter movie, The Half-Blood Prince

PARAMOUNT
January 18 - CLOVERFIELD, the mysterious monster movie from producer
J.J. Abrams
February 15 - THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES debuts, a family fantasy based
on the children's books
April 11 - THE RUINS, a horror film based on the book
May 2 - IRON MAN, the hit of last year's Comic-Con from Jon Favreau
May 22 - INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, reuniting
director Steven Spielberg and star Harrison Ford
June 6 - KUNG FU PANDA, an animated spoof
September 26 - NOWHERELAND - a family fantasy
November 7 - MADAGASCAR: THE CRATE ESCAPE
November 26 - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
December 25 - STAR TREK, one of THE most anticipated films of the year
GHOST TOWN, a supernatural comedy starring Ricky Gervais and A TALE OF
TWO SISTERS are awaiting a release date

UNIVERSAL
June 13 - THE HULK
June 27 - WANTED, a tech thriller based on a comic book and directed
by Russian Night Watch helmer Timur Bekmambetov
July 11 - HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY from Guillermo del Toro
August 1 - THE MUMMY: THE TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
September 26 - DEATH RACE, a remake of John Carpenter's classic SF movie
December 19 - THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, the animated family fantasy film
DOOMSDAY, is still awaiting a release date.

DISNEY
May 16 - THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
June 27 - WALL *E, an animated SF movie about a lonely robot
November 26 - BOLT
December 25 - BEDTIME STORIES, an Adam Sandler family fantasy
SOUTH OF THE BORDER,the animal fantasy will open sometime during the fall

20th CENTURY FOX
February 4 - JUMPER
March 14 - DR. SEUSS' HARTON HEARS A WHO!
March 21 - SHUTTER
May 30 - STARSHIP DAVE, starring Eddie Murphy
June 13 - THE HAPPENING from M. Night Shyamalan
August 29 - BABYLON A.D. with Vin Diesel

I think this pretty much catches up everyone as to what is going on at
the moment in the world of science fiction.  Please don't forget to
visit the website on a regular basis.  Besides the news, there are
links to trailers and new graphics for upcoming projects.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that 2008
bring health, joy and love to everyone.

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

THE ZOCALO, December 9, 2007

WHAT'S NEW

THE CHANGELING NEWS
JMS writes:
In terms of Changeling...we have about two more weeks of shooting and
that'll be in the can. I've seen some assembled scenes, and it looks
truly amazing. Everybody's doing an outstanding job on this, and I
think we've got a real winner on our hands.

BILL MUMY INTERVIEW
Ranger Michael recently conducted an interview with Bill Mumy
(Lennier). He sent along the URL so that everyone could enjoy the
chat they had on December 2. Use this link to find the interview
<http://www.stargate-project.de/babylon5/index.php?
seite=artikel&aktion=show&id2=257>. This is in German and English.

BE A SANTA
A reminder that Pat Tallman needs your help this year more than ever.
Because of the writer's strike, the support she has had in the past
from studios and networks is not as strong. As the holidays approach,
I hope you will all think about the good fortune you have -- and want
to share it with some of the kids at Penny Lane. (More information is
below on this very worthwhile program.)

JMS UPDATE
First, it's important to emphasize that I support the strike
wholeheartedly, it's necessary and a decade overdue. I wish it
could've come at a different time, but everyone wishes that whenever
it does come.

On the TV project I co-wrote and would produce with the two mega-film
makers (henceforth just "the group"), we took the first three scripts
out to auction in the weeks leading up to the strike. Everybody
wanted to be in business with the group given the massive reps of the
film-makers (and me, I suppose).

The up-side of the project was that everyone agreed that they had
never seen anything like it before. The down-side was that they had
never seen anything like it before. This is a business where people
are comfortable with what they've seen. Some found it too
controversial/weird. Some wanted it and made offers, but only on the
condition that we tone it down a bit and make it more conventional.
At the eleventh hour, one that had passed turned around to say
yes...but by then it was too late and everyone stopped buying things
with the strike about to happen.

So the group conferred, and what we'll probably end up doing is
financing the project ourselves, first as a ten hour miniseries, and
take it from there. There's no question, given the names involved,
that we can turn around and get financing from a studio and/or DVD
distributer and from worldwide television pre-sales. So when the
strike is over, we'll pick up that thread again, write the next 7
episodes, shoot the thing, then sell it to whichever network wants it
the most.

This means we won't have to compromise anything creatively, it'll be
exactly what we want it to be.

On the film front...there are two dream projects I've always wanted
to write (I'm omitting Trek here to eliminate the rumors that might
follow), two things I've wanted to do my whole life. Both of them
fell into my lap right before the strike. But the underlying rights
had to be obtained by the studios in writing, and it took time to do
that...to the point that they finished their negotiations to obtain
the rights the day before the strike, and the day before they could
start negotiations with me.

So again, this is something that, with luck, we can pick up again
after the strike, assuming that their interests don't cool in the
intervening months, which is always a risk on any project.
Paramount is still looking for an a-list director for World War Z,
and the moment they find one who says yes, that will go into
production. These are solid production offers.

Surfer and Sunlight were both turned in long before the strike, so
for now it's a matter of writing comics, catching up on the B5 script
books (we're targeting January for the next one), and writing specs
for myself. (Under the strike you cannot write for, or turn anything
in to, the studios, but you can write for yourself as much as you
want.) I'm writing one spec based on a true story from about 60 years
ago, as well as some others more in line with fictional work.
Because I've known without question for over a year that we'd go on
strike, and that the strike had the potential to last at least six
months, I've been able to arrange my finances so that I should be
able to get by reasonably well for the duration of the
unpleasantness. Others, who kept telling themselves it wasn't going
to happen, are going to have a harder time of it.

But this...this was inevitable.
jms

BE A SANTA - PLEASE ACT NOW
Pat Tallman (Lyta Alexander) will be delivering gifts to the children
on December 12 so ship any items donated before then. Money can be
donated at any time -- so now is the time to act!Below is a note Pat
sent along about this year's effort.

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

Penny Lane is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to those
youngsters commonly known as the hard-to-place children, providing a
safe and congenial, nurturing atmosphere for them as well as
transitioning them when ready to the most appropriate environment and
integrating them into the community.

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

All Angels, Santas and Elves are needed and greatly appreciated!
Because of you, these kids have a real Holiday!!!
Sincerely,
Patricia Tallman
Be A Santa

For more information about the Be A Santa program, send messages to
beasantaelf@... or visit their website at
http://www.thegalacticgateway.com/pl/plneed.htm.
Unfortunately, the Be A Santa has been having a few problems, so
enter the site through Pat's site at The Galactic Gateway.

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

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW
NEW ITEMS AT CAFÉ PRESS:  Looking for something different for your
office/home/car? Cafe Press has something you can proudly display and
show your support of your favorite candidates. Go to
http://www.cafepress.com/thejoestore/3950485 to find signs, mugs,
magnet, t-shirts and sweatshirts for your favorite candidates. Your
choices are London/G'Kar or Zathras and Zathras.

While you are over at Joe's Store, be sure to check out the new 2008
calendars. The 2008 Babylon 5 Concept Art Calendar - contains images
from the private collection of creator, J. Michael Straczynski.  The
2008 Babylon 5 Quotes Calendar - Fresh quotes for 2008 hand-picked by
JMS.

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

NEW DVDS COMING

TEEN TITANS - COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON
For more information, go to www.superheroesdvd.com
THE CAPED CRUSADER STRIKES AGAIN AS THE BATMAN: THE COMPLETE FOURTH
SEASON AND TEEN TITANS: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON

Currently airing on Saturdays on the Kids WB!, The Batman: The
Complete Fourth Season features a redesign of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Batgirl returns as an official member of Batman's team and Dick
Grayson's arrival as his trusty sidekick Robin comes just in time as
evil villains Killer Moth, Black Mask, and Everywhere Man try to
invade Gotham City. Watch as the Dynamic Duo becomes a trio in the 2-
Disc edition of the Emmy-winning animated series. The Batman: The
Complete Fourth Season contains 13 episodes and amazing bonus
features including:

"The Batman: Season 4 Unmasked - This featurette highlights "Robin,
the Boy Wonder." Discover how the series creators decided on this
incarnation of Robin as well as the character's impact on the Dark
Knight and his rocky relationship with Batgirl.
WHV will also release Teen Titans: The Complete Fourth Season which
currently airs on the Cartoon Network. Not only do Robin, Starfire,
Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven cope with the woes of being a teenager,
but as young superheroes they also struggle with the weight of the
world on their shoulders. The Teen Titans are forced to question
their friendships and the limitation of their powers when they
undertake a battle with the "Terror of Trigon"." This 2-Disc Edition
from the smash TV series follows the Teen Titans on 13 exciting
adventures and features behind the scenes bonuses including:
"Teen Titans: Know Your Foes - This featurette contains five distinct
vignettes that give the viewers access to "top secret files" and
examines up close the villains the Teen Titans face in Season Four.
The vignettes include:
1.) Control Freak
2.) Bob & the Source
3.) Billy Numerous
4.) Mother Mae-Eye
5.) Trigon
"The important values of strength, friendship and loyalty are similar
themes among The Batman: The Complete Fourth Season and Teen Titans:
The Complete Fourth Season," said Dorinda Marticorena, WHV Vice
President, Kids and Sports Marketing. "We're proud to release two
fantastic series that feature adventurous characters as well as non-
stop action for the next generation of DC Super Hero fans."

BLUE PLANET:  THE SEAS OF LIFE - Special Edition
Website: http://www.bbcamericashop.com

Synopsis: Blue Planet, The: Seas of Life - Special Edition Before
creating the monumental Planet Earth, producer Alastair Fothergill
and his team from the BBC put together one of the most breathtaking
explorations of the world's oceans ever assembled, The Blue Planet:
Seas of Life. The winner of two Emmy(R) Awards, The Blue Planet: Seas
of Life is the definitive exploration of the marine world,
chronicling the mysteries of the deep in ways never before imagined.
It is now being re-released in an all-new special edition, with an
added 5th disc of bonus programming not included in the original DVD
release. See it again, like never before!

NEW PUBLICATIONS:
Starburst Issue #357: BLADERUNNER: One of the greatest Sci-Fi movies
of all time is about to hit DVD! Director Ridley Scott reflects on
his Science Fiction masterpiece and reveals why its appeal has grown
over time&#65533; THE GOLDEN COMPASS: Visual effects and animation
supervisors Ben Morris and Dadi Einarsson discuss the bear
necessities of producing the creature effects for the first of the
Pullman trilogy! HEROES: Hayden Panettiere, aka the regenerative
Claire Bennet, chats about the show&#65533;s first hit year and what lies
ahead for the hero in Season 2&#65533; SUPERNATURAL: One half of the spook-
battling Winchester brothers, star Jenson Ackles, aka Dean, promises
the third season of the show will be the best yet!

TV Zone Special #79: THE YEAR IN TV ZONE: An extensive month-by-month
review of the highs and lows from the world of Cult Television looks
back on the past year as seen through the eyes of TV Zone&#65533; TV Zone
Year Index 2007 - A handy reference guide to the reviews, interviews
and features from our last year. TV Zone Year in Review Opening page -
  88-page reviews section with more than 500 episode and merchandise
reviews. The entire year assessed in detail, complete with our expert
overviews of your favorite shows.

CONVENTION CALENDAR
February 15 ~ 17, 2008
Farpoint
Place: Hunt Valley, Maryland (Baltimore area)
B5 guest: Mira Furlan
Other Guests: James Callis, Harve Bennett
For more information, go to http://www.farpointcon.com
This is a fan-run convention and one of the best in the country.  Be
sure to check it out.

Creation Entertainment has a large number of conventions planned for
the next several months. They include stars from STARGATE,
ENTERPRISE, FARSCAPE, XENA, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, etc. Check out
their calendar to see if one will be in your neighborhood soon. Don't
miss their Videos page as well. It is full of some priceless video
from a number of conventions.
Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been
changes in dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention Calendar for
a full listing of upcoming conventions.

NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION:

INKHEART
The first trailer for the upcoming fantasy adventure INKHEART has
been launched this weekend by New Line via their new official website
at http://www.inkheartmovie.com/. The film stars Brendan Fraser,
Eliza Bennett, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Andy
Serkis, Rafi Gavron and Sienna Guillory. Iain Softley directed the
fantasy. Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire scripted the bigscreen
adaptation of German author Cornelia Funke's fantasy novel, the first
of a trilogy. The second novel Inkspell was published last fall and
the third tale Inkdawn will hit book shelves in 2008. Plot Concept:
"Inkheart" revolves around a girl whose father has the power to bring
characters from books to life by reading aloud. When a villainous
ruler and his band of rogues from a children's fable kidnap the man,
his daughter and her friends, both real and imaginary, must rescue
him. INKHEART hits theaters March 19, 2008.

LOST
As everyone waits for season four of LOST to begin (February 6,
2008), the producers of the show are offering a few answers behind
the mysteries in season three and a few hints about the upcoming
fourth season. The third season drops on DVD on Dec. 11. Executive
producer Carlton Cuse admitted that the people who were on the jet
that crashed into the island all have to pay a price for being
there. "Yes, and that price is $3.95," he kidded. "In seriousness,
the show is about redemption. All the characters on this island are
confronting the failures of their past and revisiting issues that go
to the core of their emotional makeup." Cuse also 'fessed up about
the person in the coffin seen at the very end of season three. Was it
someone we've seen before? "Yes," he said without elaboration. Damon
Lindelof, a co-creator and producer, was asked about why the
expectations set up for the return of young Walt (Malcolm David
Kelley) never seemed to materialize in the third season. Will he be
seen again? "Oh, you'll see him again. But you're going to have to be
patient. Sorry." Fans first complained that not enough answers were
revealed in the first half of the split-up season, but Cuse said, "We
think the balance at the end of the season was right. We see each
season of the show like a book. The answers were essential for this
book of the show to feel complete." One of the pressing questions by
hardcore fans is how many days the survivors have been on the island.
Lindelof said, "By the end of season three, the survivors have still
been on the island for less than a hundred days ... but don't forget
that you may be jumping into the future next year, so anything goes!"
The space-and-time-travel element was explained when the creators
nailed down an end-time for the series. "When ABC/Disney allowed us
to end the show in 48 more episodes, it was time to begin a new
modality of storytelling, which includes flash-forwards," Cused
said. "The show is like a mosaic. There are tiles in the present, in
the past and now in the future as well. When all the tiles are in
place, the story of Lost will be complete." The third season seems to
push Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Jack (Matthew Fox) even further
apart and more toward Sawyer (Josh Holloway), but the last episode
muddied the waters a bit. Cuse teased, "The Jack/Kate/ Sawyer
triangle is something that will go on for a long time. And who says
they don't have a chance?" The creators don't think of their
characters as ambiguous when it comes to good and evil, specifically
Ben (Michael Emerson) and Locke (Terry O'Quinn). "We would use the
word complex," Cuse said. "We are interested in exploring how good
and evil can be embodied in the same characters and the struggles we
all have to overcome the dark parts of our souls." The unveiling of
Jacob, the mysterious leader of the Others, didn't necessarily
satisfy questions in season three. "If you felt the unveiling of
Jacob provided answers, you are probably in the minority! We felt it
was important to introduce Jacob as more than just a name at this
point, as he will become important downstream," Cuse said.

Producers of ABC's LOST told reporters that they did a lot of soul-
searching before they killed off characters at the end of the third
season to pave the way for the upcoming fourth. "This year was about
the Others," co-executive producer Carlton Cuse said. "The ending of
the show we felt had to resolve the story of the Others. We promised
a showdown. That showdown had profound consequences on both sides."
Damon Lindelof, the show's co-creator and producer, said the
character of Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) was the hardest for him to
accept. "It was incredibly hard to say goodbye to Charlie," he
said. "We really felt the season needed to end with the loss of one
of the major characters and began setting it up very early in the
year. Charlie's sacrifice was brutal for us to write, and Dom's
performance made it particularly brutal to watch. The reverberation
of that death echoes right into the premiere of season four." Less
difficult to lose were Nikki Fernandez (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo
(Rodrigo Santoro), who were buried alive in the middle of the third
season. They were introduced at the beginning of the third season
because "people asked questions about the other characters on the
beach," Cuse said. "Are we ever going to learn anything about them?
So we decided to bring Nikki and Paulo out of the chorus. But once we
did it, people were angry that we were taking time away from our main
characters and giving it to Nikki and Paulo, so we listened to the
fans and decided to bury them alive." The fourth season of LOST
starts Feb. 6, 2008. The DVD of the third season hits retailers on
Dec. 11.

THE PUNISHER: WAR ZONE
Lexi Alexander, who directed the upcoming action-adventure sequel THE
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE, said during a recent interview that the new
incarnation will have more in common with the Marvel Max comic-book
series than it will with the previous Punisher films. "The last
Punisher movie really wasn't relevant to us," Alexander
said. "There's a lot of comparison to it, but none of us or any of
the people on the team ever looked at it and said, 'OK, how can we be
different or better?' We just kind of made our own film, and the one
thing I concentrated on was to really make it as close to the Marvel
Max series as possible. I think we really achieved it in terms of the
look as well as the tone. When I look at the dailies I'm getting,
seriously I think I'm looking at a Max comic book in front of me,
because it's the same tone." In the latest installment in the
Punisher film franchise, ROME star Ray Stevenson takes over the title
role as the vigilante anti-hero. Dominic West co-stars as Jigsaw, a
mob boss who targets the Punisher for vengeance. Julie Benz, Dash
Mihok and Wayne Knight also star. The German-born Alexander, a former
international karate champion and stuntwoman, said that although the
film is a departure, it won't change the backstory of the main
character. "Castle [has] one story," she said. "The mythology seems
the same. I think I just have a very, very different take on it. Or I
was lucky enough to put it in the right environment, where I think
Frank Castle belongs, which is very dark and cold." THE PUNISHER may
have been testosterone-driven up to now, but Alexander said that her
background as a martial artist and stuntwoman has helped her as a
director. She points out that her first feature, Green Street
Hooligans, prepared her for this project because of its similar
themes and intense fight sequences. "My previous film, as well as my
background, is so related to the subject that I think it wasn't
really far-fetched for the studio and for Marvel to come to me with
this," she said. "I don't think the fact that I'm a female was ever
relevant. I like it that way. I think that everybody kind of sees me
as a director and compares me to other directors, and it doesn't
matter what gender. I think personally, just because of the person I
am, I really like vigilante stories. I can totally relate to it. A
little bit, Green Street Hooligans was about vigilantism or honor and
standing up for yourself. So I really related to this story. And I
think that part is really coming through. There's a lot of action,
there's a lot of violence. But the real essence of what happened to
Frank Castle and how he's dealing with it will really come through.
There's a lot of quiet scenes in this film as well." PUNISHER: WAR
ZONE is now filming for release sometime next year.

JUSTICE LEAGUE
George Miller, the director of the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, has
went on record stating that there was no WGA issues in relation to
this upcoming project out of Warner Bros. The director wouldn't
confirm any casting rumors but told the Sydney Morning Herald that
the news of the WGA strike affecting his film are not true. The plans
are still in place to begin production in early 2008.

Casting news for JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA has been wildly
speculated, but confirmed names are beginning to come out. Empire
Online and IESB have confirmed that supermodel Megan Gale will be
playing the Amazon Princess, Wonder Woman, and that Arnie Hammer will
take the role of Batman. Arnie Hammer is an imposing 6' 5" tall young
man who has previously been seen on Desperate Housewives and Veronica
Mars. He's a young looking guy, but his height and strong jaw might
work perfectly beneath the Batman's cape and cowl. Megan Gale is a
well-known supermodel in Australia, and previously appeared in the
film Stealth as Dr. Orbit's secretary. She certainly has the right
look for the part of Wonder Woman, though it remains to be seen if
she can properly capture the Amazonian Princess's majestic aura. If
all of these casting announcements prove to be true, it looks like
the major roles for Justice League of America are nearly complete. We
will see whether or not George Miller will be able to complete the
film in time for it's originally announced 2010 release date.

MEDIUM RETURNING
NBC announced that MEDIUM will return for a fourth season on Jan. 7
and will air in its original timeslot on Monday nights at 10 p.m. In
season four, the lives of psychic Allison DuBois (Emmy winner
Patricia Arquette) and her family are turned upside down after her
abilities are publicly exposed, resulting in sweeping changes both
professionally and personally. For the past three seasons, Allison
has served as a part-time consultant to the district attorney's
office in Phoenix, using her psychic abilities to solve violent and
horrifying crimes that have mystified authorities, including her now
former boss D.A. Devalos (Miguel Sandoval) and others within the
criminal justice system. The new season will feature guest-star
Anjelica Huston, who joins the cast for a six-episode arc as Cynthia
Keener, an investigator for a national firm called "Ameritips," who
forms an unusual professional arrangement with Allison for her crime-
solving abilities. Jake Weber co-stars as Allison's exceptionally
supportive husband Joe, who is left looking for work after recent
traumatic events. Also returning in the new season are Sofia
Vassilieva, Maria Lark and Madison Carabello, who play Allison's
daughters, and David Cubitt as Det. Lee Scanlon.

RUN FOR MONEY
SCI FI Channel has greenlit the reality competition pilot RUN FOR
MONEY, based on a successful Japanese game show. Production is set to
begin in January on the series, which pits a group of contestants
against each other in the quest for cash prizes, while being stalked
by relentless "hunters." The action takes place over 60 minutes of
real time in various landmark locations. As the clock winds down, the
competition gets harder as more hunters appear on the streets, the
game perimeter gets smaller and tasks are assigned that test fraying
nerves. Contestants earn money for every second they "stay alive" and
may opt out at their choosing. If they keep playing and are overrun
by a hunter, they lose everything. The last person standing takes the
prize. "Run For Money is a fun, fast-paced, thriller of a show," said
Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of original
programming. "[It] fits nicely with our reality agenda of putting
ordinary people in wild, extraordinary situations. It's high-
adrenaline fun; part sport, part real-life video game."

SPEED RACER
Entertainment Tonight debuted the first trailer for SPEED RACER the
other night and it is now online. The upcoming adaptation of the 60's
anime stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan
Sarandon, John Goodman, Kick Gurry, Paulie Litt, Roger Allam, Ji Hoon
Jung, Melvil Poupaud, Richard Roundtree and Christian Oliver. The
Wachowski Bros. handled the direction of the film, based on a
screenplay they co-wrote together.
Plot Summary: Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and
through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural
behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive
and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory
of the brother he idolized—the legendary Rex Racer—whose death in a
race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill.
Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops
Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When
Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton
Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner
(Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret—some of the biggest
races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate
the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton,
Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish
line. The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the
sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support
of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci),
Speed teams with his one-time rival—the mysterious Racer X (Matthew
Fox)—to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-
defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible. Based on the
classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the live-
action "Speed Racer" will showcase the kind of revolutionary visual
effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become the benchmarks
of the Wachowski brothers' films. SPEED RACER will hit theaters May
9, 2008.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
In a recent interview, Tim Roth, who co-stars in the upcoming comic-
book movie THE INCREDIBLE HULK, said that he agreed to play the
villainous Abomination for one reason and one reason only: his
children. "What's such fun about it is that I'm purely doing it for
my kids, purely," Roth said. "So I'd be on set and go, 'OK, is this
scene cool for my kids?' And if it's not, we'd check into it and
say, 'OK, now we can't do that, because they'll find that silly and
childish.'" In the comic books, the Abomination, aka Emil Blonsky,
was a KGB agent who turns into a beast much like the Hulk and becomes
Bruce Banner/the Hulk's adversary. The film, which stars Edward
Norton as Banner/the Hulk, puts a slightly different spin on the
story. "I play him as a Londoner," Roth said. "He's a guy. He's a
Special Ops guy who goes a little too far. ... I watched [the old
television series,] and I used to like it when I was a kid. And I
used to get the comic books, too. So it was fun." Universal Studios
will release THE INCREDIBLE HULK, which also stars Liv Tyler and
William Hurt, on June 13, 2008.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
Disney and Walden Media have unveiled a teaser trailer for THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN on Yahoo! Movies and will soon
unspool it everywhere, Variety reported. The studios will release the
trailer on television around the world and across the Web. It debuted
on Entertainment Tonight over the weekend, after which it was
distributed to the evening news and morning talk shows in more than
60 countries. Online, Disney is debuting the trailer to Narnia fan
sites and Narnia groups on social networking sites such as Facebook
and MySpace. The sequel premieres in May 2008.
Plot Summary:
The characters of C.S. Lewis's timeless fantasy come to life once
again in this newest installment of the "Chronicles of Narnia"
series, in which the Pevensie siblings are magically transported back
from England to the world of Narnia, where a thrilling, perilous new
adventure and an even greater test of their faith and courage awaits
them.
One year after the incredible events of "The Lion, The Witch and The
Wardrobe," the Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in
that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1300
years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden
Age of Narnia has become extinct, Narnia has been conquered by the
Telmarines and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz, who
rules the land without mercy.
The four children will soon meet an intriguing new character:
Narnia's rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who
has been forced into hiding as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in
order to place his own newborn son on the throne. With the help of
the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, a
badger named Trufflehunter and a Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians,
led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian, embark on a remarkable
journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz's tyrannical hold,
and restore magic and glory to the land.

FRANKLYN
While out promoting her upcoming film, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, Eva Green
said that she's completed production on an upcoming SF drama entitled
FRANKLYN. "It's a crazy movie," Green said. "It's a first-time
director, Gerald McMorrow, and it's with Sam Riley and Ryan
Phillippe. It's about three people who are completely schizophrenic
and lost. And I play two characters. It is impossible to summarize."
Green (Casino Royale) admitted that the film is set in the future,
explores religious themes and features several SF elements. "Ryan
Phillippe is in the parallel world, and it's a sci-fi universe," she
said. "And then, we all live in a parallel [universe], a bit like His
Dark Materials. But one of my characters is ... a tormented artist.
She's a bit like Sophie Calle, Tracy Emin, and then the other one is
very light, full of life, very witty, and big sense of humor. She's
the opposite of the other one." Green will next be seen as a witch in
THE GOLDEN COMPASS, which is based on the first book in Philip
Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy; it opens on Dec. 7. FRANKLYN,
which also stars Bernard Hill and Susannah York, will be released in
2008.

BEASTLY
The Hollywood Reporter writes that CBS Films has signed on to its
first potential project, optioning the supernatural high-school novel
BEASTLY. The book tells the story of a modern-day teacher who turns
into a beast after a student in his class puts him under a spell.
Young-adult author Alex Flinn penned the novel, which News Corp.
imprint HarperTeen released in the fall. No writers have been
attached to the project, which would have to wait until the end of
the writers' strike to move forward. Before the strike began,
executives had said they hoped CBS Films could release its first
movie by the end of 2008. They're now aiming for the slate to launch
in winter 2009. CBS Films intends to make between four and six movies
per year at budgets in the sub-$50 million range. BEASTLY is a youth-
oriented project, though the company had not previously delineated
the teen market as a potential target for its releases.

JERICHO RETURNS IN FEBRUARY
Good news for JERICHO fans! CBS is bringing back JERICHO for an
abbreviated second season on Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Variety
reports that the show, resurrected following a massive fan campaign,
will take the place of CANE, which has aired all of its original
episodes. The ongoing writers' strike has limited the network's
ability to field new episodes of its usual comedies and dramas, the
trade paper reported. Seven new episodes of JERICHO have been
produced. The show's ratings and the resolution of the writers strike
will likely determine if any more are ordered. For those of us who
love this program, we'll have to keep our fingers crossed that it
finds an audience.

I AM LEGEND - NEW ENDING
Francis Lawrence, director of I AM LEGEND, said during a recent
interview that he reshot the film's ending recently and changed
it. "I don't want to actually discuss the ending, just because I
don't want, I want people to make up their own minds, but maybe
there'll be an alternate version at some point," Lawrence said. I AM
LEGEND, based on Richard Matheson's classic novel of the same name,
stars Will Smith as the last apparent survivor of a viral holocaust
that has left New York empty and abandoned. Lawrence changed the
ending just before the film's upcoming release this month. "We reshot
stuff, ... but we couldn't reshoot stuff until we had the effects"
finished, Lawrence said. "Because you have to sort of wait ... [to]
have effects, then you can kind of show people, see if you have
anything weird, then you can go back and do little pickups." Lawrence
said he also reshot other bits of the film. "We reshot little pieces
here and there throughout," he said. "A little piece at the
beginning, a little piece in the middle, some of the end. Different
things." I AM LEGEND opens Dec. 14.

TIN MAN
The Dec. 2 premiere of SCI FI Channel's original miniseries TIN MAN
was the most- watched telecast in the channel's history, drawing a
4.2 household rating and an audience of more than 6.3 million
viewers. The first night of the three-night series, based on L. Frank
Baum's THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, also delivered the channel's best
audiences in key demographics, including adults aged 25-54 and adults
aged 18-49. The miniseries also delivered better ratings than SCI
FI's previous miniseries, including the Emmy-winning Steven Spielberg
Presents TAKEN. You can catch it all tonight beginning at 5:00pm on
the SciFi Network.

RATATOUILLE
ASIFA-Hollywood announced that Disney/Pixar's RATATOUILLE tops the
feature-film nominations for the 35th Annual Annie Awards. The awards
recognize the year's best animation across film, television,
commercials, video games and short subjects. Winners will be
announced at an awards ceremony on Feb. 8, 2008, at the University of
California, Los Angeles. RATATOUILLE got 13 nominations, including
animated feature, directing, writing, character animation, animated
effects, production design, storyboarding, character design,
character animation, music and voice acting. Sony Pictures
Animation's SURF'S UP nabbed 10 feature nominations. DreamWorks
Animation's BEE MOVIE, Sony Pictures Classics' PERSEPOLIS and 20th
Century Fox's THE SIMPSONS MOVIE also received nominations.

HEROES RENEWED
NBC has given the first-year hit an early pickup for the 2007-08
season, network \ chief Kevin Reilly told reporters Wednesday at the
Television Critics Association press tour. HEROES has been one of
NBC's top shows in both viewers and the coveted adults 18-49
demographic, drawing better than 15 million viewers per week. HEROES,
which returns from hiatus next week, has also added one more episode
to its order for this season, bringing the total to 23.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS
Wondering if you should go to see this movie? This may help you make
up your mind. New Line Cinema and Yahoo have joined together to
provide you with the first five minutes of THE GOLDEN COMPASS. The
film, which hits theaters this Friday, stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel
Craig, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, Dakota Blue Richards, Ian McKellen,
Ian McShane, Freddy Highmore and Kathy Bates. Chris Weitz wrote and
directed the big screen adaptation of the Philip Pullman novel. Use
this link to view the video
<http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808718640/video/5305481>. Be sure to
watch the other videos there as well. THE GOLDEN COMPASS hits
theaters December 7, 2007.

THE 10TH MUSE
NBC/Universal-based CastleBright Studios has optioned TTHE 10TH MUSE
comic book series by Darren G. Davis and Blue Water Productions.
CastleBright's Jay Douglas and Nav Gupta will produce. Created by
Darren G. Davis (The Legend of Isis, "Ray Harryhausen Presents"
and "Judo Girl"), THE 10TH MUSE is vastly unique in the comic book
universe with its deeply enriched themes of Greek mythology. THE 10TH
MUSE debuted in 2002 by breaking records as the 6th highest selling
comic, outselling nearly every Marvel and DC property and has been
flying off book shelves ever since. Darren G. Davis knows how to
build compelling characters and stories ripe for the big screen, as
his The Legend of Isis is currently at Paramount Pictures. Greek
mythology has documented the nine Muses, the inspirational daughters
of the almighty god Zeus. But history forgot one, the 10th Muse. Emma
Sonnet, mysteriously disappeared five years ago during a summer trip
to Greece celebrating her graduation from law school. Yesterday, she
resurfaced just as mysteriously as the newly appointed District
Attorney, with a unique take on the law. Battling evil in the
courtroom by day and in the shadows at night, Emma Sonnet is tipping
the scales of justice her way, as the 10th Muse. Davis, who is
managed by Golden House Entertainment says, "CastleBright shares my
vision for this to become a film and I am excited to be a part of
this." Douglas and Gupta freshly set up shop at NBC/Universal, and
even without a formal studio deal, they are quickly establishing
themselves as adventure guys, recently picking rights to the best-
selling "Scorpion" novel and the acclaimed "Broken Sword" video game
series. "We know there were many suitors vying for this property, but
somehow the Greek Gods smiled upon us." said Gupta from CastleBright.
Talks have already begun with starlets for the headliner role.

THE PRETENDER
Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle, who created the 1990s NBC
SF series THE PRETENDER, said recently that they want to resurrect
the show in a new digital medium. "We created the show THE PRETENDER,
and we're working on bringing that back in a whole new form, in a
digital form and in a digital platform," Mitchell said. Van Sickle
hinted that the new PRETENDER could also feature original star
Michael T. Weiss, who played Jarod, a man whose ability to assume
other people's identities allowed him to assist those in need. THE
PRETENDER aired from 1996-2000 and also spawned two 2001
telemovies. "We had breakfast with Michael today," Van Sickle said
last week. "He just finished up a play out here in New York. I guess
kind of the best thing we can say is that we have a timetable of
within, hopefully, the next five or six months that we can have
something really unique and different out there." Van Sickle
added: "We'll be certainly reeling things out along that same time
period, but there will be things that the fans can tap into and kind
of see our progress on that front and other things in the digital
world."

KINGS
Filmmaker Francis Lawrence (I AM LEGEND) is moving to television to
executive-produce and direct KINGS, an NBC pilot that updates the
biblical story of King David and sets it in modern-day America. "It
takes place in an alternate reality," Lawrence said in a recent
interview. "Basically, it takes place in New York City, but it's not
[our] New York City, and it takes the story of David, starting with
David and Goliath, [and] transplants it into a modern world. And it's
the story of him being chosen to be the new king, and the king trying
to have him basically assassinated." Lawrence, who directed the
feature films CONSTANTINE and the upcoming LEGEND, will helm the
pilot. Michael Green (Heroes) wrote the script. NBC gave a green
light to the pilot's production last month.

NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS
While NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS doesn't open for another
three weeks, Nicolas Cage already has some thoughts as to what he'd
like to see in a third installment: "NATIONAL TREASURE, I believe,
should become more and more International Treasure. I was very happy
to see that we went to [in the second one] London, England and Paris,
France. But I'd like to see us go wider still. I could go to Africa,
Egypt, Asia and keep going. My hope is that Ben [would be] recruited
and gets a dossier from these other countries about their history and
he has to download it and learn and try to go on these hunts on their
behalf." NATIONAL TREASURE marks the first time Cage has returned for
a sequel, explaining that he views the role as on the same lines as
Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes, designed for many ongoing
adventures.

TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS
The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Christian Bale is in
negotiations to star in TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS.
There's still the issue on which character Christian Bale would be
playing in the film. The trade didn't say which character he's in
negotiations to play so that's still up for debate until we get a
confirmation from the studio or Bale. Plot Concept: "T4's" story, by
David Campbell Wilson, John Brancato and Michael Ferris, focuses on
John Connor, now in his 30s, as he leads what is left of the human
race against the machines. TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS
hits theaters in summer of 2009.

That is about it for now.  I hope you all are having a wonderful
weekend and that you have a terrific week ahead.  Be sure to drop
over to the website for the latest news from JMS and the world of
science fiction.  If you see a cast member in a new movie or TV show,
be sure to drop a Ranger Sighting report.

Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – November 24, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Variety and World Screen

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

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

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

We need your help!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Patricia Tallman
Be A Santa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

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

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

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

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

NEW STARGATE NOVELS

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

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

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

NEW DVDS ON THE WAY

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

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

NEW SCI-FI PUBLICATIONS

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

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

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

CONVENTION CALENDAR

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

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

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

TOP STORIES FROM THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time, take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – NOVEMBER 4, 2007

WHAT'S NEW
Well, it looks like the writers will begin a strike tonight at
12:01.  This is something JMS has been talking about for a while.
Over 90% of the WGA members voted to strike and this is the highest
vote ever received from the membership.

When asked what writers/producers do;  must they cover their
computers and wait for an end to the strike, JMS responded with:

You can produce what's written, and make minor changes for purposes
of production (usually called A through H changes) meaning changing a
bedroom set to a living room set, that sort of thing, but no story
changes or dialogue changes unrelated to production.

When asked about the duration of the strike, JMS' response was:

In order to have any real impact, the strike will have to be at least
as long as the '88 strike, which lasted six months.

PENNY LANE AND BE A SANTA PROGRAM
It is that time of year again -- and Pat Tallman is working with
Penny Lane to brighten the holiday season for disadvantaged kids.
Below is a note Pat sent along about this year's effort.
We kicked off the Be A Santa program at Penny Lane's fundraising gala
last week. It's official! We are looking for donations of trees &
decorations, and a truck! We are planning the parties. Everyone is
getting excited.

We need your help!

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

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

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

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

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

All Angels, Santas and Elves are needed and greatly appreciated!
Because of you, these kids have a real Holiday!!!
Sincerely,
Patricia Tallman
Be A Santa

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

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

DISCUSSION TOPIC
Now that the new season is in full swing, what do you think? Are
there a few series out there that you like? How about Moonlight,
Journeyman, Bionic Woman? Are there others to mention?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. There
are some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic you
want to respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS
Robert Foxworth - November 1
John Vickery - November 4
Damian London - November 12
Tracy Scoggins - November 13
Mackenzie Gray - November 22
Dwight Schultz - November 24
Louis Turenne - November 26
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. - November 30

If you have others that you would like to add to the list, please
send them along.

BABYLON 5 PODCAST
Welcome to Show #88!

Jeffrey enlightens us as to what its like to live "in fire", and how
to avoid problems and still managing to keep abreast of the World
Series.

Deep Geeking: Tim, Summer and Jeffrey talk about "Exogenesis". Don't
forget, this is the episode where Steve "Snackman" Thorpe, Carrie
Dobro and Jeffrey all appear as med techs (we didn't, and we have a
little fun with Jeff about that).

While this episode is really a low mark in Season 3, there are a few
tidbits in it that reflect in later episodes, and later character
behavior. We see the first time that Marcus and Franklin work
together, we find out a little more about Corwin, and we witness a
comedy of errors that leads to Ivanova inadvertently encouraging
Marcus' romantic intentions.

We can only imagine what this episode might have been like if JMS'
creative process hadn't been so greatly interrupted.

B5 Audio Drama: The Three-Edged Sword Episode 17:  "Questions of
Authority" (TS: 21:52-27:25) What you're hearing here on The Babylon
Podcast is just a small part of the story; the full audio drama can
be heard at Voices of Babylon, so what are you waiting for? Head over
and check them out!

Remembrances: Jeffrey and John Radulovich pay tribute to producer /
director Richard Compton, who passed away on August 11.

Your feedback does matter, and is welcome! You can call us at 206-338-
2259, or email us and tell us what you think; and likely hear it
played or read on the show. Please try to keep the voicemail comments
as brief as possible.To catch up on all the previous Babylon
Podcasts, go to BabylonPodcast.com or here at The Zocalo Today on
Podcast Page.

NEW SCI-FI PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times #146: HEROES: Zachary Quinto, who's made a name for
himself as brain-devouring wannabe hero Sylar, talks about his return
in Season Two, and his latest role, as the young Spock in the
upcoming Star Trek movie; BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Michael Trucco
discusses the fourth season of the show, in which his character, Sam
Anders, not only has his wife return from the dead but must also hide
the discovery that he's a Cylon; SARAH JANE ADVENTURES - Gareth
Roberts explains why writing for Sarah Jane isn't far removed from
writing for Doctor Who and we attempt to prise information out of him
about his Season 4 Who story and JOURNEYMAN: Former Rome star Kevin
McKidd introduces his new series, in which he plays Dan Vasser, a man
who inexplicably finds himself bouncing around through Time, righting
wrongs.

Starburst Issue #356: STAR TREK: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the
making of the high definition, all-new special effects laden re-
mastering of The Original Series with production supervisors Mike and
Denise Okuda; BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR - The wait is almost over!
The production team give us the lowdown on what to expect from the
new TV movie, focusing on the events aboard the Battlestar Pegasus!
HEROES: Star Ali Larter chats about her role in the first successful
season of the hit Sci-Fi show, and discusses what the future may hold
for Niki and Jessica Sanders in Season 2. STARGATE ATLANTIS:
Executive producer N John Smith discusses the 10-year legacy of SG-1,
the show's new DVD movies, and the eagerly anticipated Atlantis
Season 4; LOST: Will the show sink or swim? Producers Carlton Cuse
and Damon Lindelof share their thoughts on the ebb and flow of the
third season of the show.

NEW DVDS COMING OUT:

X-FILES - THE COMPLETE COLLECTOR'S EDITION

The time has come for all truths to be known and fans to believe once
again as Fox Home Entertainment exposes the complete world of "The X-
Files" with the remarkable 61-disc DVD collection THE X-FILES--THE
COMPLETE COLLECTOR'S EDITION, landing November 6th as one of this
year�s must-have ultimate giftset collections. Packaged in an
exclusive limited edition mega-boxset featuring several collector
items including Season One comic book, classic art cards, theatrical
poster and more, THE X-FILES --THE COMPLETE COLLECTOR'S EDITION is
highlighted by all 201 episodes from the long-running series with
hours of bonus features along with the 1998 feature film The X-Files:
Fight The Future, plus an all-new bonus disc comprised of insider
extras and featurettes that examined the complex web of alien and
government conspiracies within the story arc from all four volumes of
the popular The X-Files Mythology DVD collections. THE X-FILES-- THE
COMPLETE COLLECTOR'S EDITION will be available for the suggested
retail price of $329.98 U.S. / $419.98 Canada.

Beginning as a cult hit in 1993, "The X-Files" quickly become a
worldwide phenomenon, garnering 16 Emmys; and five Golden Globes;
Awards including "Best Dramatic TV Series" during in its nine-season
run. Created by executive producer Chris Carter ("Millennium," "Harsh
Realm"), the series gripped the imaginations of fans around the globe
and launched the careers of David Duchovny (The TV Set, Trust the
Man) and Gillian Anderson (The Last King of Scotland, Playing by
Heart), both honored with "Outstanding Performance" Golden Globes for
their roles. Known for its unique blend of science-fiction/fantasy,
dry wit and intelligence, the series centers on FBI Agents Fox Mulder
and Dana Scully investigating the existence of alien races,
uncovering government conspiracies, and other paranormal and
unexplained phenomenas. Through its nine year run, the series
featured a host of guest stars including Tony Shalhoub, Jesse
Ventura, Alex Trebek, Lili Taylor, Michael McKean, Ed Asner, Lily
Tomlin, Kathy Griffin and Richard Belzer, to name a few.

TOP NEWS STORIES FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2007
TIME CHANGE:
I hope you all remembered to change your clocks last night! That
extra hour of time made a big difference this morning! Its a shame we
won't feel the same about it tomorrow.

WATCHMAN
Some new updates for Zack Snyder's adaptation of the Alan Moore comic
WATCHMEN appeared online courtesy of Warner Bros. The official site
for the upcoming film has been updated with a new production blog
from Snyder as well some photos of the production office. Zack also
hinted we should expect something soon in November in regards to the
production. The film stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley,
Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman,
Carla Gugino and Stephen McHattie.

Plot Concept: Set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed
superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and
the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet
Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of
his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less
determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to
kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects
with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired
superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a
wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared
past and catastrophic consequences for the future.

DISTRICT 9
According to Variety, Directors Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp have
set up a new sci-fier called DISTRICT 9. The trade reports that
Jackson and Blomkamp spawned this new idea from their work on getting
HALO made, before that fell apart at budget approval time. Blomkamp
plans to direct this production set to begin spring of 2008 while
Jackson produces through his company Wingnut Films. The plot details
are being held for this sci-fi concept until they reveal it to
distributors later today at AFM. Weta Workshop will be handling the
visual effects for the production.
"For the last year, my team and I have had the pleasure of working
very closely with Neill," Jackson said. "He has a passion and a
command of the language of cinema that will result in 'District 9'
fascinating people all over the world."

WRITERS STRIKE TO BEGIN MONDAY
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the federal mediator in the WGA's
contract talks has summoned negotiators to a last-ditch meeting, set
for 10 a.m. Sunday, in an effort to avoid a writers strike. The place
for the meeting -- just called by Juan Carlos Gonzalez of the Federal
Mediation & Conciliation Service -- hasn't been pinned down yet. The
dramatically positive development Friday evening follows news earlier
Friday that the WGA West board and WGA East Council had accepted a
negotiating committee recommendation and set a writers strike for
12:01 a.m. Monday. Barring a weekend agreement to forestall the
walkout, pickets are expected at studios and networks on both
coasts. "We have 48 hours and what we really want to do is not strike
and come to a resolution," John Bowman, chair of the WGA's
negotiating committee, said at a news conference Friday to announce
the strike decision.

According to Variety, some networks have planned to air the remainder
of their scripted/filmed series in between repeats for the rest of
the season. Others are expected to bring over their cable network
programs to their primetime lineups such as Universal-NBC bringing
over repeats of Battlestar Galactica, The 4400, Monk, etc to their
NBC lineup. FX may bring over Niptuck, The Shield, Rescue Me
programming to their network to air alongside 24 and Prison Break
repeats.

HEROES
TV Guide reports that with the writers strike confirmed to start on
Monday, "Heroes" is going back and shooting an alternate ending to
the Dec. 3 episode that, if used, would allow the episode to function
as a season finale. The magazine says that originally, the episode
was only supposed to serve as the conclusion of the
current "Generations" arc.

KINGS
Variety reports that NBC has greenlit production on KINGS, an modern
retelling of the King David story written by Michael Green ("Heroes")
and directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend. Green and Lawrence
will serve as executive producers, as will 3 Arts Entertainment's
Erwin Stoff. KINGS will be set in a modern city that's a sort of meta-
New York City (think Gotham City, but not as dark). The city will is
the center of a kingdom financed by a wealthy entrepreneur who's
benefited from the constant state of war in the kingdom. The first
season plot will have a young solider catapulting to fame via a
heroic act that pits him as a David vs. a much stronger Goliath.
He'll ultimately end up running the kingdom.

MR. UNTOUCHABLE
According to Variety, Showtime is teaming with Forest Whitaker to
develop MR. UNTOUCHABLE, a drama series that will chronicle the true
story of flashy Harlem heroin dealer Leroy "Nicky" Barnes. Barnes is
portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the Ridley Scott film American
Gangster, which opens today. Variety says the Showtime project has no
official connection to Scott's pic, nor is Gooding involved.
Instead, "Mr. Untouchable" is based on helmer Marc Levin's just-
released Magnolia documentary of the same name. Whitaker and Levin
will executive produce the Showtime series, with David Burke ("Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit") serving as writer and exec producer.
The series will tell the story of how Barnes built a drug empire in
the 1970s that rivaled that of the Italian Mafia. It will show how he
rose to great heights, but with his success coming at the expense of
his Harlem community. The series will also detail the government's
war on drugs and how it failed for years to bring Barnes down.

POSSESSION
BUFFY's Sarah Michelle Gellar will star in the upcoming supernatural-
tinged psychological drama POSSESSION. The film deals with a woman
whose husband and brother-in-law both end up in comas, when the
brother-in-law awakes and claims to be her husband. "It's sort of
like a play and a movie all combined," Gellar said in a recent
interview to promote her upcoming SF movie, SOUTHLAND TALES. "It's
about a woman, a young ... career-minded woman, married to a more
artistic type, and they live with her brother-in-law because he's out
on parole—that's how they met; she was his lawyer. And her and the
brother-in-law don't get along very well. And there's a terrible car
accident. And they're both in a coma." Gellar's character finds her
life turned upside down. "And she gets a phone call one day that one
of them has woken up, but you don't quite know who," Gellar
said. "When she gets there, she finds out it's her brother-in-law.
They can't stand each other. And her husband is still obviously in a
coma. And she has to take him home. ... "But the odd thing is, he
believes that he's her husband," Gellar added. "And the question is:
Is it her husband? Is he faking? Does she want her life back so bad
that she's willing to believe [it] and convince herself about
something that's not there? Or is it possible that somehow his love
came back to her?" The movie also stars Lee Pace (TV's Pushing
Daisies) and Michael Landes (TV's Special Unit 2). As for the title,
it was previously ADDICTED. "Depends on what week you catch the
title," Gellar joked. "I'm still not entirely sure what the title
is." POSSESSION is slated for release sometime in the spring of 2008.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR
Stephanie Jacobsen plays the new character Kendra Shaw in the
upcoming BATTLESTAR GALACTICA prequel telefilm RAZOR. She talked with
reporters about her experience with the project and said that the
show's veteran cast made her feel welcome on the set during
production. RAZOR follows Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) as he assumes
command of the battlestar Pegasus and also recalls events of nearly a
year before, on the eve of the Cylon attack, involving then-Pegasus
commander Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes) and her ambitious,
conflicted protege, Shaw. "I have to say that I didn't feel like an
outsider stepping in at all," Jacobsen said. "Everyone was just
wonderful. So I didn't have that to draw from. Everyone was helpful
and accomodating, welcoming, very open, very generous with me in
every which way. So I didn't have that sort of same solitary
experience working on Battlestar as my character did. But ... coming
in as someone who was completely new to the environment and new to
everyone who was already established there was akin to the character.
So I guess there was that correlation." Jacobsen said that she shares
many scenes in Razor with Michelle Forbes and came away impressed by
her co-star. "Oh, she is almost like a force of nature, in a way,"
Jacobsen said, adding: "Her focus and her intensity, I have to say
she made this one of the easiest jobs I've ever done, in a sense,
because responding to what she provides on set as a fellow actor is
absolutely effortless. It's like she does almost everything; you just
have to listen to her and watch her. Yes, she's incredible. I'd
recommend working with her to anyone." BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR
will premiere on Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The upcoming fourth and
final season of the show kicks off in early 2008. SCI FI, meanwhile,
announced that RAZOR will screen threatrically in special preview
screenings in select movie theaters on Nov. 12.

THE BOX
James Marsden ("X-Men" films, upcoming Enchanted) has joined Richard
Kelly's new horror film, THE BOX, with Cameron Diaz and Frank
Langella. Marsden and Diaz will play an unhappily married couple who
receive a box from a stranger who tells them that if they push a
button on the box, they'll receive a hefty amount of cash -- and
someone they don't know will die.

KNIGHT RIDER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Justin Bruening (All My
Children) will be leading the cast of the new two-hour backdoor
pilot, KNIGHT RIDER. The trade reports Bruening will play the son of
Michael Knight, the character played by David Hasselhoff in the
original series. Like Bruening, Hasselhoff was a soap star (The Young
& the Restless) with few other credits when he landed the role. Doug
Liman and Dave Bartis are executive producing for Universal Media
Studios and Dutch Oven Productions. Steve Shill is set to direct and
co-exec produce it.

HEROES: ORIGINS
Variety reports that NBC has shelved plans for HEROES: ORIGINS, a
spinoff series of its hit show, and the possibility of a writers'
strike contributed to the decision. Production has been halted
indefinitely on the planned six-episode spinoff. It had attracted
such talent as feature directors Eli Roth and Kevin Smith and writer
Michael Dougherty (Superman Returns). NBC had planned to debut the
show while HEROES was on hiatus. HEROES also has been facing
sophomore growing pains, losing some key staff members, the trade
paper reported. Insiders told Variety that HEROES: ORIGINS isn't
completely dead and could very well be revived at a later date,
perhaps as soon as next season.

INDIANA JONES 4
The official Web site for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull has posted video of the wrap of principal
photography on Oct. 11 in New Mexico. The movie now moves into its
lengthy post-production process, which will likely include visual
effects, editing and scoring of the fourth installment in the popular
franchise. The video offered glimpses of many of the movie's
principal cast, including the first looks at John Hurt and Jim
Broadbent in what appear to be costumes. The final scene also appears
to feature star Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones' civilian garb as a
college professor. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
is slated for release on May 22, 2008.

HYPERACTIVE
According to Variety, MTV Films has picked up the feature rights to
Scott Christian Sava's forthcoming graphic novel HYPERACTIVE, about a
teen whose hyperactive metabolism enables him to move with incredible
speed and agility and catches the attention of a pharmaceutical
company that wants to extract his DNA.

X-FILES
It's official: 20th Century Fox announced yesterday that a second The
X-Files movie is in production, with a release date of July 25, 2008.
The sequel reunites stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson under
the direction of series creator Chris Carter, who co-wrote the
screenplay with former X-Files executive producer Frank Spotnitz. The
as-yet-untitled movie is being kept a secret, but Fox said that the
story will be a stand-alone mystery that also takes the relationship
between Duchovny's Fox Mulder and Anderson's Dana Scully in
unexpected directions as Mulder continues on his quest for the truth
and Scully remains inextricably tied to her partner's pursuits.

UP
Pixar announced that their newest animated feature film, UP, will be
written and directed by MONSTERS, INC's Pete Docter, along with
writer Bob Peterson (FINDING NEMO), Pixar helmer Brad Bird
(RATATOUILLE). The movie, about which little is known, is set for
release in 2009. "I think it's a really great, emotional, whimsical
[story]," Bird said in an interview while promoting the upcoming DVD
release of RATATOUILLE. "It's not like any other Pixar film." Up will
follow Wall*E, which is due for release on June 27, 2008. Rumor has
it that UP will tell the story of a 70-year-old man who teams up with
a wilderness ranger to fight monsters. Although the story will
reportedly be aimed at a more mature audience, it will still have the
typical Pixar appeal. "I think kids will like it," Bird said. Pixar's
upcoming animated film, Wall*E, also marks a departure for Pixar:
It's the studio's first science fiction movie, about a robot in the
far future. "Wall*E is not like any other Pixar film," Bird
said. "RATATOUILLE is very different from CARS. CARS is different
from THE INCREDIBLES. One of the wonderful things about Pixar is
they're always looking for a different way to tell a story. And they
are passion-driven projects. ... These films are more emotionally
invested in from the word go. And they feel that that kind of passion
to see it get made is what's going to carry it through."

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
Director Terry Gilliam will reteam with his Brothers Grimm star Heath
Ledger on THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, a fantasy movie about
Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), who has the gift of guiding the
imaginations of others, Variety reported.

DOLLHOUSE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
creator Joss Whedon is returning to television with "Dollhouse," a
new sci-fi project starring "Buffy" alumna Eliza Dushku that has
received a seven-episode commitment from Fox. "Dollhouse," from 20th
Century Fox TV, is Whedon's first TV project since his 2002 Fox
drama "Firefly." The drama, whose license fee is said to be in the
$1.5 million-$2 million-per-episode range, stars Dushku as Echo, a
member of a group of men and women who are imprinted with different
personalities for different assignments. In between tasks they are
mind-wiped, living like children in Dollhouse, a futuristic dorm/lab.
They have no memories of their previous lives, until Echo begins to
try to find out who she was. "Joss has been my favorite friend,
genius, ally and confidant in the business since I was 17," said
Dushku, who also will serve as a producer on the project. "It's
incredible how much energy and excitement I have for this; I can't
wait to be this Echo character." "Dollhouse" came out of a lunch
between Whedon and Dushku in September, shortly after the actress had
signed a development deal with 20th TV and Fox. Whedon was giving her
advice about writers and types of shows that might be good for her
but wasn't interested in venturing into TV himself because he was
trying to get a couple of movie projects off the ground at the
time. "In the middle of the conversation, I went, 'Oh, God. I thought
of the show, and I had the title,' " Whedon said. Dushku came on
board immediately. Within a week, the show was set up Fox and 20th
TV. Broadcast networks had been pursuing Whedon for years, but he had
been focused on features. "It was a really welcomed surprise," Fox
entertainment president Kevin Reilly said of getting Whedon's pitch
for "Dollhouse." Reilly and Fox entertainment chairman Peter Liguori
called the decision to pick up the show "a layup." "Joss is not only
one of the more innovative show creators out there, he is an
unbelievably accomplished showrunner," Liguori said. "It was a
creatively inspired idea, and the fact that he wanted to do it with
Eliza was the cherry on a sundae." Whedon met with Reilly and 20th TV
chairman Dana Walden for several hours Tuesday afternoon talking
about "Dollhouse." "You can imagine a really exciting, timely,
emotional show that will be packed with his signature storytelling
involving humor, emotions and themes that are relatable," Walden said
after the meeting. Although an agreement on the project was reached a
month ago, the deal didn't close until this week, so writer/
executive producer Whedon hasn't started writing it. With a writers
strike considered imminent, he might not be able to finish it any
time soon. "I'll hit the ground running, and I'll work until I'm
supposed to, then I'll stop dead in my tracks and will pick up my
picket signs," he said. Although it interferes with his work
on "Dollhouse," Whedon is in favor of a strike. "I think the issues
are extremely serious, and I think the studios are extremely
entrenched," he said. "No one wants a strike, but it has to happen
because (the studios) would not listen. I support it and will do
anything to fight for the creative rights that the people deserve."

GHOST TOWN
THE 4400 star Billy Campbell has joined Tea Leoni, Ricky Gervais and
Greg Kinnear in the supernatural romantic comedy GHOST TOWN for
DreamWorks and Spyglass Entertainment. The Hollywood Reporter
indicates that the story centers on a dentist who dies briefly during
routine dental surgery and gains the ability to see dead people who
ask him for help in contacting the living. Campbell will play the
love interest of Leoni's character, a widow whose deceased husband-
turned-ghost (Kinnear) is trying to thwart her imminent marriage.
David Koepp is directing from a script he wrote with John Kamps.
Campbell played the messianic Jordan Collier in USA Network's 4400.

GROUNDED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Disney has acquired GROUNDED, an
SF comedy script by Paul Davidson; the movie's story is being kept
under wraps.

DIARY OF THE DEAD
Although George A. Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD won't be released until
next year, Artfire Films and Romero-Grunwald Productions have already
given a green light to another zombie sequel, which Romero will
direct from his screenplay, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The
instant sequel, which will be offered at the American Film Market,
will pick up where the first film ends. Fighting their way out of a
mansion through a horde of ravenous zombies, the survivors of Diary
escape to a remote island only to be plunged into another battle with
the dead. Principal photography is set to begin in the spring. DIARY
premiered at September's Toronto International Film Festival, where
Cinetic sold North American and Mexican rights to the Weinstein Co.

THE TELL-TALE HEART
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Ridley and Tony Scott's Scott
Free Productions are developing TELL-TALE, a modern-day movie that
will reimagine Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale "The Tell-Tale Heart."
Michael Cuesta will direct Dave Callaham's script, which is a
psychological thriller that sets Poe's story against the backdrop of
modern science. The Poe-inspired film will be produced by Ridley
Scott, Tony Scott and Costigan, as well as Social Capital's
Christopher Tuffin and Martin Shore. The film will be shot in early
2008. Casting is under way.

SPIDER-MAN 4
It seems that SPIDER-MAN 4 now officially has someone attached to the
project. After months of searching, Entertainment Weekly reports that
Sony has hired James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Rundown) to write the
script for this fourth installment of the web-hurling superhero. The
magazine also reports that Sony wishes this fourth film to be
released in 2009. This kind of timeframe puts Sony and Vanderbilt
under some time constraints because Vanderbilt will not be able to
write anything during the WGA strike, something which could take
effect tomorrow at midnight if the union decides to take that course
of action. No word as to whether Sam Raimi, Toby Maguire or Kirsten
Dunst will be attached to the project.

BOND 22
Things are moving fast on the JAMES BOND front. It was confirmed that
Paul Haggis has just handed in his final draft of the "Bond 22"
screenplay ahead of the upcoming writer's strike. Meanwhile MGM
chairman and CEO Harry Sloan confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that
the studio has signed Daniel Craig to do four more "James Bond"
movies after 'Royale'. Theme song singers for "Bond 22" are already
being talked about with the likes of "X-Factor" winner Leona Lewis
and HIM frontman Ville Valo dubiously suggested by the British
tabloids this week. Finally Italy is looking to be a the site of much
filming according to MI6 which says that Grand Hotel Gardone and
Locanda Punta San Vigilio Hotel on the edge of Lake Garda are to be
scouted shortly. The Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps, and Matera in
the Basilicata region are apparently set for shoots.

HEROES
Everyone who has met STAR TREK's Nichelle Nichols at a convention or
personal appearance knows she is a "class act". Now the cast of
HEROES is getting the chance to find this out, first hand. Dana
Davis, who plays Monica Dawson on the show told reporters that she's
been thrilled and honored to share the screen with her. Nichols is
the latest addition to the show's large ensemble cast, and she plays
Monica's grandmother, who is referred to as Nana. "Wow, I hate to
admit this, [because] I'd like to keep my game face on, but when I
found out that Nichelle was joining the cast, one of the producers
told me, and he said, 'Guess who's playing Nana?'" Davis said during
a Oct. 25 conference call. "And I was like, 'Who?' And he
goes, 'Nichelle Nichols.' I was like, 'Shut up!' And I remember I
punched him. I was so excited I called my manager, and they were
like, 'No way.' Everyone was so excited." Davis added: "My mom was
more excited that I was working with Nichelle than that I was on
HEROES. She was like, 'Will you please tell Nichelle that I
said "Hi."?' And I'm like, 'Mom, I can't just say, "Hey, guess what?
My mom says 'Hi'"' But it was so cool. It was surreal. I mean, ...
she has so much grace and beauty, and I always joke that I'm totally
upstaged by her because we'll, like, walk into a room, and people
will be like, 'Nichelle! ...' And it's like, 'Hi, I'm here, [too,]
guys.'" HEROES airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING
Guillermo del Toro, who is producing the film adaptation of Neil
Gaiman's comic-book miniseries DEATH: THE HIGH PRICE OF LIVING,
believes Gaiman is the right choice to direct the film, even though
he's never directed a full-length feature before. "I think that if
anyone knows that character, it's him," del Toro said in an interview
on the set of his current directorial project, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN
ARMY, in Budapest last week. "And then, if we need to create a
support structure, we will. I mean, there is without a doubt no one
more qualified to tell that story than Neil Gaiman in my mind." The
character of Death, as embodied by a perky young goth woman, first
appeared in Gaiman's critically acclaimed comic-book series Sandman.
In the three-issue miniseries DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING, she
takes human form in order to better understand humanity, a ritual
that happens once a century. During this time, she befriends a
suicidal teen and teaches him the value of life. Gaiman's only
directing credit to date is A Short Film About John Bolton, a
fictional story about the real-life artist told in documentary style.
Earlier this year, Gaiman visited the set of HELLBOY II to learn from
del Toro and observe him at work. "We talked a lot," del Toro
said. "We talked about him directing as soon as possible." Del Toro
expressed his confidence in Gaiman's vision as both a writer and
director. "I think that Neil is a guy that thinks in terms of ideas
and very concrete images," he said. "He's not an artist in the sense
that he's not a draftsman, but he is the creator of that
universe. ... I think there's a great advantage to not knowing how
things should be done. People just go and make them happen, because
they don't know that they are impossible. ... I prefer first-time
mistakes than 10th-time mistakes. I think these guys are going to
have first-time things that no one else is going to do. So hopefully
it will happen."

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
Variety reported on August 14, 2007 that New Line hired Len Wiseman
to direct the remake to the John Carpenter cult classic. This film
already has Gerard Butler attached to portray the Snake Plissken
character, something which made headlines last spring. The film would
be written by BLACK HAWK DOWN scribe Ken Nolan, produced by Neil
Moritz and executive produced by the original's producers John
Carpenter, Ori Marmur, Ron Halpern and Frederic Sichler. This is
verified information about the film. Brett Ratner was reported to
have attached to the film but it is now reported that he is not
involved with the project.

WONDER WOMAN PROJECT STALLED
WONDER WOMAN Producer Joel Silver told reporters that the project has
been placed on the back burner in light of another impending
superhero film. "They're going to make the JUSTICE LEAGUE movie, and
we're kind of pausing on WONDER WOMAN now," Silver said in a news
conference while promoting FRED CLAUS. "Let them go ahead and do that
picture [first]." The Amazon superhero from the DC Comics series will
be a major part of the upcoming JLA. "And if that comes together,
WONDER WOMAN will be a part of that story," Silver said. "And then
we'll see where we go from there. But we struggled with it for a
while. I hope that we can solve it and make it one day." WONDER WOMAN
was originally to be written and directed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer
creator Joss Whedon. But he dropped out of the project because of
creative differences with Silver and the studio. Since then, the
movie has been moribund.

CONVENTION CALENDAR:

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

That is about it for now.  I hope that you will begin to think about
supporting Penny Lane this year.  Last year they did a tremendous
job – and they have for a lot of years now. Patty Tallman has been
out there every year trying to make a difference – and I hope that
you will help her in her efforts this year.

Don't forget to visit the website (http://www.isnnews.net) often.  It
is updated daily with news from around the world of science fiction,
film and video.

Until next time,
Be Safe.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – October 21, 2007

What's New

THE CHANGELING
Production pictures are starting to show up on the internet from THE
CHANGELING, the story written by J. Michael Straczynski and now in
production with Clint Eastwood directing.

Angelina Jolie is all smiles with costar Devon Gearhart on the L.A.
set of their new '20s-era thriller THE CHANGELING on Thursday.
Director Clint Eastwood was also seen around set, which is in San
Dimas (a suburb of Los Angeles). In the film, Gearheart, 12, plays
the son of Angie's character named Jeffrey. Angie's character
suspects the boy who comes back to her after being kidnapped is not
hers. More photos from the set can be found at
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/10/16/angelina-jolie-the-
changeling/.

It is a bit sad that none of the reports I've seen about the movie
has mentioned the writer—J. Michael Straczynski.  Clint Eastwood and
Angelina Jolie are getting the headlines on this one!

THE CHANGELING
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore and
John Malkovich have joined Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING, a true life
drama that Clint Eastwood is directing for Universal and Imagine. The
story follows a woman (Jolie) whose son goes missing in 1920s Los
Angeles. The police return the wrong child and the woman is thrown
into an insane asylum for disagreeing with the LAPD. When it seems
that her real son has been murdered by a child serial killer and the
child returned admits to fraud, she takes her case to the city
council and takes down the mayor, the police chief and several
corrupt officers, concurrently sparking changes in the insanity
legislation. Donovan will play a police captain, Feore the chief of
police and Malkovich a reverend. Also joining the cast are Jason
Butler Harner ("John Adams"), who portrays a mechanic accused of
murdering the woman's son, as well as Amy Ryan and Michael Kelly.
Donovan is the star of USA Networks' "Burn Notice," the Matt Nix-
created show that became a hit this summer. Feore will be seen as a
series regular on the upcoming season of Fox's "24," in which he
plays first husband opposite Tony winner Cherry Jones as the
president. Malkovich will next be seen starring in Robert
Zemeckis' "Beowulf" and stars in "The Great Buck Howard."

WRITER'S STRIKE
The Hollywood Reporter and other sources reports that writers have
voted for a strike that could take place any time after the current
contract ends at the end of October. Votes were sent out to the some
8000 members and 90.3 percent of the returned ballots voted to
strike.

BABYLON PODCAST #86
Tim, Summer, Jeffrey and Mike welcome in-studio guest Keith, and
together we celebrate the end of LostTalesaPalooza, and rejoice The
Return of the Deep Geeking (Series Edition)!

Jeffrey poses a question to all: why wasn't there a dentist on
Babylon 5? We ponder the reasons why;

Deep Geeking: The Deep Geeking commences again with Tim, Summer and
Keith talking about;Voice of Authority, from Season 3.
Listener Feedback: Voicemails, and emails, and riddles; oh my!
Summer misses the Haikus.

Your feedback does matter, and is welcome! You can call us at 206-338-
2259, or email us and tell us what you think; and likely hear it
played or read on the show. Please try to keep the voicemail comments
as brief as possible.

To catch up on all the previous Babylon Podcasts, go to
BabylonPodcast.com or here at The Zocalo Today on Podcast Page.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

BILL BLAIR
Bill has been having a grand time this year. He did the show SAVING
GRACE this past summer and just finished a new pilot for TNT called
FAMILY MAN with William H. Macy, Martin Mull and Annie Potts - hope
it goes to series:-) For more information about Bill, go to
http://www.alienactor.com or www.billblairfanclub.com.

JEANNE CAVELOS
Here is an excerpt from Jeanne's newsletter:
--I was interviewed on the New Hampshire Public Radio program FRONT
PORCH yesterday and discussed the history of science fiction,
specifically the roles played by Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, and H. G.
Wells. You can listen here: http://www.nhpr.org/taxonomy/term/15000.
--I gave a reading from my BABYLON 5 novel CASTING SHADOWS that was
broadcast on two episodes of the radio show DESTINIES: THE VOICE OF
SCIENCE FICTION . You can listen by clicking here
www.captphilonline.com/Destinies.html and scrolling down to the July
27 and August 3 shows.
--In May, I was interviewed for the BABYLON PODCAST about my BABYLON
5 novels. You can listen to the interview here:
http://www.babylonpodcast.com/2007/05/02/babylon-podcast-show-63/

**JEANNE AT THE WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION** I'll be attending the
World Fantasy Convention Nov. 2-4, in Saratoga Springs, NY. I'd love
to see you there! I'll be hosting a Ghost Story Slam Nov. 2 at
midnight, in which many authors will be reading their original ghost
stories, each five minutes or less in length. I may be participating
in other programming, but that's not set yet. You can find more
information here: http://www.lastsfa.org/wfc2007/.

DISCUSSION TOPIC
Now we know that there have been tons of BAD movies produced. To
some, it is a matter of taste, but of all the science fiction movies
produced over the last 10 years (had to limit it somehow), which ones
to you consider the WORST -- and why?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. There
are some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic you
want to respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

NEW DVDS COMING
Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season
Release date: October 23, 2007
Website: http://www.veronicamarsdvd.com"

Synopsis: Hearst College, jewel of the Pacific. A citadel of higher
education set amid rolling lawns and swaying palms. But since Hearst
is in Neptune, California - and since Veronica Mars is among its
incoming freshmen - you know it's also a noir netherworld of lies,
betrayal, secrets and (of course) murder. Veronica, Logan and more of
your VM favorites join cool new characters for a Season 3 of seething
mystery and sardonic wit. College is indeed a learning experience as
Veronica aces a crim class led by a hunky prof, solves the case of on-
campus rapes that began in Season Two, and gives a grad seminar in
sleuthing when two faculty members take sudden, eternal early
retirements. Frosh year is gonna be freaky! Actors: Kristen Bell,
Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs, Francis Capra, Enrico Colantoni, Tina
Majorino

Blue Planet, The: Seas of Life - Special Edition
Release Date: October 2, 2007
Website: http://www.bbcamericashop.com

Synopsis: Blue Planet, The: Seas of Life - Special Edition Before
creating the monumental Planet Earth, producer Alastair Fothergill
and his team from the BBC put together one of the most breathtaking
explorations of the world's oceans ever assembled, The Blue Planet:
Seas of Life. The winner of two Emmy(R) Awards, The Blue Planet: Seas
of Life is the definitive exploration of the marine world,
chronicling the mysteries of the deep in ways never before imagined.
It is now being re-released in an all-new special edition, with an
added 5th disc of bonus programming not included in the original DVD
release. See it again, like never before!

THE BELIEVERS
Release Date: October 16, 2007
For more information, go to http://believersmovie.com/.

Award-winning filmmaker Daniel Myrick returns to his indie roots with
the latest addition to the RAW-FEED series from Warner Home Video.
BELIEVERS, a modern day psychological thriller, is set to be released
October 16, 2007. While on duty, David Vaughn (Messner) and Victor
Hernandez (Huertas), two emergency paramedics, receive a call from a
young girl whose mother has lost consciousness in a deserted area,
but they soon discover that the life they have to save may be their
own. Kidnapped and locked in an isolated building, David tries to
discover the truth behind a secret cult and its beliefs. As Victors
beliefs are challenged and the fine line between religion and science
is crossed, David must find a way to escape and get out, before they
get him.

Roots: The Complete Collection
Synopsis: The series that captivated a nation and made television
history is brought to you in a complete box set that includes
everything about Alex Haley's incredible family saga. The Complete
Collection includes Roots which begins with Kunte Kinte's humble
beginnings in Africa and continues in Roots: The Next Generations
closing with Alex Haley's own life in the 1970's as he embarks on his
research to unveil his roots. The Complete Collection also includes
the Christmas movie Roots: The Gift as well as specially created
special features to celebrate the legacy of Roots 30 years later.

BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT
Considered one of the best science fiction movies made, BLADE RUNNER
has now been restored and remastered. In this release, there are a
number of versions:
The Final Cut Special Edition (2-discs)
Collector's Edition (4-discs)
Ultimate Collector's Edition (5-discs)
Complete Collector's Edition (5 discs)

In celebration of the release of BLADERUNNER: THE FINAL CUT on
December18, Warner Bros. brings all fans the chance to get inspired
and win 5 grand prizes of $1,000 home entertainment system across
different categories.

For more information, go to http://www.bladerunnerthemovie.com".

POLTERGEIST 25TH ANNIVERSARY: DELUXE
Just in time for Halloween, on October 9, Warner Bros. released a
remastered version of POLTERGEIST.

SYNOPSIS: They're baaaack for only one night on the big screen!
Suburbanites Steve (Craig T. Nelson) and Diane (JoBeth Williams)
suddenly experience paranormal activity in their home. What starts
off as minor excitement quickly turns into nasty encounters. The
disappearance of their daughter Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) forces
the Freelings to bring in parapsychologists and a professional
exorcist to exorcise their home.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS #1
by Pat Mills, Wagner & Gibbons
IDW Publishing is proud to kick off its Doctor Who line with monthly
re-presentations of classic Doctor Who comics, featuring some of the
best talents in the business! Up first, adventures featuring the
fourth doctor courtesy of Pat Mills, John Wagner, and Dave Gibbons
(Watchmen). Each issue will feature all-new state-of-the-art coloring
by color artist Charlie Kirchoff, as well as an all-new cover by Joe
Corroney (Star Trek). 32pgs, FC..........$3.99

HEROES MAGAZINE #1
The NBC epic drama, which follows the lives of ordinary people with
extraordinary abilities, is making its magazine debut in the form of
Heroes Magazine! Featuring all the latest news on the second season,
interviews with the cast and crew, and an exclusive insight into the
special effects, this is the ultimate guide to exploring one of the
biggest shows of 2007! (Titan) (C: 0-1-2)
NEWSSTAND EDITION�8x11, 100pgs, FC..........$9.99
PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE�8x11, 100pgs, FC..........$9.99

CONVENTION CALENDAR

November 2-4, 2007
United Fan Con
Place: Springfield, MA
B5 Guest: Tracy Scoggins, Bill Mumy
Other Guests: Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Elizabeth Weir: Torri Higginson,
Classic Star Trek`s Janice Rand: Grace Lee Whitney, TV Icon: Henry
Winkler, Battlestar Galactica's Crewman Cally: Nicki Clyne
For more information, go to http://www.unitedfancon.com.

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

NEWS ON THE SCI-FI FRONT:

As is usual for a Sunday, there isn't a lot of news to report. Ranger
Mac did send along a very interesting link to "Top 50 Dystopian
Movies of All Time" that you may want to peek at -- see if you agree
with those chosen. Go to http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/the-top-50-
dystopian-movies-of-all-time/.

TIN MAN
The trailer for TIN MAN, a new SciFi channel miniseries, has been
released on YouTube. It is loosely based on Lyman Frank Baum's novel
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"; and has a pretty well rounded cast
which includes the likes of Zooey Deschanel, Neal McDonough, Alan
Cumming, Kathleen Robertson, and Richard Dreyfuss. TIN MAN is
scheduled to premiere on the Sci-Fi channel in December 2007.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
It had been rumored for a long time -- and now it is confirmed.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Jorja Fox is leaving CSI. The 39-
year-old actress who plays Sara Sidle says that her decision had
nothing to do with money and everything to with wanting a break from
the commitment of a weekly television series.

"There are all these things I want to do. Some are personal. Some are
professional. And I really need to do some of them before I get too
old," explains Fox. "If I thought the show were on its last legs, I
would have tried harder to stay the course. But I feel like its going
to be around for a while, so if I don't want some of those dreams to pass me by.
I have to get off the ride for a while."

She was invited back for an eighth season (her contract expired in
May) but she was only interested in signing on for a limited number
of episodes. She'll appear in five more this season; her last in
mid-November; before saying goodbye to TV's top-rated drama.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
30 DAYS OF NIGHT topped the box office on Friday and figures to be
the No. 1 movie for its opening weekend. The film, based on the IDW
Publishing comics series by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, brought
in an estimated $6.2 million on Friday. That nearly doubled runner-up
Tyler Perry's WHY DID I GET MARRIED, which had $3.3 million. 30 DAYS
OF NIGHT, which has had mixed reviews, opened in 2,855 theaters. The
film stars Josh Hartnett, who was a guest on NBC's Late Night with
Conan O'Brien on Friday night. 30 DAYS OF NIGHT could become the
sixth comics-based film to top the box office this year, following
GHOST RIDER, 300, TMNT, SPIDER-MAN 3 and FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE
SILVER SURFER.

NOT FORGOTTEN
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Simon Baker (The Guardian) has
been cast in the lead role of Dror Soref's indie supernatural
thriller NOT FORGOTTEN, playing a bank manager in a U.S.-Mexico
border town haunted by the death of his daughter.

THE WOLFMAN
Sir Anthony Hopkins has confirmed that he will star opposite Benicio
Del Toro in Universal's THE WOLFMAN, scheduled for a February 13,
2009 release. "I'm going to do 'The Wolfman' with Benicio Del Toro,"
Hopkins told MTV during an interview for his upcoming movie,
SLIPSTREAM. Hopkins will play Sir John Talbot, father to Del Toro's
Lawrence Talbot, the character who becomes afflicted with the
werewolf curse. Mark Romanek directs from a script by Andrew Kevin
Walker.

GAME
Kyra Sedgwick (TNT's "The Closer") and Michael C. Hall
(Showtime's "Dexter") have joined Lakeshore Entertainment's high-
concept techno-thriller "Game" reports Coming Soon. Set in the near
future, when mind-control technology has taken society by storm. In
this dystopian world, the ultimate online simulation environment is
humans remote-controlling other humans in mass-scale, multiplayer
online gaming. Gerard Butler plays Kable, the No. 1-ranked warrior in
the highest-rated game, called "Slayers." With his every move tracked
by millions, Kable's ultimate challenge is to regain his identity and
bring down the system that has imprisoned him. Written and directed
by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Filming will begin in January.

HEROES
HEROES fans may have noticed several familiar faces in the group
photo glimpsed in last week's episode, "The Kindness of Strangers."
Creator Tim Kring promised that they will soon show up. "We will be
seeing the people ... in the photo," Kring confirmed during a recent
conference call with reporters. "I think all of them will be [played
by the actors in the photo]. I just have to tell you, the photo has
got a life of its own, because, logistically, it was so difficult to
actually come up with this photograph that's used now and refers to
things that are shot well in the future here. It was very difficult
to get that all lined up. But, yes, the photo is as accurate as we
can make it." The photo depicted a character who appeared to be
played by Joanna Cassidy (Blade Runner, Six Feet Under). Kring
wouldn't confirm her casting, but said: "It did look an awful lot
like Joanna Cassidy in there." Another new character in the photo is
the father of Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), and it's the elder
Parkman who's the boogeyman in Molly's (Adair Tischler) nightmares.
The photo also featured the by-now familiar faces of Daniel Linderman
(Malcolm McDowell), Charles Deveaux (Richard Roundtree), Angela
Petrelli (Cristine Rose), Bob (Stephen Tobolowsky) and Kaito Nakamura
(George Takei). With the addition of several new characters so far
this season—including Kristen Bell's Elle, who shows up next week—
Kring admitted that not every character—even major ones—will appear
in every episode. And some characters will die—perhaps even
permanently, Kring acknowledged. "Yes, on a show like this, you have
to be able to fold people in and fold people out," Kring said. "So
the audience should fully expect to see characters leaving in the
near future."

In a recent interview, Kristen Bell, who will join the cast of HEROES
in the Oct. 22 episode, said that her character, Elle, is
duplicitous, manipulative and just "a little off." Bell declined to
divulge Elle's super power, but hinted that the character arrives
with a link to several others, most notably Peter Petrelli (Milo
Ventimiglia), whom she encounters in Ireland. "I have been crossing
my fingers in hopes that I would get a job soon where I could play
someone who was, as [creator] Tim [Kring] likes to call it, 'a little
off,' or perhaps didn't have the brightest and shiniest of
intentions," Bell said. (She spoke along with Kring, the show's
executive producer.) "And I think the depths at which they've written
Elle, this character, she's so conflicted and sort of comes across as
such a victim. It's so much fun to play with." Bell, who many will
know from her role in VERONICA MARS, is one of several new characters
introduced in Heroes' second season. As for Elle's interactions with
the other characters, Bell said, "I have a lot of information about
Peter's past. ... " Kring added: "We introduce the character, and she
is looking for Peter Petrelli. So I think one can assume that she
finds him." Asked if she could reveal anything more about Elle's
power or the character's relationships with the show's familiar
faces, Bell replied, "I can't reveal her secret power. You'll have to
watch next Monday. But it's a very cool power. She has ties to H.R.G.
[Jack Coleman] and Claire [Hayden Panettiere], and I think there's
going to be a very interesting dynamic, I think, between her and
Claire as far as what is and what is not. I think there's going to be
a deeper relationship there than people are expecting. Or they're
going to see maybe some parallels. She also has ties, a little bit,
to Suresh [Sendhil Ramamurthy]." Bell's first episode, "Fight or
Flight," airs Oct. 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

REVOLUTION
SCI FI Channel has given the green light to a two-hour SF
drama/action pilot called REVOLUTION, the story of "New America," a
distant colony on an Earth-like planet struggling for its
independence from an increasingly hostile homeworld. REVOLUTION is
created and written by Ed Redlich (Shark, Without a Trace) and John
Bellucci (Jack and Bobby, Without a Trace), who will both serve as
executive producers, along with executive producer Simon West (Lara
Croft Tomb Raider) and co-executive producer Jib Polhemus for Simon
West Productions. The pilot, from CBS Paramount Network Television,
is slated to begin production in January. New America is a colony
settled by the now-named "United State of America" 50 light years
away on a planet resembling our own. The pilot centers on the Hart
family, one of the founding families of New America. Tom, a former
military man turned industrialist, is the patriarch of the family,
who is facing great pressure from the government to tax the already
heavily burdened colonists. Tom's two sons have struggles of their
own. One is rebelling against his industrialist grandfather and the
old America; the other, more radical one is heading toward
revolution. Tom's 16-year-old daughter, meanwhile, is simply trying
to find her way in the world. The show will also feature a governor
torn between her allegiance to the colony and her desire for peace
and a young ambitious bureaucrat looking to bring the colony back
under control.

THE BIRDS
Variety reports that Naomi Watts will star in and Martin Campbell is
in negotiations to direct Universal's new version of THE BIRDS. The
movie is planned as a reimagining of Daphne du Maurier's original
short story, which inspired Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 classic movie.
Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller will produce through their
Platinum Dunes company, while Peter Guber and Cathy Schulman are
producing for Mandalay Pictures. Stiles White and Juliet Snowden
wrote a version of the script that is still being developed. New
writers may be brought aboard.

DANTE'S COVE
The creators of DANTE'S COVE love the fact that the predominantly gay
and lesbian witches and ghosts in this ongoing campy supernatural
soap opera has reached more of a mainstream audience as it kicks off
its third season. The cast and crew joined a star-studded crowd on
Oct. 16 in West Hollywood, Calif., for a third-season-premiere
party. "It's amazing how many straight science fiction and fantasy
fans have come up to me to tell me how much they love the show and
watch it," said director and show creator Sam Irvin. "There are gay,
lesbian, bisexual and straight people on this show, and certainly
maybe more gay and lesbian characters than most shows, but it seems
to appeal to a mainstream heterosexual audience, too." Described by
critics as a gay campy DARK SHADOWS with both male and female nudity,
DANTE'S COVE has a cast that includes Tracy Scoggins (BABYLON 5),
Gabriel Romero, William Gregory Lee, Thea Gill and Michelle Wolff.
They are joined in the upcoming season by Reichen Lehmkuhl, Jill
Bennett and Jenny Shimizu. "I love being part of it," said Scoggins,
who plays a deliciously evil witch. "It's a lot of fun and very
sexy." Irvin said that the show winks at other horror and SF films,
as well as Aaron Spelling TV series. He added that it's a delicate
balance. "People like the campy aspect of the show and the scare, and
they like the sensuality, too," said Irvin, who pointed to Fred Olen
Ray's gay vampire series THE LAIR as part of a trend. The third
season of DANTE'S COVE debuts Oct. 19.

THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Fox's midseason sci-fi drama THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES is getting
a "Terminator" branding and a Monday night berth. The series, an
offshoot of the "Terminator" feature franchise, has been
renamed "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." It will premiere
at 8 p.m. Jan. 14 and will run Monday night alongside veteran "24."
At its upfront presentation in May, Fox announced a spring launch
for "Sarah Connor" at 9 p.m. Sundays. That evoked parallels to the
run of another sci-fi drama in the time period, "The X-Files," before
the network switched to an all-comedy Sunday lineup. The plan changed
last month after Fox brass opted to extend the upcoming seventh
season of "24" into June. (With a three-hour premiere instead of a
four-hour/two-night premiere and no back-to-back episodes, "24" will
run through June 16.) That led to shifting the return of "24's"
regular companion, "Prison Break," to April so that the two series
can wrap their seasons on the same night, opening the possibility to
launch a 13-episode midseason series on Monday in January. "We came
around thinking this is a golden opportunity to make 'The Sarah
Connor Chronicles' part of the huge surge of excitement in January,"
said Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman, referring to the network's
January rating surge from the return of "American Idol"
and "24." "Fortunately, Sunday night is doing fine with our animated
comedies, so we could do that." TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR, from C2
Pictures and WBTV, stars Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, who, along with
her son John (Thomas Dekker), battle attackers from the future. K-
VILLE originally was to air at 8 p.m. Mondays in the spring,
contingent on a full-season pickup for the freshman series. The New
Orleans cop drama, which has struggled in the tough 9 p.m. Monday
period, is yet to receive a back-nine order but has been given a
pickup of two additional scripts.

WOLVERINE GETS RELEASE DATE
Variety reports that Twentieth Century Fox has set aside May 1, 2009
for the release of X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, a spinoff movie starring
Hugh Jackman, which director Gavin Hood begins shooting later this
year. WOLVERINE is expected to feature many other mutants, including
some new to the film franchise and some from one or more of the three
X-Men films. Liev Schreiber is reportedly in final talks to take on
the role of a younger version of nemesis William Stryker, played by
Brian Cox in X2. This is the first time a title has been confirmed
for the next chapter in the lucrative film franchise, based on the
Marvel comic series. There's been much speculation about the spinoff,
which gained speed when the studio finalized deals with Jackman (who
reprises the role he played in the three X-Men movies), Hood and
writer David Benioff, who penned the script. WOLVERINE will explore
Wolverine's violent and romantic past and his complex relationship
with Victor Creed and the ominous Weapon X program, as well as his
encounters with other mutants. Hood will start shooting in Australia
before moving to New Zealand and, later, to New Orleans. The latter
location is a clue that the storyline might include New Orleans-based
character Gambit, who is able to make objects explode and was a
professional thief before joining the X-Men.

AVATAR
Director James Cameron has arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, to
shoot his 3-D SF epic movie AVATAR, the local Dominion Post newspaper
reported. Some 80 fake-gun-toting, camouflage-wearing stuntpeople and
actors gathered for days of rehearsals in a secret location in the
small Kiwi community. Cameron is shooting the film using a new 3-D
process, and the movie will feature a blend of live-action
photography and virtual photo-realistic production techniques
invented by his team. Some work on the film has already been done in
Los Angeles and Hawaii. New Zealand native Peter Jackson's Weta
Digital effects house is supervising the visual effects, and 31 days
of additional live photography will take place on Weta's soundstages,
the newspaper reported. The cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni
Ribisi, Zoe Saldana and Michelle Rodriguez. Fox will release James
Cameron's 3-D SF epic AVATAR on May 22, 2009, Variety reported.

SUPERNATURAL
Executive producer Eric Kripke confirmed that Friday the 13th's
hockey masked wearing killer Jason Vorhees will make an appearance in
this season's tenth episode. Kripe says "We have cleared the rights
to actually use Jason. We have a twist on it so it is not really
Jason out there, but we found an interesting way to bring him in so
Sam and Dean fight Jason from Friday the 13th".

NEW AMSTERDAM
Fox has put its upcoming immortal cop drama NEW AMSTERDAM on hiatus
effective immediately, though the show hasn't even hit the air yet,
Variety reported. Seven episodes of the series have been produced of
the show's original order; the show was originally intended to debut
this fall, but was bumped to midseason. Insiders told the trade paper
that Fox believes it has a lot on its midseason plate, and putting
NEW AMSTERDAM on hiatus will let executives better evaluate the
episodes already produced.

STAR WARS
George Lucas said Tuesday he is planning a live-action television
series spinoff of the "Star Wars" film franchise. Lucas told The Los
Angeles Times he has "just begun work" on the series, which will not
include the films' major characters Luke Skywalker or Darth
Vader. "The Skywalkers aren't in it, and it's about minor
characters," Lucas told the Times. Lucas wouldn't reveal details, but
joked that the series would be about "the life of robots." Lucas
already has another television series in the works. Lucas Animation
has been working for months on the computer-animated "Star Wars: The
Clone Wars."

VANISHED
According to Variety, Nicolas Cage has jumped aboard "The Vanished."
Its the first studio pic for Hany Abu-Assad, the Palestinian-born
director of 2005 Oscar nominee "Paradise Now." The pic, penned by
Larysa Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan, concerns a father who goes in
search of his college-aged American-born Muslim son, who's missing
overseas. Cage and his wacky hair plugs get to work on "Vanished" as
soon as he's showered from "The Wrestler", a drama he's doing with
Darren Aronofsky.

LOST COMING TO SCI-FI
The Scifi Channel has licensed non-exclusive rights to rebroadcast
LOST beginning in September of 2008. Scifi will be sliding LOST into
its traditional Monday evening block where they've been showing four
hours of a single series, in order, back-to-back ever since picking
up STARGATE SG-1. and simple. Scifi and G4 both have rights from the
first season all the way until its eventual end, so if you've missed
out, the fall of next year will be the perfect time to get back into
it.

BLADE SERIES
Blade is going to return to Spike TV October 19th and 20th. In a two
day marathon, Episodes 1-10 on the 19th and the 20th episodes 11-13.
It starts at 9 am on both days on Spike TV.

CHRIS PINE IS KIRK
According to a post by director Joe Carnahan on his official blog,
Chris Pine has won the role of Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams'
upcoming STAR TREK Trek movie. Carnahan wrote that Pine exited
Carnahan's own movie, WHITE JAZZ, to take on the role of young Kirk
in Trek. "The young man playing Junior Stemmons has opted to 'boldly
go where no man has gone before,' and, thus, had to bow out of White
Jazz," Carnahan wrote. Pine's casting as Kirk has been the stuff of
rumors for a week or so now. TrekMovie.com, meanwhile, reported the
rumored casting of New Zealand actor Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings'
Eomer) as McCoy. Citing an anonymous source, the site confirmed "that
Urban is now in talks for the role of Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, the
role originally played by DeForest Kelley. According to the source,
the deal is not certain, and Urban's schedule seems to be an issue
with a film currently shooting and another in preproduction." Pine
(Just My Luck and Carnahan's Smokin' Aces) joins a cast that includes
Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin,
Zoe Saldana and John Cho. STAR TREK is set to begin production next
month for a Christmas 2008 release.

X-FILES 2
According to X-Files star David Duchovny, he had a lunch reunion in
Los Angeles recently with his co-star Gillian Anderson and series
creator Chris Carter to discuss the long- gestating sequel
movie. "That was nice," Duchovny said while promoting his latest
movie, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE. "I see Chris quite a bit. We live
kind of in the same neighborhood. We live within maybe 10 or 15 miles
of one another. But I hadn't seen Gillian in a while. So it was like
a reunion. It really was. It was more emotional than I would have
though it was [going to be]. If you spend that much time with people
and go through that much, there's a lot of residual feeling." THE X-
FILES 2 is tentatively set to go before the camera in December, with
Carter directing, based on a script he wrote with veteran X-Files
writer-producer Frank Spotnitz. Duchovny will reprise his role as FBI
Special Agent Fox Mulder, and Anderson will return as Special Agent
Dana Scully. The plot remains a secret, but Duchovny expressed his
hope that the second feature film will recapture the essence of the
series, which ran for nine seasons, from 1993 to 2002. The hit show
spawned a spinoff (The Lone Gunmen) and the first movie, The X-Files,
in 1998. "I want us to go out and do what the show always did best,
which is really smart, scary, ultimately ambiguous stuff," Duchovny
said. "I think there's been a lot of shows and movies that kind of
tread the same area, or tried to, and I think we always did it best.
And I hope we can go out and do it best again."

BENIGHTED
Variety reports that Patrick Smith Kelly has been tapped to adapt Kit
Whitfield's werewolf novel BENIGHTED as a film for producer Graham
King and Warner Brothers. Andrew Adamson (The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) is eyeing the project as a
possible directing vehicle. King, who acquired the book in 2006, will
produce via his new company, GK Films. Adamson also will produce.
Rick Schwartz is executive producer. Plot Concept: Set in an
alternate reality in which 90% of the population are werewolves and
the minority human population is responsible for keeping the peace
during the full moon. The book follows the story of Lola, a member of
the police force investigating a series of suspicious, unsolved
murders.

HELLRAISER
Following the recent success of the HALLOWEEN remake, Dimension is
moving ahead on reinventing HELLRAISER, setting Julien Maury and
Alexandre Bustillo to write and direct the remake of one of
horrormeister's Clive Barker's best-known creations. Released in
1987, HELLRAISER told the story of an unfaithful wife who attempts to
assist her dead lover in his escape from hell. The movie introduced
viewers to a race of demons called Cenobites, most notably one
nicknamed Pinhead -- who became one of the most enduring horror
characters of the decade -- who was summoned using an antique puzzle
box. Based on Barker's critically acclaimed novella "The Hellbound
Heart," HELLRAISER was written and directed by Barker and spawned a
lucrative film franchise. Dimension is aiming to make the movie pre-
strike. Senior VP production Matthew Stein will oversee the project
on behalf of Dimension. French filmmakers Maury and Bustillo come to
the project off the strength of their supernatural thriller INSIDE,
about a pregnant woman who loses her boyfriend in a car crash and
subsequently is violently haunted by a mysterious woman. The
Weinstein Co./Dimension picked up the distribution rights to their
film debut this year. The filmmakers said they had the blessing of
Barker to reappropriate his story and also had a playful message to
any horror fans that were ready to trash the idea of a remake, "No
tears, please; it's a waste of good remaking!" Dimension's HALLOWEEN
remake, directed by Rob Zombie, grossed more than $57 million. Maury
and Bustillo are repped by Paradigm.

JUSTIC LEAGUE AUDITIONS BEGIN
Over the weekend, George Miller, director of the upcoming JUSTICE
LEAGUE OF AMERICA flew from his native Australia to audition young
actors for roles in the much-anticipated comic-inspired film,
according to The Hollywood Reporter. The marathon casting session
started Oct. 14 and continues on the 15th, with 35 to 40 actors
testing for roles, including Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash,
Aquaman, Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter. A few nonhero parts
might be testing as well. On the roll call are Adam Brody (The O.C.),
Joseph Cross (Running With Scissors), D.J. Cotrona (Windfall), Mary
Elizabeth Winstead (Final Destination 3), Michael Angarano (Sky
High), Teresa Palmer (Wolf Creek), Max Thieriot (Jumper) and rapper
Common. The cast of NBC's FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is well- represented as
well, with Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki and Scott Porter also among
those testing for parts. No costumes are involved in the tests, which
are being taped as actors read script pages. Miller is looking for
actors to grow into their roles over the course of several movies.
Sources told the trade paper that Miller, known to be a methodical
director, is testing not only for the roles themselves but also how
the actors interact with one another while keeping an eye on the look
of the whole group. The director is due to present his findings to
the studio midweek.

THE HOBBIT
According to the Reuters news service, Ian McKellen, who is wrapping
up the American leg of his world tour in King Lear, said that he
wouldn't mind reprising the role of Gandalf in the proposed THE
HOBBIT, should it happen. Relations between New Line Cinema and Lord
of the Rings helmer Peter Jackson have been thawing, opening the door
for Jackson to direct the prequel film, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's
book. McKellen told Reuters that he was rooting for Jackson to direct
THE HOBBIT but said he had the Oscar-winning director's blessing to
play Gandalf one way or the other. "When Peter announced he had
withdrawn from THE HOBBIT, he sent me an e-mail saying 'Because I am
not going to do it, it doesn't mean you have to do the same,'"
McKellen said. "'Of course, you must play Gandalf whether I direct or
not.'" McKellen added: "I am glad to read that it is looking more and
more likely. ... I would be disappointed if they didn't want to have
the original Gandalf. I suppose if I am still functioning and working
well, it is very likely I would be asked to do it, and if I were, I
would be very pleased to do it."

That's about it for now.
I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.
Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY

Here is a special notice coming your way.

NEVER SURRENDER DREAMS

"Never Surrender Dreams" is a very important phrase to JMS. You can
hear him discuss why this has meant so much to him over the years at
http://www.NeverSurrenderDreams.com.

For the first time ever you can get a framed print PERSONALLY
autographed and inscribed by J. Michael Straczynski. The center
"Never Surrender Dreams" portion is printed on archival paper using
acid free ink. JMS then inscribes and autographs your print. AFTER he
signs it, it is then matted and framed.

You can order the framed print now through October 17 for $87. If you
have questions, go to NeverSurrenderDreams.com.

Ranger Jan sent me an excerpt from "The Foundation" that should be
required reading for everyone.

FROM "THE FOUNDATION"
We are born capable of greatness. It's when we allow ourselves to
become discouraged, to see ourselves as failures, when we fail to
recognize our inherent nobility, that we grow small, and diminish,
and ultimately sacrifice our dreams on the altar of more realistic
expectations of ourselves.

When that happens, we forget who we are, what we are here for, and
what we want to achieve,  knowledge that is always within us...until
we choose not to remember it any longer because the memory pains us,
and because it is easier to settle for less than our dreams demand of
us.

Children sing and dance spontaneously, tell stories without fear,
reveal their thoughts without inhibition, and reach for what logic
tells us should be unattainable. That is who and what we are in our
most elemental form. We do, we explore, we ask questions; we pursue
our heart's desires, we dream of achieving greatness. But as time
passes, we learn fear, we learn to second-guess ourselves, and we
learn to suspect our abilities and our desires. We are told that some
people tell stories, some people dance, and some people sing, but
these things are not for everyone. When we try to express our
innermost thoughts, we are told to be quiet, that no one wants to
hear what it is we have to say, and that even if they did want to
hear it, what we say has no innate value. When we lose the spark of
spontaneity that was born inside us, which is our greatest gift, we
progressively eliminate the possibility of finding joy and purpose,
and inch by inch, our dreams slip away from us.

If we are to be who we are, and what we are; if we are to accomplish
great things, then we must learn the heart's most essential rule:
Never Surrender Dreams.

JMS UPDATE
Here is an update posted in the B5 moderated newsgroup on September
25:

For anybody working in the arts -- writer, director, actor, or any of
the other visual or musical arts -- it's always feast or famine. When
you're down, nobody wants you, when you're up, and can't take on any
other work, that's when everybody wants a piece of you. I've been
luckier than most because my slow periods are still pretty busy, but
there's still a visible arc.

Certainly the last 18 months have been not just busy, but insanely
busy...this is the most frantic period I've had work wise since the
end of B5 when we were finishing up one series, doing 4 TV movies and
launching Crusade and I was getting into the comics field, all at the
same time.

Changeling is less than three weeks from going into production,
offers to directors are going out on World War Z and as soon as
someone says yes it goes into production, Silver Surfer is two steps
away from being greenlit, I'm about two weeks shy of delivering the
first draft of They Marched into Sunlight to Paul Greengrass and Tom
Hanks, another production entity has stepped in to pick up Apocalypse
Al, there's all the comics work (Thor, Silver Surfer Requiem,
Spidey), the script books, the top-secret TV project I've been
working on...and waiting in the wings are at least two more movie
offers that I can take as soon as I finish what's now on my plate.
To some degree, the rest of the year is being complicated by the
coming WGA strike, but honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to
it...it'll be a chance for the first real vacation I've had since
1986/7.

Follow-up (10/3/07):
Yep, the strike authorization vote went out, sent mine back in today.
For those who want to know what's at stake and why there's going to
be a strike, check out http://wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2478.

That's about it for this special edition of The Zocalo Today.

Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – September 22, 2007

WHAT'S NEW

Over the past few weeks, there have been a great number of new
subscribers to The Zocalo Today.  Welcome to all and please feel free
to participate in the discussion topics and send along any new
information you see about Babylon 5.  Many of the actors have been
turning up in new series on TV or in movies on the big screen.  It is
always wonderful to see them in whatever they are working in.  This
week, be sure to listen to the Babylon 5 Podcast
(www.babylonpodcast.com).  One of my favorite people, Peter Woodward,
is the guest interview.  The information posted by Summer, Tim and
Jeffrey is below.

I am off to South Africa on Tuesday, so I won't be updating the web
page as often as I do when at home (unless the hotel has a great
internet connection).  I return in early October.  If something really
important comes out, I'll let you know via e-mail.

BABYLON 5 SCRIPT BOOKS

In case you missed the announcement, BABYLON 5 Scriptbook #12 is now
available.  It includes:

THE SCRIPTS IN VOLUME 12 ARE:
• A View from the Gallery
• Learning Curve
• Strange Relations
• Secrets of the Soul
• In the Kingdom of the Blind
• A Tragedy of Telepaths
• Phoenix Rising

When a fan asked JMS about getting the script books in hardcover, JMS
response was:

It's an interesting idea, and I'll pass it along. I know that the CP
folks are working hard to improve the quality of the covers in the
interim.

(BTW, the stop-the-presses edition (#12) turned out to have some cool
stuff, about 20 pages worth of graphics -- first attempts at rank
insignia, a breakdown on all the signs we see in the show, logos,
props, the command structure, our first attempts at the minbari, narn
and centauri alphabets, and the final Christmas memo I wrote to the
cast and crew in year five -- so much so that we had to do two or
three per page to make it all fit.)

Everybody think good thoughts starting today through Wednesday. Big
(non-B5) things are moving....

For more information on how to order the Script books, go to
http://www.babylon5scripts.com.

BABYLON PODCAST #82
Summer, Jeffrey, and Tim are joined by Brad and Tim A, and the sock
puppets just plain take over the joint. Tim throws out a theory for
JMS' sock puppet escapade, that maybe there was a method behind the
faux madness.

And just how can we convince WB that more B5 product from them would
be just as well received, if not better, with just a little bit of
well-placed advertising? How can it make sense to not advertise a
project because you're worried about the financial risk, when running
an ad in a space targeted to Babylon 5 fans will ensure maximum
saturation in the group most likely and most interested in buying said
project?

Summer's confused and upset about the lack of support and promotion
for "The Lost Tales" DVDs, and Brad wonders if WB does it on purpose.
Which opens up ten other cans of worms, but we want to do more, and in
return, receive more B5 for it.

Interview: Peter Woodward joins an excited B5 crew to talk about his
Babylon 5 experience, which all began with his being late for an
audition for "A Call to Arms", and how Galen's enigmatic nature just *is*.

We hear how yet another cast member would gladly rent out body parts
to continue to do more B5 projects, and gives us as much insight into
Galen as he can without activating the remote zapper feature in JMS's
secret B5 cast & crew implant.

Peter's also been a cog in other genre shows, with appearances in
"Brimstone" and "Stargate", and portraying the Source of All Evil in
"Charmed", and he tells us about growing up watching Doctor Who, and
enjoying science fiction and it's characters, and more.
The Galen-focused show titles get a little silly.

Fan Cast: The Three-Edged Sword Episode 12: "The Aftermath" (TS:
41:04-46:29) We promise to get to the Deep Geeking on "Over There"
next week. Oh, and put down the sock puppets, and slowly back away.
Bonus: Stay tuned after the closing credits… there's an extra treat.
Trust us.

To catch up on all the previous podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com
and here at the Zocalo Today at Babylon Podcasts.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
It's time to get back to Babylon 5 with topics.  As we look back over
the years at the many, many characters and situations related to the
Babylon 5 universe (including Legend of the Rangers), which events
surprised you the most?  Was it the fact that Sinclair was Valen?  Was
it when Delenn became part Minbari/part human?  Was it when …….?????

Send in your comments to sgbruckner@... and I'll share them with
all the readers of The Zocalo Today on the Discussion Page.

NEW BOOKS COMING

HEROES: SAVING CHARLIE
Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing
Group, announced plans to publish a novel based on NBC's Emmy® and
Golden Globe® nominated HEROES. HEROES: SAVING CHARLIE (Del Rey
Hardcover; $23.95; on sale December 26, 2007) by Aury Wallington will
be an original novel based on the characters Hiro Nakamura (Emmy and
Golden Globe Award-nominated Masi Oka) and Charlie (Jayma Mays),
created by executive producer/creator Tim Kring. It is developed
through a licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products
Group.

"One of the more memorable relationships in Season One was Hiro's
first love, the waitress Charlie. We were as smitten as Hiro by that
story and seized the chance to tell the full adventure of Hiro's six
months in the past. Aury Wallington was hand picked by the writers of
the show for her brilliant voice for these characters. The novel is a
welcome addition to the Heroes family," said Tim Kring,
creator-executive producer, "Heroes."

The novel--written with the full cooperation and consultation of the
show's creators-- will tell the story of Japanese office worker Hiro,
who, through the use of his ability to pierce the space-time continuum
and manipulate time, bravely catapults himself into the past to save
Charlie, a small-town Texas waitress with an extraordinary memory,
from being brutally murdered by super-powered serial killer Sylar
(Zachary Quinto). Fans of the television series were given only a
brief glimpse into Hiro and Charlie's relationship as it grew into
love over six time-changing months, but their history is told here
with the depth and insight that only a novel will allow.

STARGATE  ATLANTIS: Casualties of War
It's the first solo novel by author Elizabeth Christensen. Previously
she has collaborated with Sonny Whitelaw on two novels: STARGATE
ATLANTIS: The Chosen and STARGATE ATLANTIS: Exogenesis and they've got
another one coming up called STARGATE ATLANTIS: Blood Ties.
From the back cover of Casualties of War:
Burden of command...

It's a dark time for Atlantis. Following the first Asuran clashes,
Colonel Sheppard is buckling under the strain of command. When his
team discovers Ancient technology which can defeat the Asuran menace,
he is determined that Atlantis must possess it — at all costs.
But the involvement of Atlantis heightens local suspicions and brings
two peoples to the point of war. Elizabeth Weir believes only her
negotiating skills can hope to prevent the carnage, but when her
diplomatic mission is attacked — and two of Sheppard's team are lost —
both Weir and Sheppard must question their decisions. And their
abilities to command.

As the first shots are fired, the Atlantis team must find a way to end
the conflict — or live with the blood of innocents on their hands...
The book is available now at www.stargatenovels.com and soon from
leading book stores in North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand
and so on.

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS:

Starburst Special Issue #83: HEROES: Season One Reviewed! An
episode-by-episode reviews of the entire season. Sci-Fi Gallery - A
must-have photo collection from the Heroes cast's World Tour! Greg
Grunberg chats about the unexpected importance of cop-turned-mind
reader Matt Parkman; Hayden Panettiere - the actress who plays
regenerative heroine Claire Bennet discusses the show's first year and
its future… Masi Oka - the actor talks about the past, present and
future of his Time-bending alter ego, Hiro; Tim Sale - discusses his
job of re-creating the comic-book paintings of clairvoyant hero Isaac
Mendez… and Tim Kring - the series creator chats about Season Two and
the spin-off series Heroes: Origins!

TV ZONE #220: STARGATE ATLANTIS: As Colonel Carter makes a
controversial transfer from SG-1 to Atlantis, actress Amanda Tapping
tells us how she's handling her character's new command role. "The
challenge for me is to temper her being in charge with not abusing
that responsibility and being power-hungry." Sarah Jane Adventures -
Actress Elisabeth Sladen tells us about becoming the lead in her own
series for the second time, and how Sarah Jane is finding becoming a
`mother' is far more daunting than spaceflight…

NEW COMIC BOOKS:

CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #6
Written by Mark Millar, J. Michael Straczynski and Dwayne McDuffie,
penciled by Steve McNiven and Mike McKone, cover by Michael Turner.
Experience Civil War and its major tie-ins in chronological order! In
Civil War #4, our heroes experience a death! A funeral! A betrayal!
And a team is reborn as the war takes a deadly turn! And in Fantastic
Four, things get worse for Marvel's First Family. The team as we know
it is finished, torn apart by the strife of Civil War! What will
happen to the fragmented family and will some other foursome rise to
take their place? Collecting Civil War #4 and Fantastic Four #541-542.
72 pages, $4.99.

THOR #6
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Olivier
Coipel, variant cover by Art Adams.
Asgard stands once more. Thor has reclaimed his role as the God of
Thunder, and key members of his Norse pantheon stand by his side. The
first arc comes to an end. What will be the new status quo for the
Odinson?
32 pages, $2.99.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

September 29-30, 2007
ASSIMILATION, Florida's Newest Science Fiction Experience
Place: The Radisson Worldgate Resort
City: Kissimmee, Florida
B5 Guest: Tracy Scoggins ("Capt. Elizabeth Lochley" from Babylon 5)
Other Guests: ETHAN PHILLIPS ("Neelix" from Star Trek: Voyager);
RICHARD HORVITZ ("Invader Zim" from Invader Zim); MICHAEL A. STACKPOLE
(New York Times Bestselling Author); GLENDA C. FINKELSTEIN (Acclaimed
Local Science Fiction Author) and ROOSTER TEETH PRODUCTIONS (Creators
of "Red vs Blue")
Further information regarding the event can be found at
www.assimilationcon.com.

October 5-8, 2007
Gaylaxicon
Place: Sheraton Atlanta Hotel
City: Atlanta, GA
Guests include: Jim Grimsley, Georges Jeanty, Selina Rosen, Melissa
Carter, Steve Berman, Rob Caves, James Cawley, David B. Coe, David
Gerrold, Joe Haldeman, Shaun Lyon, Paul Stevens, Laura J. Underwood, &
Toni Weisskopf
For More information, go to http://www.gaylaxicon2007.org/home.htm

October 12 ~ 15, 2007
Daranacon
Place: Kansas City, Missouri
Babylon 5 Guest: Mira Furlan
For more information, go to http://www.daranacon.org/

November 2-4, 2007
United Fan Con
Place: Springfield, MA
B5 Guest: Tracy Scoggins
Other Guests: Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Elizabeth Weir: Torri Higginson,
Classic Star Trek`s Janice Rand: Grace Lee Whitney, TV Icon: Henry
Winkler, Battlestar Galactica's Crewman Cally: Nicki Clyne
For more information, go to http://www.unitedfancon.com.

Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been
changes in dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention Calendar for a
full listing of upcoming conventions.

NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

WEEK OF PREMIERES
The week ahead is full of premieres -- new shows/returning favorites.
As we wait for everything to begin, you can find a lot of previews out
on YouTube.com. There are clips from HEROES, SMALLVILLE. I love
YouTube.com. You can punch in just about any term -- any show that you
love -- and come up with video that is hard NOT to watch. There are
clips from STARGATE, BABYLON 5, shows old and new. It is totally
addictive.

RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION
Milla Jovovich, star of the third and final installment in the popular
action-horror movie franchise RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, said in a
recent interview that she loved getting to play her character, Alice,
in a variety of modes this time around. In the movie, Alice is cloned
and used in various nefarious ways by the evil Umbrella Corporation.
"I tried to think about, like, 'Why does this one die, as opposed to
not?'" she said. "'Why does this one make it past this test, and this
one not make it?' In the beginning of the film, when a gurney
explodes, [the cloned] Alice acts really scared and really emotional.
It stresses her out, and she gets killed by the bomb exploding because
she wasn't in control. Where the original Alice never would have
reacted that big. The original Alice would have always had her head
really well placed on her shoulders. She would never lose control like
that. That's why she survives." The action in the Russell
Mulcahy-directed zombie movie picks up some years after 2004's
Resident Evil: Apocalypse. The Umbrella Corporation has unleashed a
biological catastrophe upon the world, turning Las Vegas, among other
places, into a wasteland. Jovovich will next appear in a cameo role in
the next Wim Wenders film, 8. RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION is in theaters
everywhere this weekend.

PETS
Variety reports that James Gunn (Slither) will write and direct PETS,
an alien-themed comedy produced by New Regency and Ben Stiller's Red
Hour production company. The comedy follows a man abducted by aliens
who want to turn him into a household pet. PETS is the latest in a
series of Regency deals for projects geared to a young male
demographic. The film will be distributed by 20th Century Fox.

HALO
According to Variety, Microsoft is stepping up its promotion of its
upcoming video-game sequel HALO 3 in advance of next week's launch.
The company has been airing ads for the Xbox 360 game since December,
but it will become an inescapable presence on cable networks such as
Spike TV, Comedy Central and SCI FI Channel during the final weekend
before its release on Sept. 25. In addition to commercials, Microsoft
is co-producing original programming to get consumers interested the
Xbox 360 console as well as HALO 3. Tonight, Sept. 22, Comedy Central
will air Fully Loaded, a series of two-minute interstitials hosted by
Mad TV cast member Bobby Lee. They were taped at a star-studded HALO 3
party at the Venetian Hotel's Tao Beach nightclub in Las Vegas timed
around MTV's Video Music Awards and the unveiling of Halo's central
character, Master Chief, at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. On the eve of
the game's release, Spike TV's Game Head show will host a live feed
from the Halo 3 launch event at Best Buy's flagship store in New York
City. It will air during the scheduled broadcast of the James Bond
film GoldenEye. After midnight, the network will air a half-hour
special titled HALO 3: LAUNCHED!, featuring a performance by Linkin
Park and interviews with Halo fans. Finally, on launch day, SCI FI
Channel will air HALO 3: SCI vs. FI, which examines the making of the
game. Co-produced with G-Net Media, the special will air twice on the
network. Programming on the three cable networks—which will feature
actors, musicians and athletes—will supplement the hours of launch
coverage that other channels have planned for Monday, including five
hours of live coverage from the New York launch event on G4. The big
TV push tops the marketing efforts surrounding the release of Halo 2,
which was featured in a single special on MTV. This time, MTV was not
included in the promotion of the game because it is rated M for Mature.

ABC SHOWS ON AOL
AOL has signed a deal with Disney's ABC Television Group which will
give viewers a chance to see ABC's shows on the Web immediately after
their premiere on the network. Variety reported the deal includes both
returning series, such as LOST, and new fall shows, like PUSHING
DAISIES and CAVEMAN. The shows will be screening via a co-branded
version of ABC's broadband player. Up to four episodes of each series
will be available at a time. According to Disney and AOL, this is the
first time ABC has placed its primetime fare on a major portal, and
also the first time any portal has featured a full version of a
broadcast network online video player. AOL will also launch an
embedded short-form player later this year that features original
programming vignettes and clips from ABC programming.

FRANKLYN
Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green and newcomer Sam Riley have been cast in
first-time director Gerald McMorrow's futuristic thriller FRANKLYN.
According to Variety, the film, which moves between contemporary
London and a future metropolis called Meanwhile City that's dominated
by faith, centers on four lost souls divided by two parallel worlds on
course for an explosive collision when a single bullet will decide
their collective fates. Riley has gained attention for his role as
troubled Joy Division front man Ian Curtis in the biopic Control, due
in theaters next month. The cast also includes Bernard Hill, Susannah
York and Art Malik. McMorrow previously directed the award-winning
short Thespian X. The feature's $12 million budget is being financed
by the U.K. Film Council's Premiere Fund, Film 4 and Aramid.

STAR WARS
During an interview with the TV Guide, George Lucas talked about the
state of the various Star Wars television projects in development.
"There's Clone Wars, and we're in the middle of that," he said. "It's
basically like Star Wars [in that it] takes place between, obviously,
Episode II and Episode III, but it's the same kind of action.
Unfortunately, it doesn't fall into the realm of what animation
[typically] is, which is either adult, kind of off-color humor or
kiddie stuff. This is, like Star Wars, sort of in between those two
things. It's a lot of battle stuff, and it's obviously the Clone Wars,
so it's a war picture. ... It's very much like the features. We're
still trying to figure out how to put it on the air." Lucas said that
there are a hundred episodes planned for the series, half of which
should be completed before the first one airs. Lucas and his company
are aiming to premiere the series in the fall of 2008 but are still
considering where it would fit best on the broadcast schedule. "So
far, everybody's got the same conundrums," he said. "'How do we
program it? Where does it live? Where can we put something like this?'
You know, it has to go after 9 o'clock and it can't be on a kiddie
channel." Lucas is also working on a live-action series for television
and said that he expects to be writing it about a month from now. The
series will be set in the Star Wars universe between Episode III and
Episode IV and will feature minor characters from the films. "It's
like Episode IV in that the Emperor and Darth Vader are heard
about—people talk about them—but you never see them because it doesn't
take place where they actually are. There are stormtroopers and all
that, but there are no Jedis. It's different, but I think it's very
exciting because I get to explore a part of that universe that I
haven't been able to explore."

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
Variety reports that Disney has had to push back the release date for
its upcoming sequel film THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN
TREADER to 2010 from its originally announced date a year earlier.
Instead, the May 1, 2009, date will go to G-FORCE, the CG-animated
comedy adventure about guinea pigs as secret agents from director Hoyt
Yeatman (visual-effects supervisor for Mission to Mars, Armageddon and
The Rock) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. DAWN TREADER, the third film
in the franchise based on the books by C.S. Lewis, has been delayed
due to a move in the start of production from January to summer,
pushing the fantasy film's release to May 7, 2010. The production has
had to do some shuffling to work around the schedules of its young
actors and to avoid a potential conflict between shooting the third
film and promoting the second. Michael Apted will direct DAWN TREADER.
Mark Johnson produces with Andrew Adamson, who directed the first two
Narnia films. The story centers on the return of characters Lucy and
Edmund Pevensie to Narnia, where they join Prince Caspian for a voyage
aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. The new release schedule will
give Disney three animated films in 2009. Besides G-FORCE, Pixar's Up
is scheduled for June 12, 2009, while the company's own animation
studio is working on THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG for December of that year.

AVATAR
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Giovanni Ribisi will star in
James Cameron's highly-anticipated 3-D feature Avatar, playing a
passive-aggressive character named Selfridge in the Fox film about a
band of humans pitted against a distant planet's indigenous
inhabitants. He joins a cast that includes Sam Worthington, Zoe
Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, CCH
Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi and Stephen Lang. The
$190 million Avatar is set for release May 22, 2009, and features a
blend of live-action photography and new virtual photorealistic
production techniques invented by Cameron's team. The film features
six computer-generated actors known as "synthespians" and is in
production in Los Angeles and next month starts production in New
Zealand at Weta Digital. Cameron is writing and directing as well as
producing with Jon Landau and Lightstorm Entertainment.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
Variety is reporting that George Miller will be directing the JUSTICE
LEAGUE OF AMERICA live action feature film for Warner Bros. There are
numerous reports confirming this same bit of news over the last two
months. The trade also confirmed previous reports that Warner Bros is
fast tracking this film to the big screen in hopes of it being
released in summer 2009. JLA has already begun casting in New York,
Toronto and Vancouver at the beginning of September. SUPERMAN: MAN OF
STEEL will be taking a back seat according to the report because WB is
very confident of the JLA script by Kieran and Michele Mulroney. Both
Bale and Nolan have expressed reservations about this JLA movie being
started before they've completed their 3rd installment in the series.
Also confirmed is Bale and Routh will play no part in the JLA movie.
Beyond those two characters getting replaced by different actors,
"Justice League" will likely feature Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green
Lantern and Aquaman and WB is planning on using this film as a
launching pad for later seperate franchises, Wonder Woman & Flash.

JOURNEYMAN
During a recent interview, JOURNEYMAN's executive producer Kevin
Falls, said that viewers will initially be as in the dark about what's
going on as the central character, Dan Vasser (Rome's Kevin McKidd).
JOURNEYMAN follows Vasser, a San Francisco newspaper reporter who
finds himself inexplicably thrown back into different time periods
within his own lifetime. He can't control where he goes, but he seems
to have a mission to change the future by affecting the lives of
strangers in the past. "We're going to be like Dan," Falls said. "And
I think that's the strength of the first few shows, is Dan trying to
figure out what's going on, coupled with the fact that he has no
control of it. So in order for him to get back to the present, he has
to finish a leg of his mission, or the procedural, as we call it. So
we want him grasping for answers." In the present, Vasser is married
to Katie (Gretchen Egolf), but in his past he was engaged to another
woman, Livia (Moon Bloodgood). Livia died in a plane crash before they
could wed and is now a time traveler with whom Vasser will interact in
the past. "Ultimately, as we get into the second part of the season,
we'll address more of the bigger mythology of the show and really,
actually, in the first 10 [episodes] tell you why Livia is a time
traveler and what her story is," Falls said. "But as far as what is
the power [that's sending Vasser into the past], that's something
we're not going to reveal, certainly, in the first part of the season.
And that's not to say our characters aren't going to be wondering what
the hell is going on. They have to be." JOURNEYMAN premieres Sept. 24
and will air Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

MONSTERS VS. ALIENS
DreamWorks Animation announced that MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, the company's
first-ever film produced in stereoscopic 3-D technology, will be
released in theaters on March 27, 2009. The film had been previously
slated for domestic release on May 15, 2009, which also happens to be
around the same time that James Cameron's AVATAR, from 20th Century
Fox, is scheduled to hit 3-D screens. "I believe that next-generation
3-D will make our CG films even more special and unique," DreamWorks
CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said in a press release. "We are thrilled to
have MONSTERS VS. ALIENS as the first opportunity for audiences to
enjoy this exciting new movie experience. Moving to a March release
date, which has proven to be a great slot for family films, allows us
to roll out our first 3-D project on the maximum amount of screens as
the year's first big event film to hit the market in this new format."
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS reinvents the classic '50s monster movie into an
irreverent modern-day action comedy. It is being directed by Conrad
Vernon (Shrek 2) and Rob Letterman (Shark Tale), produced by Lisa
Stewart (I Think I Love My Wife) and co-produced by Jill Hopper and
Latifa Ouaou.

SUPERHERO
Variety reports that the team behind SCARY MOVIE 4 (Dimension Films,
producer David Zucker & director Craig Mazin) have picked their cast
for an upcoming spoof on the world of Superhero films titled simply
SUPERHERO. Leslie Nielsen, Brent Spiner, Christopher McDonald, Sara
Paxton, Drake Bell, Kevin Hart, Marion Ross, Ryan Hansen & Jeffrey
Tambor are preparing to poke as much fun as they can at the history of
films relating to this genre. David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss will be
producing while Craig Mazin is returning to the director's chair.
Production began on Monday. SUPERHERO hits theaters everywhere March
28, 2008.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST
Variety reports that Jennifer Garner is in negotiations to star
opposite Matthew McConaughey in New Line's GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST.
Mark Waters (Just Like Heaven) is directing the film from a Jon Lucas
and Scott Moore screenplay. The story centers on a charming womanizer
who is visited by the apparitions of girlfriends past, present and
future while attending the wedding of his younger brother. He
eventually realizes that he is in love with his childhood sweetheart.
Shooting is scheduled to begin in January.

THE BURROWERS
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that writer-director J.T. Petty is
setting the stage for his forthcoming horror film THE BURROWERS with a
webisode series set to premiere on the horror Web site/on-demand
service FearNet. The seven three- to five-minute episodes are based on
the film and tell the story of a family trying to survive in the
wilderness who unknowingly release an evil force when they ingest
infected deer meat. The series will debut in December on FearNet.com
and FearNet's VOD channel, along with a live blog hosted by Petty that
features his production and behind-the- scenes insights. BURROWERS,
written and directed by Petty, chronicles the tale of a rescue party
that becomes the prey of a band of underground creatures. Slated for
release in 2008 by Lionsgate, it stars Clancy Brown, William Mapother
and Sean Patrick Thomas.

AUTHOR ROBERT JORDAN DIES
On September 16, best-selling fantasy author Robert Jordan died of
amyloidosis, a rare blood disease. He was 58. Jordan was best known
for his WHEEL OF TIME series, which began in 1990 with THE EYE OF THE
WORLD. The series, which consists of 11 volumes (plus one prequel
novel), has sold millions of copies worldwide; the 12th and final
novel, A MEMORY OF LIGHT, remained incomplete at the time of Jordan's
death. In the early 1980s, Jordan published several other novels,
including seven CONAN THE BARBARIAN novels, beginning with CONAN THE
INVINCIBLE. Other work includes a historical fiction trilogy (written
under the pen name Reagan O'Neal), which is comprised of THE FALLON
BLOOD, THE FALLON PRICE and THE FALLON LEGACY. Jordan had been
undergoing treatment for amyloidosis since April of last year.
Amyloidosis is a rare blood disease which affects only 8 people out of
a million each year which causes an abnormal protein buildup in
various organs that can permanently damage them. Jordan's condition
was first reported in his March 23rd letter to Locus Magazine. Jordan,
whose real name was James Oliver Rigney, Jr., was born on Oct. 17,
1948 in Charleston, S.C. During the Vietnam War, he served two tours
with the U. S. Army and later attended and graduated from The Citadel
college, with a degree in physics. He is survived by his wife, Harriet
McDougal Rigney.

THE ELEVENTH HOUR
Variety reports that Warner Bros. has cut a massive, multimillion
dollar deal with CBS for the rights to a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced
adaptation of British thriller ELEVENTH HOUR. In addition to agreeing
to film a roughly $4 million pilot, the trade says that CBS has agreed
to produce 13 episodes of the "X-Files"-like project and has agreed in
advance to a pay-or-play license fee of roughly $1.75 million per
episode. All told, it's believed CBS could be on the hook for as much
as $25 million to $30 million. The project reunites the original "CSI"
team of producer Bruckheimer and director Danny Cannon, adding in hot
feature writer Mick Davis (The Invisible). Bruckheimer TV and Granada
International Media are producing via Warner Bros. Television, with
Jonathan Littman and Granada's Robert Green joining Bruckheimer,
Cannon and Jackson as executive producers. ELEVENTH HOUR aired as a
four-part miniseries in the U.K. last year, with Patrick Stewart
starring. The actor played Professor Alan Hood, who's called in by the
government to investigate mysterious cases that involve matters of
science -- from cloning to global warming. The U.S. adaptation is said
to have a tone similar to "The X-Files."

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
There has been a great deal of speculation related to the upcoming
Indiana Jones movie and whether or not Sean Connery would reprise his
role as Indy's father in the project. Executive producer George Lucas
shed some light on trying to get Sean Connery back for INDIANA JONES
AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. The man behind Indy and Star
Wars has told Tv Guide about Sean's retirement playing an effect on
the decision and he's confirmed that there will be no replacement in
the role, opting to change the character completely.
It's just a completely different character, so you're not invested in
him in any way. The fact that that character, after the first part of
the movie, isn't needed doesn't become a problem. Whereas I think with
the scene we had, where [Indy] says goodbye to his dad, everybody was,
"Wait a minute! Isn't he coming back?" So in the end, I think it
turned out for the best. Sean just retired and he wants to stay
retired, and I understand that. [Laughs] I think he just said, "Look,
I've done it, I've done it." He was very tempted, you know, and we
talked for a long time. But in the end, he just said, "Eh, I'm playing
golf."

NEW UHURA NAMED
Variety reports that Zoe Saldana (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of
the Black Pearl) has signed on to play Uhura in J.J. Abrams'
big-screen adaptation of Star Trek for Paramount Pictures. The casting
was rumored on the TrekMovie.com Web site. In the original Star Trek
TV series, Uhura—whose name means freedom in Swahili—was a member of
the bridge crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise who rose to the rank of
commander. Nichelle Nichols played the Starfleet Academy alumna in the
series. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci wrote the screenplay and will
executive-produce alongside Bryan Burk and Damon Lindelof. The film is
set for a Christmas Day 2008 release. Saldana recently wrapped the
Sony thriller VANTAGE POINT and is now filming James Cameron's SF epic
film AVATAR.

SPEED RACER
Emile Hirsch, who plays the lead character in the Wachowski brothers'
upcoming SPEED RACER, has been a fan of the anime series since the age
of 6. Hirsch said in a recent interview with IGN.com that he watched
every single episode in preparation for the role. But he said that the
film's visual effects took some getting used to. "It's hard, because
there was real character work that he had to be doing, but it was
against this green screen, which is just tricky," Hirsch said. "It's
real tricky to shoot on. You really have to keep the jokes flowing and
have a good time. You've got to keep life in the room, because the
green screen will just suck it out of you. So making this movie with
the Wachowski brothers, the jokes kept coming and we all had fun."
Asked how his portrayal of the main character, Speed, differs from
that of the cartoon, he said that he's approaching the role seriously.
"A lot of the characters are sort of goofy," he said. "But Speed is
pretty serious. I mean, he's pretty serious in the cartoon, but in the
movie he's very serious." Speed Racer, which also stars Christina
Ricci, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox, and is set to open May 9, 2008.

CARTOON NETWORK AND DAVID DUCHOVNY
According to The Hollywood Reporter, David Duchovny ("The X-Files"),
Matt Dearborn ("Even Stevens") and Robert Mora ("Phil of the Future")
will produce a live-action project for the network, with Dearborn
scripting. Set in junior high, the series would focus on a student who
follows in his family's footsteps by becoming a pint- sized
journalist, turning the AV club into a TV news broadcast. Cartoon
Network has been branching into the live action world bit by bit. Last
December, the network premiered the telefilm "Re-Animated," which
spawned the live-action spin-off "Out of Jimmy's Head." Duchovny
currently serves as star and executive producer on Showtime's
"Californication," which was just renewed for a second season.

SOUTHLAND TALES
Variety reports that on the eve of the release of his apocalyptic SF
epic SOUTHLAND TALES, director Richard Kelly has joined producing
partner Sean McKittrick and financier Ted Hamm to form Darko
Entertainment. The entity, named for the writer-helmer's cult hit
Donnie Darko, will aim to back modestly budgeted, director-driven
films. First up is DIRTY GIRL, slated to start in November under the
direction of newcomer Abe Sylvia. Also under the Darko banner is THE
BOX, Kelly's next film, an SF thriller starring Cameron Diaz and based
on a story by Richard Matheson. That film is in preproduction.
SOUTHLAND TALES opens Nov. 9. It stars Justin Timberlake, Dwayne
Johnson and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

GHOST WHISPERER
CBS has announced that Jay Mohr will join the regular cast of GHOST
WHISPERER when it returns for a third season this fall, reprising the
role of Professor Payne. Payne offers an encyclopedic knowledge of the
spirit world, as well as genuine concern for Melinda's (Jennifer Love
Hewitt) safety, as she puts herself in ever greater danger to protect
those she cares about. GHOST WHISPERER returns Sept. 28 and will air
in its regular timeslot, Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

PSYCH
Variety reports that USA has ordered a third season of PSYCH. The
network has picked up 16 episodes of the show, which revolves around a
psychic cop (James Roday). Dule Hill, Corbin Bernsen and Maggie Lawson
also star. "The series has been a critical and ratings sensation since
it premiered last summer and continues to gain new viewers and grow
its fan-base," said USA executive VP of original programming Jeff
Wachtel.

REMASTERED STAR TREK
The digitally remastered version of the original Star Trek series
returns in syndication for the 2007-08 season the weekend of Sept. 15
with the premiere of an enhanced version of "The Galileo Seven." The
episode, which first aired in 1967, features Spock in command of the
tiny shuttlecraft Galileo, the first appearance of the small craft
that would become a staple of the franchise. The episode will feature
new computer visual effects of the Galileo in flight, as well as the
space storm Murasaki 312. The remastered episode also features a
digital transfer of the original Star Trek film elements and newly
recorded remasterings of the show's main title theme, CG renderings of
spaceships and other visual effects created by CBS Digital. A list of
U.S. stations carrying the digitally remastered Star Trek can be found
at StarTrek.com.

CBS SERIES - NEW ACTORS/CHARACTERS IN SOME OF OUR FAVORITE SERIES
Criminal Minds - Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT
Emmy Award nominee Joe Mantegna will join the cast of "Criminal Minds"
starring as FBI Special Agent David Rossi, an original member of the
Behavioral Analysis Unit who took early retirement to go on lecture
and book tours, and has volunteered to return to the unit. Mantegna is
scheduled to make his first appearance in the sixth episode of the
season. "We are all THRILLED to have Joe Mantegna joining our family.
He's an incredible actor, a genuinely nice person and, as a fellow
Chicagoan, I can tell you he makes fantastic Italian Beef sandwiches
and Chicago Style Hot Dogs," said Executive Producer Ed Bernero.

CSI: NY - Wednesdays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT
A.J. Buckley will become a series regular after recurring for two
seasons as Adam Ross, a CSI Tech guru out of Seattle. Specializing in
Computer Forensics, Ross is the go-to scientist for the latest
technological applications needed to solve crimes in Manhattan. "He
was hired by Mac Taylor to stay 'one step ahead' of the criminals in
New York City, who often use more complicated technology than the
average crime lab in the country. Therefore, Ross is the X-factor in
crime solving and necessary 'ringer' to fight the most complex and
sophisticated crimes," said Anthony E. Zuiker, Creator and Executive
Producer of the CSI Franchise.

Ghost Whisperer - Fridays, 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT
Jay Mohr will become a series regular, playing Professor Payne who
provides an encyclopedic knowledge of the spirit world, as well as
genuine concern for Melinda's (Jennifer Love Hewitt) safety as she
puts herself in ever greater danger to protect those she cares about -
even though he hides his concern behind an ever-present irreverent
sense of humor. "We're thrilled to have Jay as a series regular this
year. He's a terrific actor who is fun to work with for the same
reasons he's fun to watch: he brings humor, energy, creativity and
spontaneity to the set and to his role. He also brings sports
commentary and sometimes donuts," says Executive Producer P.K. Simonds.

Shark - Sundays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT
Kevin Alejandro joins the cast as Sebastian's (James Woods) newest
team member Danny Reyes, an edgy and aggressive young deputy district
attorney who earned his stripes in the Organized Crime Unit. "Kevin
Alejandro is an incredibly dynamic and intelligent actor who brings
great energy and attitude to the legal team," says Executive Producer/
Creator Ian Biederman. "Danny plays by his own rules - which both
endears him to Sebastian and creates great conflict."
New Recurring Cast Members: Shark - Sundays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT:
Kevin Pollack joins the series in the recurring role of brash and
cunning newly elected District Attorney Leo Cutler. "Kevin Pollak is a
superb actor who infuses the role of Leo Cutler with wit and a moral
ambiguity that is a perfect fit for the show. Leo's an outstanding
foil for Sebastian and the team," says Executive Producer/Creator Ian
Biederman.

Without a Trace - Thursdays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT
Golden Globe nominee Henry Thomas (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Gangs
of New York) will join the series in a recurring role as Jack's
(Anthony LaPaglia) evil nemesis, and the leader of a human trafficking
group who the FBI team is pursuing.
Guest Stars:

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Thursdays, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT:
Jessica Lucas (The Covenant, "The L Word") is set to guest star in
four episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" beginning Thursday,
Oct. 11. She plays the role of Veronica Lake, aka "Ronnie," a young,
overzealous new CSI in training, who is extremely bright, albeit nave.
After graduating from one of the top criminalistics programs in the
country, she was offered positions at numerous crime labs, but chose
Vegas due to its increase in crime rates. Now that she's entered the
throws of solving real crimes, she's about to find out that in
searching for the perpetrator of a crime, she could easily become his
next victim.

Without a Trace - Thursdays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT:
James Marsters ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel") will guest star
in a five episode arc beginning with the season premiere on Thursday,
Sept. 27. He will play Grant Mars, a detective who helps Vivian
(Marianne Jean-Baptiste) with an unsolved case.

PADDINGTON BEAR
Variety reports that Warner Brothers is teaming with Harry Potter
producer David Heyman to bring the British kids classic book series
PADDINGTON BEAR to the big screen, with Hamish McColl (Mr. Bean's
Holiday) writing the screenplay. Heyman had this to say about the
project..
"Paddington Bear is a universally loved character, and I have wanted
to bring him to screen for some years. Michael Bond's 'Paddington'
books have such wit, wonder and charm. Essentially, Paddington's story
is that of an immigrant arriving in London and trying to find a home
and a family. Above all, I love Paddington's unique style of comedy."

THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Elias Koteas, Martin Donovan and
Kyle Gallner are joining Virginia Madsen in the horror film THE
HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT for Gold Circle Films and Lionsgate. Madsen
stars in the film, described as an Exorcist-like take on a family's
experience with supernatural forces after settling into a new home.
Gallner will play Madsen's cancer-ridden son, Matt, who becomes aware
of the paranormal activity present around him. Koteas will play a
priest and fellow cancer patient that Sara Campbell (Madsen) turns to
for help. Donovan will play Madsen's husband. The film, directed by
Peter Cornwell and written by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe, began
shooting this week in Winnipeg, Canada.

GONE BABY, GONE
Ben Affleck's directorial debut has been delayed indefinitely because
of the Madeleine McCann case in the UK. GONE BABY, GONE, tells of a
four-year old girl's kidnapping and the effect it has on two
detectives trying to find her. Affleck agrees with the move, saying "
It is only when someone said there was this case that was very similar
to my film that we looked it up. We don't want to release the movie if
it is going to touch a nerve or inflame anybody's sensitivities."
Buena Vista have pulled the film from its December 28th release date
indefinitely.

BIONIC WOMAN
Michelle Ryan, who plays Jaime Sommers in NBC's upcoming BIONIC WOMAN,
said during a recent interview that she chose not to do research about
people with artificial limbs or to speak with anyone who'd survived a
catostrophic accident before starting work on the show. Ryan plays a
young woman who has her legs, an arm, an ear and an eye replaced with
superpowered bionics after an accident. "I feel like, with Jaime, I
sort of feel like each stage Jaime learns something new, I do." "So I
specifically sort of have not done that [research], because I feel
like Jaime is ... trying to deal with her sister, [Lucy Hale, and]
she's trying to deal with a boyfriend [Chris Bowers] that wasn't
entirely honest with her. She's learning as she goes along. So I feel
like each new step, that's when I'll sort of sit down and work out
when Jaime deals with something new for the first time." Though Ryan
chose not to research her character's background, she added that she
is aware that science and technology are catching up with the show's
SF elements. "I'm hearing about a man who has a bionic hand and how it
moves as our hands do, and these two bionics guys talking about having
bionic hearing," she said. "We read in the media all the time [that]
something that seemed impossible 30 years ago is now actually not that
impossible. So as we go along, I'm learning more all the time." BIONIC
WOMAN premieres Sept. 26 and will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

SCORPION
The success of the Bourne franchise has everyone looking around for
new properties. CastleBright Studios has picked up a collection of spy
novels by acclaimed author Andrew Kaplan. "Scorpion," "Dragon Fire"
and "Hour of the Assassins" topped bookshelves in the '80s and '90s
with their surprise twists and brimming action. These spy thrillers
will be dusted off and spun into action. Toppers Jay Douglas and Nav
Gupta will produce with their vee pee, Justin Kaplan, who put them in
touch with the reclusive novelist through mutual friend Brian Garfield
– author of "Death Wish" and the Kevin Bacon starrer Death Sentence –
who hailed the novels as some of the top spy novels ever written. Set
apart from the others, Hour of the Assassins will see a stylized
makeover with a skewed reality in the same vein as Sin City, and tells
the story of a sympathetic assassin who becomes the hunted when the
world's most powerful regimes allow their top killers one synchronized
hour to settle any last scores. Douglas and Gupta will also script the
adaptation along with comic book scribe Heather Kenealy. Whereas
SCORPION, arguably the most popular of the Kaplan's books, will stay
truer to the novel, and centers on a loner agent of the same codename
whose cynical sense of humor is outshined only by his stealthy
talents. After being sent into the volatile Middle East to rescue a
congressmen's daughter sold into slavery, he discovers interweaving
mysteries, high-voltage adventure and nothing is what it seems. With
"Dragon Fire" serving as sequel material, a search is on for a writer
to adapt. CastleBright is currently developing the video game-based
adventure Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars and is in
preproduction on the sci-fi/actioner Level Seven.

DALI & I: THE SURREAL STORY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cillian Murphy has joined the
cast of the upcoming biopic DALI & I: THE SURREAL STORY. Al Pacino
will also be starring in this Room 9 Entertainment produced drama.
Andrew Niccol is directing the tale, which focuses on Dali's life from
the '60s to the '80s. Most of his great work was behind him, and
because of that, he became even more flamboyant in his lifestyle.
Pacino will be playing Dali, who develops a mentor-protege
relationship with the young artist Stan Lauryssens (Murphy).

I guess that is about it for now.  I hope you all have an enjoyable
weekend.

Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – September 15, 2007

Hello there.  I hope that you are all having a marvelous weekend.
Fall has begun to arrive here in the Eastern part of the U.S. and we
are very glad to see the heat and humidity taking a break.  For those
of you still suffering – take care and drink a lot of fluids.

NEXT LOST TALES FEATURE
In the latest STARBURST magazine, there is an exclusive interview with
J. Michael Straczynski. JMS talks about the direct-to-DVD movie and
what may be ahead. He says:

JMS : Yeah, if we do another one I would definitely put the Garibaldi
(Jerry Doyle) story in and probably a Londo (Peter Jurasik). That
would be my preference for the next two [...].

CONVENTION ALERT
While still a ways off, you may want to put this date on your calendar
-- May 10-11, 2008.  JMS will be in Seattle, Washington for the
Emerald City ComiCon. Details are can be found at
http://www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com.  Check out other conventions
taking place this year.  One may be near your home – and have someone
featured you've wanted to meet.  Conventions are a great way to meet
other Babylon 5 fans! They are everywhere!

DISCUSSION TOPICS
Here's a new topic for you to ponder. There are a number of movies and
TV series based on comic book heroes. Which would you like to see on
the big or little screen next and why?

My personal favorite would be either Green Hornet or Green Arrow. I
loved the Guy Williams/Bruce Lee series from years ago. I've seen
hints that someone is working on a movie, but haven't seen anything
finalized as yet. Send in your suggestions and we can compare notes to
sgbruckner@....

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #81!
Jeffrey is in the main studio in Phoenix, Tim the Younger has joined
us, and Petter Hansen (Warlord in IRC), is visiting us. His server in
Norway handling the live feed, and he has arrived bringing Norwegian
beer for the boys to consume.

Warning: This episode runs far off the beaten geeky path from the very
beginning, and there is much silliness sprinkled in with the B5 content.

Studio Banter: Jeffrey gets the scoop from Petter on Babylon 5 viewing
and fandom in Norway; Michael and Tim the Younger try to raise elder
gods, and we discuss various Lovecraftian influences in the Babylon 5
universe; Jeffrey wants everyone to change their names to fit into the
Narn or Minbari naming conventions;

Fan Cast: The Three-Edged Sword Episode 11: "The Deluge" (TS:
20:08-24:59) What you're hearing here on The Babylon Podcast is just a
small part of the story… the full audio drama can be heard at Voices
of Babylon, so what are you waiting for? Go over and check them out!
Listener Feedback: Mike discusses new B5 swag and props he saw at
Dragon*Con; Tim is a recent B5 fan, and has managed to lure his mom
into watching the series too; Tim reads an email from Australian
contest winner Mark; Steve in MD enjoyed Lost Tales and wants more,
but argues about the use of "Colonel" in a ranking system that's
obviously naval based; Mark H comments on Lochley's comments about
leaving the demons behind, thinking that maybe that's one of the
reasons for causing Sol to go nova and destroy Earth in
"Deconstruction of Falling Stars"; Neil comments on the argument
between Tim and Summer about "Liquid Sky" being a far worse movie than
"Armageddon".

Voicemails: Edmund responds to his Fake Edmund responder; John from
Jersey begins the commentary on the "Over There" segment of "Lost
Tales", criticizing the portrayal of the Centauri bombardment of Earth
as the worse thing Sheridan could have seen… when it's really not;
John from Jersey reminds us that his side is part of the three-edged
sword; John in Michigan is on the "Deathwalker" episode, and comments;
Edmund on Bronzethumb's list of LoTR-B5 parallels, and the source of
"Last, Best Hope"; John from Jersey with more thoughts on "Over Here".
Babylon 5 Information Gathering: Can we and should we mount a Babylon
5 propaganda campaign, in order to get sales of The Lost Tales to the
point where Warner really really wants to greelight more volumes of
TLT? Let us know…

To catch up on all the previous podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com
and here at the Zocalo Today at Babylon Podcasts.

SPECIAL TREAT
Ranger Matthew has created some Babylon 5 art pieces that are
absolutely awesome! I hope that you'll be able to see them at the
website.  The Portrait of Londo Mollari is marvelous -- and The Zocalo
is just awesome. There is so much detail that you have to look at if
for a while to take it all in. I have placed smaller versions of the
pictures out – just to conserve space.  If you would like larger ones,
let me know.

Thank you Matthew for sharing your talents with us.

Any other artists out there?  Send in your creations and we'll see
about refreshing our Fan Art Pages.

LOST TALES GIVEAWAY - WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The competition has ended. Winners of copies of BABYLON 5: THE LOST
TALES for their compositions of "What Babylon 5 Has Meant To Me" --
are Rob (Kentucky) and Garry (Sydney, Australia). I will get the DVDs
out in the mail this week.
A special thanks to Warner Bros. for providing the extra copies of the
DVD.

NEW DVDS COMING

STARGATE SG-1 COMPLETE SERIES
MGM announced that the upcoming STARGATE SG-1: THE COMPLETE SERIES box
set will be available on October 9, 2007. The set will contain all 10
seasons(214 episodes) on a total of 54 discs. Each disc will be
presented in anamorphic widescreen and the set will feature a
commemorative booklet along with the last 4 discs containing bonus
material. The MSRP for the box set is $329.98.

Special Bonus Materials(4-Discs):
Disc 51: 3 Featurettes-" Stargate SG-1: The Lowdown", "From Stargate
to Atlantis: The Lowdown" & "Behind the Stargate: Secrets Revealed".
Also included is promos--Ark of Truth & The Continuum.
Disc 52: 3 Featurettes-"Sci Fi Inside: Stargate SG-1's 200th Episode",
"Behind the Mythology of Stargate SG-1" & "Stargate SG-1: True Science"

Disc 53: 3 Timeline to the Future featurettes-- "Part 1: Legacy of the
Gate", "Part 2: Secrets of the Gate and Part 3: Beyond the Gate"...
3 SG-1 Video Diary featurettes-- Teryl Rothery, Don S. Davis and
Richard Dean Anderson: Paradise Lost,
4 SG-1 Directors Series featurettes--"Smoke and Mirrors", "The
Changeling", "Memento", "Prophecy"
2 additional featurettes-- "Stargate SG-1 Season 5: Gateway to
Adventure" & "Stargate SG-1: The 100th Episode"

Disc 54: 5 SG-1 Directors Series featurettes--"Revisions", "Heroes",
"Resurrection", "Threads" & "Moebius"
2 Beyond the Gate featurettes--"A Convention Experience with Amanda
Tapping" & "A Convention Experience with Michael Shanks"
8 additional featurettes--"Behind the Scenes: Journey Inside Lost
City", "The Storyboard Process", "Bra'tac vs. Ronan: Designing the
Fight", "Stargate Magic: Inside the Lab", "Richard Dean Anderson: My
Life as a Mime", "Profile On: Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie", "The
Last Day of Teal'C" & "Stargate SG-1 Alliance: The Making of the Video
Game"

STARGATE SG-1:THE COMPLETE SERIES hits shelves everywhere on October
9, 2007.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

September 29-30, 2007
ASSIMILATION, Florida's Newest Science Fiction Experience
Place: The Radisson Worldgate Resort
City: Kissimmee, Florida
B5 Guest: Tracy Scoggins ("Capt. Elizabeth Lochley" from Babylon 5)
Other Guests: ETHAN PHILLIPS ("Neelix" from Star Trek: Voyager);
RICHARD HORVITZ ("Invader Zim" from Invader Zim); MICHAEL A. STACKPOLE
(New York Times Bestselling Author); GLENDA C. FINKELSTEIN (Acclaimed
Local Science Fiction Author) and ROOSTER TEETH PRODUCTIONS (Creators
of "Red vs Blue")
Further information regarding the event can be found at
www.assimilationcon.com.

October 5-8, 2007
Gaylaxicon
Place: Sheraton Atlanta Hotel
City: Atlanta, GA
Guests include: Jim Grimsley, Georges Jeanty, Selina Rosen, Melissa
Carter, Steve Berman, Rob Caves, James Cawley, David B. Coe, David
Gerrold, Joe Haldeman, Shaun Lyon, Paul Stevens, Laura J. Underwood, &
Toni Weisskopf
For More information, go to http://www.gaylaxicon2007.org/home.htm

October 12 ~ 15, 2007
Daranacon
Place: Kansas City, Missouri
Babylon 5 Guest: Mira Furlan
For more information, go to http://www.daranacon.org/

November 2-4, 2007
United Fan Con
Place: Springfield, MA
B5 Guest: Tracy Scoggins
Other Guests: Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Elizabeth Weir: Torri Higginson,
Classic Star Trek`s Janice Rand: Grace Lee Whitney, TV Icon: Henry
Winkler, Battlestar Galactica's Crewman Cally: Nicki Clyne
For more information, go to http://www.unitedfancon.com.

WHAT'S NEW IN SCIENCE FICTION AND TV THIS WEEK

CHUCK
NBC announced that Rachel Bilson (Fox's The O.C.) will guest-star as a
potential love interest on NBC's new SF series CHUCK in a
multi-episode arc scheduled for broadcast in late October. Bilson will
play a romantic possibility for Chuck (Zachary Levi), the first since
his college girlfriend broke his heart a few years ago. Like all
people in Chuck's new, spy-infested world, she may not turn out to be
so perfect—or even who she says she is. Bilson took time off from
filming Doug Liman's SF movie JUMPER in Los Angeles to do the guest
spot, show creator Josh Schwartz said in a statement. Schwartz and
Bilson previously worked together on the hit O.C. Chuck stars Levi as
an ordinary guy who works for the "Nerd Herd," a team of tech- support
clerks at a big-box retail store inspired by Best Buy's Geek Squad. He
becomes involved in the world of international espionage when a former
college buddy e-mails him a computer program that downloads the entire
national intelligence database directly into his brain. CHUCK
premieres Sept. 24 and will air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

REMASTERED STAR TREK
The digitally remastered version of the original Star Trek series
returns in syndication for the 2007-08 season the weekend of Sept. 15
with the premiere of an enhanced version of "The Galileo Seven." The
episode, which first aired in 1967, features Spock in command of the
tiny shuttlecraft Galileo, the first appearance of the small craft
that would become a staple of the franchise. The episode will feature
new computer visual effects of the Galileo in flight, as well as the
space storm Murasaki 312. The remastered episode also features a
digital transfer of the original Star Trek film elements and newly
recorded remasterings of the show's main title theme, CG renderings of
spaceships and other visual effects created by CBS Digital. A list of
U.S. stations carrying the digitally remastered Star Trek can be found
at StarTrek.com.

CBS SERIES - NEW ACTORS/CHARACTERS IN SOME OF OUR FAVORITE SERIES

Criminal Minds - Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT
Emmy Award nominee Joe Mantegna will join the cast of "Criminal Minds"
starring as FBI Special Agent David Rossi, an original member of the
Behavioral Analysis Unit who took early retirement to go on lecture
and book tours, and has volunteered to return to the unit. Mantegna is
scheduled to make his first appearance in the sixth episode of the
season. "We are all THRILLED to have Joe Mantegna joining our family.
He's an incredible actor, a genuinely nice person and, as a fellow
Chicagoan, I can tell you he makes fantastic Italian Beef sandwiches
and Chicago Style Hot Dogs," said Executive Producer Ed Bernero.

CSI: NY - Wednesdays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT
A.J. Buckley will become a series regular after recurring for two
seasons as Adam Ross, a CSI Tech guru out of Seattle. Specializing in
Computer Forensics, Ross is the go-to scientist for the latest
technological applications needed to solve crimes in Manhattan. "He
was hired by Mac Taylor to stay 'one step ahead' of the criminals in
New York City, who often use more complicated technology than the
average crime lab in the country. Therefore, Ross is the X-factor in
crime solving and necessary 'ringer' to fight the most complex and
sophisticated crimes," said Anthony E. Zuiker, Creator and Executive
Producer of the CSI Franchise.

Ghost Whisperer - Fridays, 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT
Jay Mohr will become a series regular, playing Professor Payne who
provides an encyclopedic knowledge of the spirit world, as well as
genuine concern for Melinda's (Jennifer Love Hewitt) safety as she
puts herself in ever greater danger to protect those she cares about -
even though he hides his concern behind an ever-present irreverent
sense of humor. "We're thrilled to have Jay as a series regular this
year. He's a terrific actor who is fun to work with for the same
reasons he's fun to watch: he brings humor, energy, creativity and
spontaneity to the set and to his role. He also brings sports
commentary and sometimes donuts," says Executive Producer P.K. Simonds.

New Recurring Cast Members:
Without a Trace - Thursdays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT
Golden Globe nominee Henry Thomas (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Gangs
of New York) will join the series in a recurring role as Jack's
(Anthony LaPaglia) evil nemesis, and the leader of a human trafficking
group who the FBI team is pursuing.

Guest Stars:
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Thursdays, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT:
Jessica Lucas (The Covenant, "The L Word") is set to guest star in
four episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" beginning Thursday,
Oct. 11. She plays the role of Veronica Lake, aka "Ronnie," a young,
overzealous new CSI in training, who is extremely bright, albeit nave.
After graduating from one of the top criminalistics programs in the
country, she was offered positions at numerous crime labs, but chose
Vegas due to its increase in crime rates. Now that she's entered the
throws of solving real crimes, she's about to find out that in
searching for the perpetrator of a crime, she could easily become his
next victim.

Without a Trace - Thursdays, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT:
James Marsters ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel") will guest star
in a five episode arc beginning with the season premiere on Thursday,
Sept. 27. He will play Grant Mars, a detective who helps Vivian
(Marianne Jean-Baptiste) with an unsolved case.

HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE
Adrian Paul, star of the original HIGHLANDER series and now and
executive producer of the upcoming SCI FI movie HIGHLANDER: THE
SOURCE, said during a recent interview that film five in the
long-running film and television franchise examines the source of
immortality. Paul reprises his role as the long-lived Scottish
swordsman Duncan MacLeod in HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE, which premieres
Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. "Everything has gone to pot, basically,"
Paul said. "The world is sitting in another place and time, and he's
kind of lost hope as to ever being anybody or achieving anything.
Everybody keeps saying, 'You're the one. You're the guy. You're the
... .' But virtually everyone he knows has died, and the world has
turned to s--t, and so he's kind of like, 'OK, I don't know what to do
anymore with who I am or what I'm supposed to be here for.'" Further
complicating the situation, the love of MacLeod's life, Anna Teshemka
(Thekla Reuten), has inexplicably left him. "And now his only intent
is he just wants to find her," Paul said. "What ends up happening is
that he finds her, but he finds her while she's on the quest with
these other Immortals for the Source." Paul said that The Source is
different in structure from previous Highlander projects. "This was a
more linear story," Paul said. "It had no flashbacks, which surprised
me, actually, at first, because I always loved doing the flashbacks,
and I know the fans loved them. So it was really tricky to do. I think
the idea was really good, in the sense that it was it became a quest
movie. All the others had a different feel to them and were a little
more convoluted. This one has one storyline that goes all the way
through."

PADDINGTON BEAR
Variety reports that Warner Brothers is teaming with Harry Potter
producer David Heyman to bring the British kids classic book series
PADDINGTON BEAR to the big screen, with Hamish McColl (Mr. Bean's
Holiday) writing the screenplay. Heyman had this to say about the
project..

"Paddington Bear is a universally loved character, and I have wanted
to bring him to screen for some years. Michael Bond's 'Paddington'
books have such wit, wonder and charm. Essentially, Paddington's story
is that of an immigrant arriving in London and trying to find a home
and a family. Above all, I love Paddington's unique style of comedy."

THE OAKS
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Bahar Soomekh, Matt Lanter and
Shannon Lucio have been cast in Fox's new paranormal TV drama THE
OAKS. The project, from 20th Century Fox TV and Little Engine, was
picked up by the network last month with a series commitment. Written
by David Schulner and to be run by Shawn Ryan, OAKS tells the
intertwined stories of three families—a young couple who have just
lost a child in 1968, a family of four in 1988 and a pregnant couple
in 2008—who live in the same house and are haunted by a restless
spirit. Lucio and Lanter will play the 1968 couple; Soomekh will play
the pregnant woman, who is a highly educated, capable executive, in
2008. Michael Cuesta is directing the pilot for OAKS, which is slated
to begin production in November. He also is executive-producing with
Schulner, Ryan and Little Engine's Gina Matthews and Grant Scharbo.

THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Elias Koteas, Martin Donovan and
Kyle Gallner are joining Virginia Madsen in the horror film THE
HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT for Gold Circle Films and Lionsgate. Madsen
stars in the film, described as an Exorcist-like take on a family's
experience with supernatural forces after settling into a new home.
Gallner will play Madsen's cancer-ridden son, Matt, who becomes aware
of the paranormal activity present around him. Koteas will play a
priest and fellow cancer patient that Sara Campbell (Madsen) turns to
for help. Donovan will play Madsen's husband. The film, directed by
Peter Cornwell and written by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe, began
shooting this week in Winnipeg, Canada.

GONE BABY, GONE
Ben Affleck's directorial debut has been delayed indefinitely because
of the Madeleine McCann case in the UK. GONE BABY, GONE, tells of a
four-year old girl's kidnapping and the effect it has on two
detectives trying to find her. Affleck agrees with the move, saying "
It is only when someone said there was this case that was very similar
to my film that we looked it up. We don't want to release the movie if
it is going to touch a nerve or inflame anybody's sensitivities."
Buena Vista have pulled the film from its December 28th release date
indefinitely.

BIONIC WOMAN
Michelle Ryan, who plays Jaime Sommers in NBC's upcoming BIONIC WOMAN,
said during a recent interview that she chose not to do research about
people with artificial limbs or to speak with anyone who'd survived a
catostrophic accident before starting work on the show. Ryan plays a
young woman who has her legs, an arm, an ear and an eye replaced with
superpowered bionics after an accident. "I feel like, with Jaime, I
sort of feel like each stage Jaime learns something new, I do." "So I
specifically sort of have not done that [research], because I feel
like Jaime is ... trying to deal with her sister, [Lucy Hale, and]
she's trying to deal with a boyfriend [Chris Bowers] that wasn't
entirely honest with her. She's learning as she goes along. So I feel
like each new step, that's when I'll sort of sit down and work out
when Jaime deals with something new for the first time." Though Ryan
chose not to research her character's background, she added that she
is aware that science and technology are catching up with the show's
SF elements. "I'm hearing about a man who has a bionic hand and how it
moves as our hands do, and these two bionics guys talking about having
bionic hearing," she said. "We read in the media all the time [that]
something that seemed impossible 30 years ago is now actually not that
impossible. So as we go along, I'm learning more all the time." BIONIC
WOMAN premieres Sept. 26 and will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

THE TALISMAN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Steven Spielberg's latest attempt
to bring Stephen King and Peter Straub's THE TALISMAN to the TV screen
has hit a snag. TNT's six-hour adaptation of the novel,
executive-produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, has been put on
hold because of budgetary issues, sources told the trade paper. The
limited series, from DreamWorks TV, was announced by TNT with big
fanfare in December and was slated for a summer 2008 premiere. After
all scripts were recently completed, it became clear that their
execution would require a larger budget than previously allocated. The
fantasy- horror project, about a boy's quest through this world and a
parallel world known as the Territories to find a talisman that will
save his mother, is said to involve elaborate special effects. TNT and
DreamWorks are now addressing the financial issues and looking for
ways to make the series.

SCORPION
The success of the Bourne franchise has everyone looking around for
new properties. CastleBright Studios has picked up a collection of spy
novels by acclaimed author Andrew Kaplan. "Scorpion," "Dragon Fire"
and "Hour of the Assassins" topped bookshelves in the '80s and '90s
with their surprise twists and brimming action. These spy thrillers
will be dusted off and spun into action. Toppers Jay Douglas and Nav
Gupta will produce with their vee pee, Justin Kaplan, who put them in
touch with the reclusive novelist through mutual friend Brian Garfield
– author of "Death Wish" and the Kevin Bacon starrer Death Sentence –
who hailed the novels as some of the top spy novels ever written. Set
apart from the others, Hour of the Assassins will see a stylized
makeover with a skewed reality in the same vein as Sin City, and tells
the story of a sympathetic assassin who becomes the hunted when the
world's most powerful regimes allow their top killers one synchronized
hour to settle any last scores. Douglas and Gupta will also script the
adaptation along with comic book scribe Heather Kenealy. Whereas
SCORPION, arguably the most popular of the Kaplan's books, will stay
truer to the novel, and centers on a loner agent of the same codename
whose cynical sense of humor is outshined only by his stealthy
talents. After being sent into the volatile Middle East to rescue a
congressmen's daughter sold into slavery, he discovers interweaving
mysteries, high-voltage adventure and nothing is what it seems. With
"Dragon Fire" serving as sequel material, a search is on for a writer
to adapt. CastleBright is currently developing the video game-based
adventure Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars and is in
preproduction on the sci-fi/actioner Level Seven.

PULSE
According to Moviehole.net, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Jamie Bamber will
star in the sequels to Kristen Bell's supernatural horror movie PULSE.
Bamber will appear in PULSE: AFTERLIFE and PULSE: INVASION, two
straight-to-DVD sequels again written and directed by Joel Soisson. In
the films, Bamber will play Stephen, a recently divorced executive who
is hiding out in a mountain lodge guarded by armed sentries in a
post-phantom world. He finds his child still alive and must protect
her from the phantom of ex-wife Michelle.

DIARY OF THE DEAD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the Weinstein Co. has snapped up
North American rights, including Mexico, for GEORGE A. ROMERO'S DIARY
OF THE DEAD at the Toronto Film Festival. The movie is the latest
sequel to Romero's 1968 horror classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. An
Artfire Films/Romero-Grunwald Productions film, DIARY was written and
directed by Romero; produced by Peter Grunwald, Art Spigel, Sam
Englebardt and Ara Katz; and executive-produced by Dan Fireman, John
Harrison and Steve Barnett.

FEARNET and CATACOMBS
Variety reports that the horror movie CATACOMBS will get its U.S.
premiere on Fearnet, the video-on-demand movie service jointly owned
by Comcast, Sony Pictures TV and Lionsgate. CATACOMBS is the first
original movie bought by Fearnet since it launched 10 months ago. The
ad-supported Fearnet's lineup consists of Sony and Lionsgate action
movies, highlighted this month by Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Krull,
Starman, Nightwing and three Godzilla movies. CATACOMBS, from
Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures, stars Alecia Moore (aka Pink) and
Shannyn Sossamon in a story about a young woman who stumbles into a
nightmare when she gets lost in the 200 miles of limestone tunnels
beneath the streets of Paris. The movie premieres on Fearnet Oct. 1;
four weeks later, on Halloween, it will be available for streaming
onto computers through Fearnet.com. CATACOMBS drops on DVD early next
year.

DEATH IN LOVE
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Josh Lucas and Adam Brody have
boarded DEATH IN LOVE, a drama Boaz Yakin is directing from his own
script. Yakin also is producing with Joseph Zolfo. Jacqueline Bisset
and Lukas Haas already have been cast. DEATH follows a pair of story
lines that revolve around two brothers (Lucas and Haas). While Haas'
character must deal with his mother (Bisset), his brother is lost in
life until he is befriended by a scam artist (Brody). Shooting is
under way in New York.

BLUE BLOOD
According to Variety, NBC is resurrecting BLUE BLOOD, the Brett
Ratner-Neil Tolkin police drama that had been set up at Fox last year.
The network has greenlit production of a pilot for the project, with
Ratner aboard to direct and executive produce via his Rat TV and 20th
Century Fox TV. Shooting is set to begin in New York this fall. Gina
Matthews (What Women Want) and Grant Scharbo are executive producing
via their Little Engine Productions. Tolkin wrote the pilot script and
will executive produce. Based on the bestselling 2004 autobiography by
New York cop Ed Conlon, BLUE is an ensemble hour about a rookie NYPD
police officer. The twist: The newbie officer is a Harvard grad who
decides to return to the family beat -- law enforcement.

HARRY POTTER FRANCHISE
The success of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX has made
Warner Brothers' boy-wizard films the top-grossing franchise in movie
history, the studio announced. The combined worldwide box-office gross
for the five Harry Potter films to date is more than $4.47 billion,
surpassing the box-office totals of all 22 James Bond films and the
six Star Wars movies, the studio said on Sept. 10. HARRY POTTER AND
THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX is still going strong in theaters around the
globe, and two more films are in the works: HARRY POTTER AND THE
HALF-BLOOD PRINCE and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, based on
J.K. Rowling's beloved books. All five of the Potter films so far have
found themselves among the 20 largest-grossing box-office hits of all
time. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE will open on Nov. 21,
2008. The seventh and final film, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY
HALLOWS, is planned for a 2010 release.

TRON REMAKE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that commercial director Joseph Kosinski
is in final negotiations to develop and direct "Tron," described as
"the next chapter" of Disney's 1982 cult classic. Sean Bailey is
producing via the Live Planet banner, as is Steven Lisberger, who
co-wrote and directed the original film. Kosinski, who last month
signed on to helm the remake of "Logan's Run" for Warner Bros.
Pictures, will oversee the visual development of the project and have
input on the script, which is being written by "Lost" scribes Eddie
Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Story details are being kept secret. The
original, about a computer programr thrust into a computer and forced
to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi
gladiator- style battles and groundbreaking special effects. It was
the first movie to use computer-generated images instead of models and
other optical effects in conjunction with live action. The arcade game
based on the movie was so popular that it earned more than the movie.
When making the original, in order to convince the studio to take a
chance on a first-time director, Lisberger shot a test reel, financed
by the studio, involving the deadly Frisbee battle. In a case of
historical synchronicity, sources said one of the things Kosinski will
be doing is working on a sequence involving the movie's Light Cycles
to work out his vision for the movie. Sources also said visual effects
personnel, for many of whom "Tron" was an inspiration to enter the
business, already are jockeying for pole position to work on the
sequence. Brigham Taylor is overseeing for Disney.

MUMMY 3
Maria Bello, who won wide acclaim for 2005's A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE,
co-stars in the upcoming sequel film THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON
EMPEROR, taking over the character originated by Rachel Weisz. Bello
said during a recent interview that "She has the same name, but she's
a very different character than Rachel played." "She's a bad-ass
action chick. I had to train a lot. I had to do wushu, a martial-art
form, some kick- boxing, swordfighting, rifle training for a couple of
months before we even started shooting." Bello added: "It's the role
of my dreams. It is just a blast." Bello soon joins co-stars Brendan
Fraser and Jet Li for two months of shooting in China. Bello said that
after a few weeks of rehearsal, she has sustained a black eye after
getting butted by a Winchester rifle, but added that she's fine now.
"I'm looking forward to the doll, too, though," she said cryptically.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opens Aug. 1, 2008.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
During the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 9, co-star Shia LaBeouf
announced that the upcoming fourth Indian Jones movie will be called
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Along with
LaBeouf, the film stars Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen,
Ray Winstone and John Hurt. He made the announcement at the awards
ceremony, which was broadcast live from Las Vegas. The fourth Indy
adventure is currently in production and is slated to debut May 22, 2008.

WOLVERINE
According to a rumor at TheXverse.com, the upcoming X-Men spinoff film
about WOLVERINE is slated to begin shooting as soon as November in
Sydney, with Hugh Jackman reprising his most famous role. Citing
unnamed sources, the site reported that the as-yet-untitled WOLVERINE
film is moving forward following the recent confirmation of Gavin Hood
as the project's director. The three X-Men movies have been filmed in
Vancouver, Canada.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
While the numbers were less than impressive, this weekend's winner is
3:10 TO YUMA, pulling in only 14.1 million in 2,625 theaters across
the nation. The western, starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe,
pulled an average of $5,316 per showing and earned a quarter of its 55
million dollar budget in its 3-day debut. Following right behind the
western is the re-imagining of HALLOWEEN by director Rob Zombie. The
horror film pulled in another 10.0 million in its second weekend at
the theaters even if it's in nearly a thousand more theaters then 3:10
TO YUMA. It averaged $2,887 per showing in its 3,475 prints. These
types of numbers represent a 61.9% drop off from debut to second
weekend. HALLOWEEN has pulled in 44.2 mil domestically. Rounding out
the top three rankings, landing in 3rd place is the comedy from
producer Judd Apatow, SUPERBAD. The film featuring three geeks in
their last days of highschool grabbed another 8.0 million in its
fourth weekend at the box office. The comedy only dropped 35.8% from
last week putting its domestic total at a very nice 103.6 million.
With a budget of only 20 mil, it's clear this is yet another smash hit
for Apatow.

TAPPED
NBC already has two sci-fi/fantasy themed shows in their Monday night
lineup, HEROES and JOURNEYMAN. Now, it looks like their developing a
new fantasy with writer Adam Gibgot. According to Variety, this new
fantasy, TAPPED, is described as "Heroes Meets Touched By an Angel" by
the network because it deals with a touch of the divine inside its
concept... Plot Concept: Centers on average folks who realize they are
somehow plugged into a frequency at which God is transmitting messages
to them. Messages are designed to help humanity -- one person at a time.

TRANSFORMERS
TRANSFORMERS arrives on DVD and HD DVD on Oct. 16 in a two-disc
special-edition set, as well as on a single disc from DreamWorks
Pictures and Paramount Pictures, distributed by Paramount Home
Entertainment.

SHREK THE THIRD/TRANSFORMERS
It has been a very good year for Paramount Pictures. SHREK THE THIRD
and TRANSFORMERS helped boost them to the top of the box-office heap
this summer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Paramount sold
$727.3 million worth of tickets, led by DreamWorks Animation's third
SHREK movie (the second-highest-grossing film of the summer, with
$320.7 million) and the DreamWorks/Paramount co-production
TRANSFORMERS (third overall, with $310.6 million). Paramount was the
only studio with two $300 million-plus winners. Universal Pictures
took second place with THE BORNE ULTIMATUM, KNOCKED UP and I NOW
PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY. Walt Disney Studios scored with PIRATES
OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END and RATATOUILLE, but its box-office
tally was about $200 million less than the previous summer, placing it
third for the summer. Warner Brothers Pictures improved its standing,
moving from fifth last summer to fourth this time around with the help
of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX ($286.8 million) and
OCEAN'S THIRTEEN. The record-setting SPIDER-MAN 3 (the summer's
top-grossing movie, with $336.5 million) gave Sony Pictures a strong
start, but the studio suffered after that, placing fifth.

THE GRAYS
According to a posting on alien-abduction writer Whitley Strieber's
official site, director Wolfgang Petersen is set to helm a movie based
on Strieber's THE GRAYS. Strieber said that Sony picked Petersen (The
Perfect Storm) to do the film version of the SF thriller book, which
draws heavily from Strieber's Communion, an account of what he said
was his alien abduction. Filming should start in the next few months
with an eye to a release date in the summer of 2008 or 2009.

NEW SUPER HERO
Austin, Texas police detective Jarrett Crippin was declared the big
winner of this season of WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? Star and judge
Stan "The Man" Lee chose Crippen's alter ego THE DEFUSER to be
America's newest superhero over runners-up Hyper-Strike and Hygena in
the conclusion of SCI FI's original competition reality program. THE
DEFUSER will be immortalized in his very own comic to be written by
Stan Lee and published by Dark Horse Comics, and Shocker Toys will
create an action figure of the character. THE DEFUSER will also get to
appear in a SCI FI original movie. Inspired by Batman and Captain
America, Crippen created his character when he was a young boy. THE
DEFUSER is a loner and expert at gadgetry and invention. He performs
at 110% possessing enhanced speed, strength agility, reflexes, hearing
and eyesight.

LIVE AND DIE
Over at Fangoria.com, you will find reports that Robert Kurtzman
("Wishmaster," "The Rage") will helm "To Live and Die" for MGM
Pictures. Sean Patrick Flannery (DEAD ZONE) stars as a cop who is
hired by the FBI track down a mastermind assassin who is responsible
for the death of his wife. Joe Pantoliano, Amanda Wyss and Michelle
Greathouse also star and production is currently underway in New Mexico.

ROBOTECH
According to the Hollywood Reporter, SPIDER-MAN's Tobey Maguire will
produce and may star in a film based on the classic SF anime ROBOTECH.
Warner Brothers Pictures picked up the rights to ROBOTECH, which
features giant robots known as mechas. Maguire is producing through
his Maguire Entertainment banner and is eyeing the lead role in what
the studio plans as an SF franchise a la Paramount's hit TRANSFORMERS.
Drew Crevello also is producing through his Supercool Hollywood
BigTime Productions. Craig Zahler has been tapped to write the
screenplay. ROBOTECH was a cartoon series during the 1980s from
Harmony Gold USA and Tatsunoko Productions. It was re-edited and
re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series to give the
producers enough episodes to air as a daily syndicated series.
ROBOTECH takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots
from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South
Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off
three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion concerns
a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their
flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's
survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.

JOURNEYMAN
JOURNEYMAN executive producer Kevin Falls is no stranger to the small
screen, having written and produced such shows as THE WEST WING, SHARK
and SPORTS NIGHT. However, he says that science fiction is something
new to him. "As far as me getting into this genre, it's liberating in
some ways to do something so different, and the toughest thing I've
done, too," Falls said. "I thought trying to dramatize farm subsidies
and saving Social Security on West Wing was hard. Doing time travel is
difficult." JOURNEYMAN stars Kevin McKidd (HBO's Rome) as Dan Vasser,
a San Francisco newspaper reporter who finds himself inexplicably
thrown back into different time periods within his own lifetime. He
can't control when or where he goes, but he seems to have a mission to
change the future by affecting the lives of strangers in the past.
"It's a Rubik's Cube, and the challenge is to tell these stories,
which are a lot of fun, but it's Whack-a-Mole," Falls said. "You push
something down over here, and you screw something up over there. And
we really want to make these episodes clear for the audience, so
people aren't just scratching their heads, going 'I'm totally lost.'
And I think we've done it so far." JOURNEYMAN premieres Sept. 24 and
will air Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

LAST BATTLE DREAMER
Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish and Sean Bean have joined the Viking
epic "Last Battle Dreamer" says The Hollywood Reporter. Phillippe will
star as a seventh-century Viking warrior named Thorfinn who, along
with his older brother, the battle-scarred Hakon (Sean Bean), invades
Britain. Writer-director Menno Meyjes ("Martian Child," "Manolete") is
scheduled to shoot the project later this year for Future Films &
Handmade Films International. Phillippe and Cornish will next be seen
together in Kimberly Pierce's "Stop Loss."

JEFF THE IMMORTAL
Variety reports that Universal has snapped up JEFF THE IMMORTAL, a
supernatural comedy written by Chris Bishop and produced by Marc Platt
Productions. The movie centers on a slacker who discovers he has
supernatural powers but uses them for selfish purposes. Bishop has
delivered a draft of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS, an American remake the
2004 German movie, for Warner Independent.

IRON MAN
According to IRON MAN director Jon Favreau, the official teaser
trailer will appear on Sept. 10. In his MySpace.com blog, Favreau
inidicates that the trailer, which will incorporate elements from the
footage previewed at last month's Comic-Con International in San
Diego, will debut across the Viacom Network's highest-rated programs.
The first appearance will be immediately before The Hills on MTV.
Favreau lists other appearances on his blog. A hi-res version of the
trailer will then appear on Apple.com/trailers on Sept. 11. Iron Man,
starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, opens May 2, 2008.

DOCTOR WHO SEASON FIVE
It was confirmed yesterday by the BBC that DOCTOR WHO will return for
a fifth season in the spring of 2010, meaning that the show will take
a kind of break in 2009. The network also announced that this year's
WHO Christmas special, airing on BBC One in December, will feature
star David Tennant and Australian pop star Kylie Minogue. The
13-episode fourth season of the show went into production last month
and will air in the United Kingdom in spring 2008, with a special
episode for Christmas 2008. Catherine Tate is set to return for the
complete run of the season, reprising her role as Donna from the 2006
Christmas special. Freema Agyeman, who played the Doctor's companion,
Martha Jones, in season three, will return to the fourth season midway
through; Agyeman, meanwhile, will join the cast of the WHO spinoff
series TORCHWOOD. In 2009, Doctor Who will air only three special
episodes starring Tennant, written by head writer Russell T. Davies.
The third season of Doctor Who ended its run in the United Kingdom
earlier this year. It can be seen in the United States on SCI FI
Channel, Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

SOUL CODE
According to Variety, TRON writer/director Steven Lisberger has sold
SOUL CODE, an SF movie about a tech pioneer who has perfected a way to
download and transfer a person's memory. Lisberger will direct the
movie. Lisberger, whose 1982 TRON pioneered the use of computer
graphics in films, has been involved with several projects since then
that never got off the ground. Lisberger wrote a TRON sequel several
years ago, but the movie stalled amid a regime change at Disney. A
2003 video game version of the sequel sold well.

RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION
Variety reports that Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas will host the Sept.
20 world premiere of RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, the zombie sequel film
that takes place in the ruins of a post-spocalyptic Sin City. Screen
Gems, Sony's genre division, spent eight to 10 months planning the
promotion, which includes a ticket giveaway, an in-room channel
devoted to behind-the-scenes footage of the movie and sweepstakes for
a BMW motorcycle. Two 30-foot banners have been flying outside the
casino the past two weeks and will stay in place until the premiere.
The movie stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Oded Fehr, Ashanti and
Mike Epps, who are all slated to attend. RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION,
the third installment in the video-game-inspired franchise, opens
Sept. 21.

CLONE WARS
According to Animation Magazine, Walt Disney Studios is heavily
campaigning to get broadcast rights for George Lucas' much anticipated
CG-animated series CLONE WARS. The studio is competing with Fox and
HBO who are also rumored to be interested in picking up broadcast
rights. Each episode will be 22-minutes long and will follow the
general tone of the original 1977 STAR WARS with an action focus and
lighter tone. Lucas has previously said that he wants to produce at
least 100 episodes of the show which is expected to be ready for
broadcast by the fall of 2008. The live-action series in the works
won't begin airing until Fall 2009 at the earliest.

That is about it for now.  Thanks again for being a part of the
Babylon 5 community.  If you hear or see something you'd like to share
with your fellow Zocalo readers, send it along and I'll post it.  Be
sure to participate in the discussion topic this week.  I love reading
what others think about the entire world of science fiction (comics,
novels, TV, movies).  If you have a topic you would like to discuss,
send it along and we'll see what others think.

Be sure to tell your friends about the newsletter – and the website.
It is updated daily with whatever information I think you'll be
interested in.  If I am missing something, let me know!

Until next time.
Take care,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – September 1, 2007

I want to first greet all the new readers of THE ZOCALO TODAY.  If you
read on the internet or just this newsletter, WELCOME and Thank You. If you see
information that should be posted here, please send it along so that we can
share it with your fellow readers.
Now let's see what's new!

BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS:  VOLUME 12 IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM THE SCRIPTS TEAM

Last week we got a "midnight memo" from JMS. We've cut and pasted it
below so that you can see it.

What he told us is that he discovered a box of B5 goodies that have
been packed away for over 13 years, from when he was shooting the B5
pilot.

We don't want to spoil the surprise so we aren't going to give details
here, except to say he asked us to stop the presses and re-do volume
12 so that everyone can see what he found right away.

The Stop-the-Presses edition Volume 12 will start shipping September
18. Your credit card will be authorized but it will not be charged
until it ships.

To celebrate this new-found material, we are going to keep the debut
discount price of $10 off the $39.99 in place until September 18th.
But if you want to get your book as soon as it's ready, order now.
The first orders in are the first orders to ship out.

THE SCRIPTS IN VOLUME 12 ARE:
• A View from the Gallery
• Learning Curve
• Strange Relations
• Secrets of the Soul
• In the Kingdom of the Blind
• A Tragedy of Telepaths
• Phoenix Rising

P.S. Even though Cafepress will only authorize your card and not
charge it until your volume 12 actually ships, please note that a few
banks and credit card companies place funds on hold from
authorizations until the charge clears.

THE MIDNIGHT MEMO
Date: Tuesday, August 21 2007
TO: Scripts Team

FROM: JMS
SUBJECT: Stop The Presses
I realize that you guys are busy prepping the release of volume 12 but
when you've heard what I discovered you'll understand why we have to
stop this run and start another. It's worth it.

Last night I discovered a box of archives that no one (including me)
has seen in more than 13 years...B5 material I thought had been lost
ages ago...material from the very first stages of creating B5...photos
from behind the scenes in the lead-up to shooting...artwork on station
IDs...signage and ranks that were not used....

Since volumes 13 and 14 are already packed to the gills, volume 12 is
the only place for them. The fans have got to see this stuff. You'll
have the scans in a few days.

I realize this means that we have to redo volume 12 from scratch but
it's definitely worth it.
JMS

For more information on the scripts, go to www.babylon5scripts.com.

LOST TALES GIVEAWAY - TIME TO VOTE
As I mentioned before, I received three copies of BABYLON 5: THE LOST
TALES from the nice folks at Warner Bros. I offered them up for a
composition on "What Babylon 5 Has Meant To Me" -- and four people
responded. Now we must vote. Who gets a free copy of BABYLON 5: THE
LOST TALES. Send in your vote for:
1. Rob
2. Garry
3. Mike
4. Dave

Go to B5 Memories to read what Babylon 5 has meant to individuals who
have enjoyed the series as much as you have. Send in your votes to
sgbruckner@...; voting ends September 8, 2007.   For those who
sent in entries, be sure to send me your mailing address so that I can
get the DVD into the mail to you next week.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE - SEPTEMBER 23
Babylon 5's own Patricia Tallman is the coordinator for this upcoming
event. Here is Pat's note to those who want to be involved:

Dear Friends,
SAVE THE DATE!

Sunday September 23rd is the big event in Griffith Park from 11-4pm.
It's a really fun day with lots of things to do. Jane Goodall will
speak along with many others. There are bands and a parade of Peace
Doves. There are animals from various activist groups who help them.
It's a great event for families. Please invite any one you can think
of! I need a few people to help at the table. I'll send parking info
later. It's very well marked when you drive into the park.
If you are in the LA area and want to help, let me know. I can pass
along your contact information to Pat.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

JASON CARTER
Midnight Syndicate's THE DEAD MATTER is currently filming. Jason will
appear as the character of McCallister and the film also features
Andrew Divoff, of the Wishmaster films and Air Force One, and FX
Master Tom Savini who also appeared in Dusk Til Dawn and Dawn of the
Dead. Synopsis: Tells the story of a vampire relic with occult powers
that falls into the hands of a grief-stricken young woman who will do
anything to contact her dead brother.  For more information, go to
http://www.thedeadmatter.com/.

BABYLON PODCAST #79
Posted 2007-08-29 12:30 am in Shows by Summer

Welcome to Show #79!
Tim is back, and Jeffrey is Kentucky, and Summer is always here.
Jeffrey's wrangled up some "Lost Tales" fan related interviews for us!
Also stay tuned for more video content as part of the Lost
Tales-apalooza month long (or longer) fest.

Interview 1: Adam Francis, production assistant during Season 2, joins
us to tell us about how long his fan interest in Babylon 5 extends
back, some of the running around he did during his tenure on the show,
seeing and talking with the cast and crew he worked with after so much
time, and more.

Fan Cast: The Three-Edged Sword Episode 10: "The Storm" (TS:
24:01-28:30) What you're hearing here on The Babylon Podcast is just a
small part of the story… the full audio drama can be heard at Voices
of Babylon, so what are you waiting for? Go over and check them out!
Interview 2: Acclaimed conceptual artist Tim Earls rejoins us to give
us some of the work he did for "The Lost Tales", mostly storyboarding
for all the scenes and visual effects. He also talks about some of the
updates that went into set and ship design, and how some of his
changes were incorporated into the finished product. Will we ever see
the CG-intensive Garibaldi-focused story that Tim laid out?
Tim's currently the set designer for the new fall show, "Pushing
Daisies", and is working on a still-secret new Serenity project for
Quantum Mechanix

Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer conclude the geeking for the first
episode, "Over Here". We talk about the possible implications of
Lochley's theory and solution to the problem of what to do with Simon
Burke… what could humanity do without the threat of devils and demons
to haunt their dreams, and without a need for the Church amongst the
stars? Will ancient evil be left behind when the cradle of humanity
vanishes into dust when Sol goes nova? Will new battles be waged for
the souls of all races, not just humanity, out beyond our galaxy?
And how do we know that all of this couldn't have been investigated by
a telepath? Lochley used to have a good relationship with Bester… did
what happened during the Telepath War change her willingness to use a
telepath first, or did her upbringing cause her to lean towards
something in her comfort zone?

To catch up on all the previous podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com
and here at the Zocalo Today at Babylon Podcasts.

BABYLON 5 SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Pat Tallman - September 4
Cinzia Zanetti - September 5
Robin Atkin Downes - September 6
Mira Furlan - September 7
Walter Koenig - September 14
Paul Williams - September 19
Robert Rusler - September 20
Gary Cole - September 20
Bear Burge - September 23
Jason Carter - September 23
Manny Case - September 23
Peter David - September 23

If there is anyone we have missed, be sure to drop me a note so that I
can add them to our Cast and Crew Birthday Listing. We want to include
everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

NEW DVDS COMING

PRISON BREAK Season Two arrives on DVD September 4. Featuring the
return of Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell, the second season adds
Hollywood veteran William Fichtner to the ensemble cast as the
determined FBI agent hot on their trail.

All 22 episodes are included on this six-disc collection, the "Prison
Break" Season Two DVD set also includes extensive audio commentaries
as well as exclusive bonus materials including all-new cast and crew
interviews, "making-of" featurettes and more. "Prison Break" Season
Two will be available to own for the suggested retail price of $59.98
U.S. / $89.98 Canada.

THE DRESDEN FILES
For all of you who missed this wonderful series while it was on SciFi,
you now have a chance to watch it on DVD.

Series: The Dresden Files was originally a series of novels (Storm
Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood
Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, and White Night) by author Jim
Butcher. The novels detail a wizard for hire in Chicago that solves
crimes as a private detective with a dark past, using his special
abilities to stumble into answers while avoiding the fate of his
gifted relatives, most of whom met their untimely demise thanks to
various schemes. The basic story of the television show is this; Harry
is haunted by a past that includes using dark magic to slay his uncle,
a powerful wizard with ambitious goals. He has a small shop in a
slightly seedy part of town, accessible to people of lesser means as
well as a police Lt that has caught his eye named Connie Murphy. She
is the hardnosed daughter of a tough city cop, picking up where he
left off and it is made clear that while she doesn't understand "how"
Harry helps her cases, she considers him an invaluable resource for
doing so, despite his unorthodox methods that cause her colleagues to
laugh at her behind her back.

There are a few extras included that are of interest. The 18:11 minute
long feature called Inside the Dresden Files has Robert Hewitt Wolfe
take the lead as clips played, with a few of the other production crew
given the nod as well while they described the process of making the show.

SUPERNATURAL – SEASON TWO
Release Date: September 11, 2007

Synopsis:  Twenty-two years ago, Sam (series star JARED PADALECKI) and
Dean (series star JENSEN ACKLES) Winchester lost their mother to a
mysterious and demonic supernatural force. As a result, their father,
John (recurring guest star JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN - "Grey's Anatomy"),
raised the brothers to be soldiers. He taught them about the
paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads
of America...and he taught them how to kill it. Sam, however, wanted
nothing to do with this violent and dangerous life, and he left it
behind, until the day Dean appeared on his doorstep with troubling
news. Their father had gone missing on a "hunting trip." Sam and Dean
have spent the last year cruising the highways of the United States in
their 1967 Chevy Impala, searching for their lost father and
encountering creatures that most people believe exist only in
folklore, superstition and nightmares. Along the way, they have
battled the various supernatural threats--and each other as well, for
their sibling rivalries and conflicts were never far from the surface.
Finally, they found their father, just as he was closing in on the
Demon who claimed their mother.

This DVD is loaded with special features, including audio commentary,
deleted scenes, a featurette - 1) The Episode From Hell: The Making of
All Hell Breaks Loose Part II 2) The Devil's Road Map - urban legends
featurettes, factoids, and more pertaining to each episode of the
series 3) Gag Reel and Jared Original Screen Test.

SMALLVILLE – SEASON SIX
Release Date: September 18, 2007

Synopsis: The rivalry between Clark Kent and Lex Luthor explodes into
a fierce good-versus-evil battle as Warner Home Video releases
Smallville: The Complete Sixth Season on DVD on September 18, 2007.
Smallville features a supreme cast including Tom Welling, Kristin
Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Allison Mack, Annette O'Toole, John Glover
and Erica Durance. Fans will enjoy this collectible six-disc set with
all 22 episodes of the sixth season plus two hours of amazing extras
that include never-before-seen featurettes and deleted scenes. These
must own bonus features include Green Arrow: The History of the
Emerald Archer following the popularity of the Green Arrow character
from the 1940's and how it made its way to Smallville, Smallville: The
Ultimate Fan featuring online's biggest fan, a retrospective glimpse
from concept to completion with the Green Arrow mobisodes, deleted
scenes and much more.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
" Green Arrow: The History of the Emerald Archer" -Since the early
1940s Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow has grown in popularity and
respect. Once seen as the poor man's Batman, he later evolved into a
nuanced character which has rivaled some of the best superheroes in
the industry. This retrospective will feature the interviews of those
living legends that were fortunate enough to have written or inked
this character through the years. Traced will be the lineage from his
opulent roots, to the new story line featured in Smallville.
" "Smallville: The Ultimate Fans" -Superman can rival any franchise,
and this documentary is set on showing just how powerful the forces
are behind the almost epic fandom associated with this title. DVD
feature shows the results of an online search, which was conducted
recently to locate the "Ultimate Smallville Fan". Even more detailed
will be the legacy which this show is building upon daily both at
conventions, and websites being hosted around the world. A global
phenomenon, this featurette will examine the craze and justify for the
fans why they should be proud to be associated with Kal-El (aka
Superman!).
" "The Oliver Queen Chronicles" - These animated mobisodes made their
debut on the extra small screen of a cell phone. For the first time
they can now become a part of the Smallville fan's library. Tracing
the origin story of Green Arrow through animation, the end user is
treated to a refreshing take on how Oliver Queen made his
transformation to the Emerald Archer.
" "The Making of The Oliver Queen Chronicles" - A retrospective
glimpse into what was involved from concept to completion with the
Green Arrow mobisodes.
" "Smallville Content Wraps" - In between the sixth season's episodes,
the audience was treated to a continuation of the story line through
an animated series of comic books. This featurette compiles these
original works by DC Comics.
" Deleted Scenes

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS:

STARBURST #354: THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES: producer Matthew Bouch
uncover the truth behind the latest Doctor Who spin-off, starring
former companion Sarah Jane Smith, aka Elisabeth Sladen! Lena Heady as
Sarah Connor - The Terminator is coming to TV! The producers and stars
reveal what's in store in this 12-episode spin-off based on James
Cameron's Sci-Fi movie… Mary Tamm as Romana - the former Doctor Who
companion talks about her role in the `Key to Time' season, as this
Tom Baker story comes to DVD. Resident Evil: Extinction - Go behind
the scenes with star Milla Jovovich and producer Paul Anderson to find
out the game plan for the next instalment in the franchise.
The Works #18: HEROES: Ali Larter, aka Niki and her devilish alter ego
Jessica, gives some clues as to what lies ahead in Season Two. She
also talks about her new movie Resident Evil: Extinction. House's Hugh
Laurie gives a day-by-day account in words and pictures of the US
networks' three-week press tour for the tv shows coming our way… From
Bond to Lord Asriel - Daniel Craig hits the theaters in The Golden
Compass. Craig and director Chris Weitz talk about this magical movie…

CONVENTION CALENDAR
August 31-September 3, 2007
Dragoncon
Place: Hyatt Regency, Atlanta Hilton, Marriott Marquis
City: Atlanta, GA
Guests: As usual, guests number too many to mention in one sitting,
can be looked up on the Dragopncon website
For more information, go to http://www.dragoncon.org

September 29-30, 2007
ASSIMILATION, Florida's Newest Science Fiction Experience
Place: The Radisson Worldgate Resort
City: Kissimmee, Florida
B5 Guest: Tracy Scoggins ("Capt. Elizabeth Lochley" from Babylon 5)
Other Guests: ETHAN PHILLIPS ("Neelix" from Star Trek: Voyager);
RICHARD HORVITZ ("Invader Zim" from Invader Zim); MICHAEL A. STACKPOLE
(New York Times Bestselling Author); GLENDA C. FINKELSTEIN (Acclaimed
Local Science Fiction Author) and ROOSTER TEETH PRODUCTIONS (Creators
of "Red vs Blue")
Further information regarding the event can be found at
www.assimilationcon.com.

Well, that is it for this holiday weekend.  I hope that you all have a
fantastic Labor Day.  Be sure to visit the website often to catch all
the latest news about Babylon 5 and the world of science fiction.
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales was still on the Amazon Top 10 DVD list this
week!  Yahoo!!!!

Be safe,
Sandy

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

This is a special note I'm sending out to Babylon 5 fans around the
globe.  The other day, JMS sent out the note you'll find below.  He
explains that he is looking for his roots -- and would like some help.
  Please read through the note.  If you live near any of the locations
mentioned and want to help him out, I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.

JMS HISTORICAL RECLAMATION PROJECT

Though in this case the historical entity being reclaimed is...well,
me, basically. I'll explain in a moment.

First, an apology and explanation for being absent for so long. The
last few months have been probably the most hectic in terms of
deadlines and work in the history of my career. The work has been
great, but there's just been a bucket of it and it's all been due at
once. I've turned in the latest draft of World War Z and it's now
going out to directors, I'm now on the third draft of the Silver
Surfer movie which is also being fast-tracked, Changeling starts
shooting in almost exactly two months, I'm hip deep in comics work and
finishing the final touches to a TV project that we will be taking out
to sell early September, and I've started the screenplay for They
Marched Into Sunlight for Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks company. All
of this, in addition to a personal tragedy - the recent loss of my
father in law - has put me way behind the eight ball of late. But I'm
finally digging out from under...which brings me to this note.

While I was growing up, my family moved around a lot. Sometimes as
often as two or three times in a year, sometimes staying put for as
much as eighteen months. (No, we weren't a military family, it's a
long story.) Every six months on average we were in a new town, city,
state, new school...it became a blur after a while.

So when I turned twenty-one, I asked for only one gift on my birthday:
I wanted my past. I wanted a list of where I'd lived and when so I
could start putting together something vaguely resembling a sense of
continuity. It took a long time to get that information together, and
some of it was still sketchy, but at least I had something in hand.

And promptly proceeded to lose it.

I literally just found the envelope with the information in a box that
hadn't been checked properly and had been sitting around for
years...simply years, I tell you. I've gone on-line to try and find
photos of some of those places, but obviously it's difficult at best,
most people don't generally run around taking photos of the front of
their houses or places of work and put them on the nets for all to see.

Then it struck me: invariably, at conventions and the like, I see B5
fans and others who tell me what the show has meant to them, and is
there anything they can do in return. I've never had a really good
answer to that question. I do now.

So I put this proposition out into the ether to see what happens.

Appended to this note is a list of places I've either lived in, gone
to school at, or in general am trying to get a handle on from my past.
I may, in time, use this information and these photos in an
autobiography (yes, I'm giving it some thought, no promises). If you
reading this live in the vicinity of any of these places and want to
take some good digital pictures of them and send them along, that
would not only be great, but if I do write that book, and use the
photos there, though there won't be a payment for them, I will be sure
to give a proper photo credit with your name at the back of the book.
(So BE SURE that the filename for any photos sent along has your name
included for reference later.)

Honestly, I'm very curious to see what this turns up. Here goes.
Again, some of these are general, I don't have street addresses for a
few of them, so just a photo of the residential parts of the street in
those cases would be great. These are all places I lived in (plus some
schools and a couple of other places) from the start until shortly
after I graduated high school, in chronological order.

I don't want anybody going out of their way on this stuff...if it's
convenient and you're in the area and can grab a good shot, terrific,
but honestly, this is an indulgence on my part and a favor on yours,
so don't over-extend.

LIST OF LOCATIONS

Graham Avenue, Paterson, NJ

East 11th Street, Paterson NJ

River Street, Paterson NJ. (Looking for not only a sense of the
residential area, but my grandmother used to own a bar on River
Street, don't know if it might still be there or not.)

Van Houton Avenue, Paterson NJ

Hamilton Avenue, Paterson NJ

275 Dakota Street, Paterson NJ

Blessed Sacrament School, Paterson NJ (three blocks from River Street)

Clarence Street, Los Angeles

Utah Street School, 174 North Utah Street, LA CA

Grape Street, Los Angeles

St. Aloysius School, 2023 East Nadeau Street, LA

Pine Street, Napa CA

St. Stephen School, possibly located at 131 Midland Avenue, Kearny NJ

Butler Street, Paterson NJ

Our Lady of Lourdes School, 186 Butler Street, Paterson NJ

Clifton Avenue, Newark NJ

Summer Avenue School, 257 Summer Avenue (now Roberto Clemente) Newark, NJ

Aberdeen East Apartments, L-11 Sutton Drive, Matawan, NJ (Now Long
Brook Apartments) (Note: I THINK this is the right place, but the name
change has thrown me and I can't tell from the online real estate
shots...it was called Aberdeen East Apartments when I was there, that
much I know for sure.)

St. Benedict School, 165 Bethany Road, Holmdel NJ

Lloyd Road Intermediate School 401 Lloyd Road, Aberdeen, NJ

Barrington Gardens Apartments, 129 Belaire Court, Matawan, NJ (there
are two apartments side by side there...I was in at the end of an
apartment building that faced out onto a courtyard bordered by another
building, and when I looked out my window on the other side I could
see into a big forested gully)

Matawan Regional High School, 450 Atlantic Avenue, Aberdeen NJ

323 Main Street, Matawan, NJ

Inglewood High School, Inglewood CA

Lennox High School, 11033 S. Buford Avenue, Lennox CA

1250 Fifth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA

Chula Vista High School

First Baptist Church, 494 E Street, Chula Vista CA

310 North Convent Street, Bourbonnais, Illinois

Kankakee Community College (especially looking for any shots from 1972)

900 West Spring Valley Road, # 148, Richardson, Texas

Richland College, 12800 Abrams Road Dallas TX

555 Naples #304, Chula Vista, CA

65 Mitscher Street, Chula Vista, CA

Southwestern College, 900 Otay Lakes Road Chula Vista, CA

3987 Debbyann Place, San Diego, CA

If you have any questions, let me know.
Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – August 18, 2007

What's New

Not a lot new to report.  People have been sending in reviews for THE
LOST TALES and there has been a lot of discussion regarding the new
DVD on the internet.

DVD GIVEAWAY
A few folks have sent in their "What Babylon 5 Has Meant To Me"
entries for the new DVD.  If you want to enter, send in your comments
by August 31.  We will then look at all entries and vote on the winners.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
With the release of the new Blade Runner movie in December, I began
thinking about all the great SF movies out there, ones that have
influences film makers of today – those that set the bar and had
people trying to surpass it.  What are your favorite movies?  Send in
your top 10 and let's compare notes!  Send in your comments/selections
to sgbruckner@....

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #77!
Tim, Summer, and Jeffrey gleefully continue with "Lost Tales"
celebration month, and remember… there will be spoilers contained in
all of the August episodes, so be forwarned. If you want to avoid
spoilers, then skip these next few shows until you're all caught up!
Best Buy Hollywood Event: Jeffrey plays a segment of the interviews he
did with the Babylon 5 stars attending the Los Angeles Best Buy
release party event: Tracy Scoggins, Bruce Boxleitner, Peter Woodward
and Doug Netter.

The video of this segment is coming soon!!
Fan Cast: The Three-Edged Sword Episode 8: "Battle Plans" (TS:
19:42-24:25)

Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer waste no time in Geeking on the first
Lost Tale, "Over Here". Geeking on this story will continue next week.

JOIN THE TMNT COWABUNGA COMMUNITY
In celebration of the TMNT (SD/HD/BD) release (www.tmnt.com), Warner
Bros. brings all Ninja lovers the ultimate Ninja Turtledom at
http://tmntcowabungacommunity.warnerbros.com/.
Here you can create your very own virtual Ninja turtle, give it a
name, feed it pizza and give it baths in "radioactive ooze'. Designed
for all Ninja lovers, it's easy, fun and simple and all you have to do
to score points is interact with it more. You can even spar with other
Ninjas turtles. Winning gains you extra points and pushes your turtle
further in the ranks!

Make sure to sign up for YOUR chance to own and interact with a Ninja
turtle; and share this information with your Friends!

NEW DVDS COMING
BLADERUNNER: The Final Cut
Release Date: December 18, 2007
A new website is up and running for the new BLADE RUNNER DVD. Go to
http://bladerunnerthemovie.warnerbros.com.

Be sure to watch all the trailers. The comments from cast and crew are
wonderful and give you some idea of the complexity -- and difficulty
-- in making this movie.

SYNOPSIS:
Synopsis: Visually spectacular, intensely action-packed and powerfully
prophetic since its debut, Blade Runner returns in Ridley Scott's
definitive Final Cut, including extended scenes and never-before-seen
special effects. In a signature role as 21st-century detective Rick
Deckard, Harrison Ford brings his masculine-yet-vulnerable presence to
this stylish noir thriller. In a future of high-tech possibility
soured by urban and social decay, Deckard hunts for fugitive, murderous
replicants - and is drawn to a mystery woman whose secrets may undermine his
soul.

NEW BOOKS
THE DOCTOR WHO ENCYCLOPEDIA
by Gary Russell
Covering both Christopher Eccelston and David Tennant's Doctors and
packed with never-before-seen photos, concept drawings, and special
effects artwork, the Doctor Who Encyclopedia is the perfect companion
for anyone wishing to know more about the Doctor, the Tardis, his
friends and enemies, and the worlds through which he travels. (7463)
(C: 0-1-2)
SC, 8x11, 192pgs, PC..........$39.95

WHAT'S NEW IN THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

DRESDEN FILES
I had been hoping to see DRESDEN FILES in the fall line-up over at
SciFi, but no such luck. This wonderful show has been canceled. In an
age of so few quality programs to choose from, I am sad to see this
one go by the wayside. The stories were well written; the acting was
right on the money. I hope that SciFi will bring it back for a second
run-through, so that more people can enjoy this wonderful series. The
books from Jim Butcher seem to be doing well in the bookstores -- too
bad SciFi pulled the plug on this one.

NEW SHOWS TO WATCH THIS COMING SEASON

NEW AMSTERDAM
Premiere Date: January 2008
New York City homicide detective John Amsterdam is cursed with
immortality because he stopped the murder of a Native Indian girl in
1642 by stepping in front of a sword. Due to this act of kindness, the
Indian girl rescued Amsterdam from the stab wound by making him
immortal, but warns that it is a curse that will only be lifted when
John meets his true love. Now, Amsterdam is a homicide in the Big
Apple where he shares his secret with Omar, a blues club owner with a
few secrets of his own. John is partnered up with Eva Marquez and gets
into a chase with a suspect. When he suffers what appears to be a
heart attack and is revived by ER doctor Sara Dillane, he realizes
that mortality may be closer then he thought. New Amsterdam is
produced by Laha Films, Regency Television, Sarabande Productions and
Scarlet Fire Productions. FOX originally planned to premiere it in
September '07; however, it will now be a midseason replacement....

K-VILLE
Premiere Date: September 17, 2007
It's been two years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and a
select few still remain at the NOPD. These special cops are bound and
determined to bring back the life to New Orleans, otherwise known to
most as K-Ville (Katrinaville), and clean up the crime and damage that
still remains.
Marlin Boulet, a veteran of the NOPD's Felony Action Squad, was left
stranded in the waters by his partner, but still attempted to keep
some little bit of order to all the chaos that was going on during the
hurricane. He now has a new partner with ulterior motives, Trevor
Cobb, who is fresh back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Together
the two work the streets of New Orleans, trying to make it a better
place. Helping them on their crusade are fellow officers Jeff Gooden,
Captain James Embry, Billy Faust, and the lone female officer, Ginger
LeBeau.
K-Ville was shot on location in New Orleans. Jonathan Lisco, the
series writer and executive producer, toured parts of New Orleans with
actual New Orleans Police Officers before writing the pilot in hopes
of making the series as real as possible.

JOURNEYMAN
Premiere Date: September 24, 2007
Kevin McKidd (Rome) stars as Dan Vassar in this new series from NBC
set to air in the fall of 2007. Dan is happily married with a son. It
seems like he has everything going for him. Dan ends up traveling into
the past. He changes people's lives, sometimes for the better, but
sometimes not. During his travels he meets up with Livia Beale, he was
engaged to her when she died in a plane crash. Knowing the future he
has a chance to save her but how will that change his own future?

PUSHING DAISIES
Premiere Date: October 3, 2007
This romantic drama shows us the strange world of a man, Ned, who can
bring dead people back to life through the power of his touch. The
people he touches, however, can only stay alive for one minute, and if
they don't die again, someone else nearby will die. Ned decides to use
his ability to solve crime. He and a local investigator, Emerson,
bring murder victims back to life and find out who killed them, to
cash in on case-solving rewards. But, when Ned brings an old crush
back to life, and decides to let her live, things start to get
complicated...
The show is created by Bryan Fuller, who has brought us sci-fi series
such as Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me. The series is said to share some
aspects of Fuller's previous shows, with quick witted comedy mixed
with darker emotions and drama. The main plot about life and death is
also akin to Dead Like Me.
The show is still in pre-production, and will, if it is picked up, air
on ABC. Lee Pace will star as Ned and Chi McBride as his colleague
Emerson. Anna Friel will star as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, Kristin
Chenoweth as Olive, Swoosie Kurtz as Lily and Ellen Green as a, so
far, unnamed character. The cast will be joined by Jim Dale as the
narrator. Lee Pace has previously worked with creator Bryan Fuller on
Wonderfalls.

BIONIC WOMAN
Premiere Date: September 26, 2007
Jaime Wells Sommers is nothing but a hard-working woman juggling work
as a bartender, the responsibility for the care of her younger sister,
Becca, and her relationship with her boyfriend, Will. Although she
does not have much, Jaime has always enjoyed being as normal as any
other human being. However, this all changes when she is hit by a car
and seriously injured. Her only hope becomes an experimental and top
secret procedure, but, as Jaime soon discovers, this salvation comes
at a high price.
Bionic Woman is produced by David Eick Productions in association with
GEP Productions and NBC Universal Television Studio.

WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB
Premiere Date: October 12, 2007
A series of mystery books by James Patterson was the inspiration for
this new series, which tells the story of four women who work together
to solve some of the most confounding murder cases out there. Their
jobs as a homicide detective (Lt. Lindsay Boxer), a medical examiner
(Claire Washburn), a newspaper reporter (Cindy Thomas), and an
assistant district attorney (Jill Bernhardt) give them a formidable
range of skills, and their strong friendship provides the basis for
the teamwork that's necessary to crack each case.
Women's Murder Club is a blend of Sex And The City, CSI and Law And Order.
Women's Murder Club is produced by 20th Century FOX Television and Rat
Entertainment and distributed by ABC Television Network. The series
has been given a 13 episode initial order by the network.

MOONLIGHT
Premiere Date: September 28, 2007
Moonlight follows Mick St. John, an immortal vampire and private
investigator and his struggle to exist after he was bitten 60 years
ago by his vampire bride on their wedding night. It also follows his
internal torment as he falls in love with one he should not, one who
is mortal named Beth, a news reporter, as well as his dealings with
the woman who made him a vampire, his sire Coraline.
The show is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Silver Pictures.
Joel Silver is executive producing with Trevor Munson and Ron Koslow
both writing and executive producing.

LIFE IS WILD
Premiere Date: October 7, 2007
A New York vet moves his second wife and their two sets of children to
a South African game reserve run by his father-in-law. This new drama
is based on the eponymous British series named Wild at Heart.
Beautiful People creator Michael Rauch wrote the pilot and Company
Pictures, the company behind the original series, will also co-produce
with Charlie Pattinson and George Faber executive producing alongside
Michael Rauch.
Life is Wild is produced by All 3 Media Company in association with
CBS Paramount Network Television, Company Pictures, and Warner Bros.
Television. The series has been given a 13 episode initial order by
The CW Television Network.
Life is Wild is being filmed entirely in South Africa.

CONVENTION CALENDAR
August 31-September 3, 2007
Dragoncon
Place: Hyatt Regency, Atlanta Hilton, Marriott Marquis
City: Atlanta, GA
Babylon 5 Guests: Stephen Austin (Pak'Ma'Ra Ambassador), Claudia
Christian, Peter David (author), John Hudgens (B5 music video creator)
Guests: As usual, guests number too many to mention in one sitting,
can be looked up on the Dragoncon website.
For more information, go to http://www.dragoncon.org

That's about it for now.  Be sure to visit the website for all the
latest news about Babylon 5 and other science fiction projects.

Have a great weekend.
Be safe.
Sandy

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

The Zocalo Today - August 12, 2007

I'm back from Sofia, Bulgaria.  I had a marvelous time and will be
getting back into the swing of updating the website soon.  There has
been a lot of new "news" from the world of science fiction so there is a lot to
catch up on.

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES
Now that we have all had a chance to watch the latest DVD -- a few
times, what do you think? Is it what you had been hoping for? Is it
an extension of the Babylon 5 universe we have all known and loved?
Send in your comments, reviews, observations and I'll post them for
others to read.

THE NEW DVD CAN BE YOURS!
I've got a couple of copies of the BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES DVD to
give away. I've been thinking what would be the best way to do this.
How about sending in "What Babylon 5 has meant to me -- and why the
story needs to continue." I'll post the responses and we can vote on
the two best. That makes this a community project. So send in your
comments and let's get started!

Send in your reviews, comments and observations, sgbruckner@....
Use the same address to send in your "What Babylon 5 has meant to me"
material.  I'll start posting it as soon as items begin to arrive.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

THOR
Matthew Vaughn, director of "Stardust", has been tapepd by Marvel
Studios to helm "Thor," based on the comic book character of the same
name, reports Variety. In the comic books, Stan Lee created Thor --
loosely based on the Norse god -- as a blond-haired, hammer-wielding
god sent to Earth to help mankind. Vaughn will direct from Mark
Prostevich's ("I Am Legend") adaptation of the comic book. Production
is scheduled for this winter to get ahead of the possible strike.
Vaughn was once attached to direct another superhero film, "X-Men 3,"
but had to step down for a personal scheduling conflict. He made his
directing debut with the stylish crime drama "Layer Cake," starring
Daniel Craig and his film "Stardust," an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's
novel starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro and Claire Danes, is
currently in theaters.

TRUE BLOOD
It's official. HBO has picked up the vampire series TRUE BLOOD from
Six Feet Under's Alan Ball, based on Charlaine Harris' Southern
Vampire novel series, Variety reported. Ball will executive-produce
and act as show runner for TRUE BLOOD, which is expected to go into
production this fall. HBO is still ironing out an episodic order and
airdate. Ball wrote and directed the pilot and has already penned
several more episodes. The pilot stars Anna Paquin, Ryan Kwanten, Sam
Trammell, Stephen Moyer and Brook Kerr. It is set in small-town
Louisiana and follows the world of vampires, who are able to co-exist
with humans by drinking a Japanese-manufactured synthetic blood. The
show contains a dose of humor alongside the horror. Paquin plays
Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress who winds up falling for vampire Bill
Compton (played by Moyer) and who has powers of her own. Carrie
Preston and Michael Raymond-James round out the cast.

STARGATE ATLANTIS
Although his character, Dr. Carson Beckett, was killed last season,
Paul McGillion will be returning to STARGATE ATLANTIS and the role
for a two-episode arc during the upcoming fourth season. In a recent
interview, McGillion said that it feels great to be back on the show
after nearly a year away. "Honestly, it feels like coming home,"
McGillion said. "And everyone's been so terrific to me. The crew gave
me a little round of applause when I came back on the set. And that
was really sweet. That felt really nice. And everyone's been really
gracious towards me, and it's just been really nice. I love the
character, and the chance to reprise Beckett is my pleasure."
McGillion's character perished in an explosion near the end of the
third season, causing an outcry among fans, who began a Save Carson
Beckett campaign in an attempt to bring him back. McGillion said he's
been encouraged by the all fan support, but was still somewhat
surprised when he got the call to come back. "When the fellas told me
that they were going to be making some changes with the cast and
stuff, they said, 'No one ever dies in sci-fi,'" McGillion said. "I
was kind of surprised, but having heard a lot of the fan reaction and
stuff, I think it was a big thing when my character died, and I think
that has a lot to do with the writing they gave the character and the
opportunity to play such a fun character and a well-loved character.
A lot of people have called him the heart of Atlantis. And I think
the fans really stood behind that and rallied behind the character a
lot. So I was flattered and obviously thrilled to come back." The
details of the episodes are being kept under wraps, but McGillion
assured fans that they would be satisfied with his role in the
story. "They gave me a really great storyline," he said. "I think the
fans will appreciate it. Beckett has a lot to do in the storyline
that they've given the character. So I'm really happy with it. I
think it's a really great way to bring Beckett back. Without going
into any details, because I really can't, he's heavily, heavily based
in the episodes. They'll see a lot of Beckett." The future of the
character beyond the two episodes remains unclear, but McGillion is
open to the possibility of coming back on a more permanent
basis. "We'll see what happens," he said." I don't know what their
plans are for the character or where I'm going to be, but it's always
a pleasure to come back and work on the show, that's for sure. So I'm
not ruling anything out." In addition to McGillion's return, Atlantis
viewers can also look forward to guest appearances by Torri Higginson
(Dr. Elizabeth Weir) and Stargate SG-1's Christopher Judge (Teal'c)
in the upcoming fourth season. Stargate: Atlantis will return on
Sept. 28 in a new timeslot on Fridays at 10 p.m. PT/ET.

FLASH GORDON PILOT
Genius Products presents "Flash Gordon: The Premiere Episode," a
limited-time only DVD release featuring the premiere of the highly
anticipated SCI FI Channel series, available on DVD August 14, 2007.
Starring Eric Johnson ("Smallville"), Gina Holden (Final Destination
3, Fantastic Four) and Karen Cliche ("Young Blades"), the DVD
features deleted scenes and a sneak peak at the rest of the season
of "Flash Gordon" which premiered August 10, 2007 @ 9pm ET/PT on SCI
FI. Also included is a sneak peak at "Tin Man," the miniseries event
starring Zooey Deschanel (Elf) and Richard Dreyfus (Mr. Holland's
Opus) and coming to the SCI FI Channel this December. Debuting on DVD
immediately following the August 10, 2007 broadcast debut, "Flash
Gordon: The Premiere Episode" will be available for an S.R.P. of
$19.95. From mythic comic strip conqueror to pulp-serial
superstar, "Flash Gordon" returns to television for the 21st century
in an action-packed new series about the greatest hero on Earthand
beyond. Join Flash, Dale Arden, and Dr. Hans Zarkov in a universal
adventure unlike anything ever experienced before. An adventure
series that rethinks and exceeds everything that has come before,
this "Flash Gordon" redefines the sci-fi genre with suspenseful
action and great special effects.

VOLTRON
According to Variety, 20th Century Fox-based production company New
Regency has partnered with the Mark Gordon Company to adapt Voltron:
Defender of the Universe into a possible franchise. Producer Mark
Gordon has been developing the film, based on the popular 1980s
Japanese animated TV series, comic books and toy line, for some time
with Justin Marks writing the script. But interest in the property
hit a high after Transformers turned into a box office juggernaut,
raking in nearly $300 million to date. Marks' take is described as a
post-apocalyptic tale of survival set in New York City and Mexico. In
the animated series, five Galaxy Alliance pilots control vehicles
shaped like lions that combine and form the massive sword-wielding
Voltron robot in order to battle an evil menace. Gordon is producing
with Lawrence Inglee and Jordan Wynn shepherding the project. Mark
Costa and Ford Oelman are executive producers. Marks is also adapting
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe for Joel Silver at Warner
Bros., as well as the Green Arrow pic Supermax, also at the studio.
Marks also has Street Fighter in the works at Hyde Park and Fox.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

August 31-September 3, 2007
Dragoncon
Place: Hyatt Regency, Atlanta Hilton, Marriott Marquis
City: Atlanta, GA
Babylon 5 Guests:  Stephen Austin (Pak'Ma'Ra Ambassador), Claudia
Christian, Peter David (author), John Hudgens (B5 music video creator)
Guests: As usual, guests number too many to mention in one sitting,
can be looked up on the Dragopncon website
For more information, go to http://www.dragoncon.org

That's it for now.
Talk to you soon,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY

Hello, all.  Just a short note from Bulgaria to say that I've been
reading the wonderful reviews of BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES on the
internet.  I am so happpy that fans of Babylon 5 are enjoying the new
movie as much as I have.

I will be back in the U.S. next week and perhaps we can pull some
reviews together to see what you all think about the new movie.  Get
your pencils ready (I guess you'd have problems getting the paper
into the computer), so get your e-mail messages ready and send them
to me so that I can post your thoughts about the new movie to share
with other readers.  Don't forget to mention what you thought about
the extra material on the DVD as well.  I know everyone enjoyed the
memorials to Andreas and Rick.

In the meantime, Jan wrote up a report from San Diego Comic Con that
I thought I'd share with you.  For those of us that couldn't make the
convention, thanks Jan for sending along the information to share.

************
The only B5 related thing on Thursday was a signing by JMS.  Being
mid-day on a weekday, there was a pretty small but steady line.
Several people had sent me things to get signed so I got that
accomplished right off.

Friday afternoon was a group signing for the Lost Tales folks.  I
understand that a goodly number of people missed it because Wed. and
Thurs. nobody at the WB booth knew anything about it.  By Friday
they'd finally started putting up schedules of events for the current
day and the next.  A little more than an hour before the signing was
scheduled to start, I stopped at the Warner's booth to find out when
and where the line would be forming.  As luck would have it, the
woman I asked decided that the line would form right then and there
with me at the head.  In less than a minute there were ten more
people behind me and they soon moved the line up closer to where the
actual signing would take place.  As is his wont, JMS arrived a few
minutes before time along with Samm Barnes (producer of the Diaries
and TLT extra features) and Bruce Boxleitner.  There was a bit of a
wait for Tracy Scoggins and Doug Netter who, I understand got stuck
behind a train out in front of the convention center.  While waiting,
JMS went out and talked to fans for a few minutes.  When Tracy and
Doug arrived, the booth people started trying to call "Michael"
back.  Once the line was complete, the signing began and it was my
pleasure to finally get to thank Doug Netter for his part in bringing
B5 to reality.

There was a con exclusive mini-comic for the TLT folks to sign.  I
understand that they'll also be available for people who get their
copy of Lost Tales at Best Buy as an exclusive.  It's just a lovely,
touching piece if you can get it.

A couple of hours after the signing was the highly anticipated
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales panel moderated by writer/interviewer Joe
Nazzaro  who did a wonderful job.  Before the panel began, Joe N.
handed out some homemade sock puppets to the front rows of the
audience.  Just before starting time several people went out into the
audience to give out Babylon 5: The Lost Tales flashing necklaces
also.  After introducing the panel (JMS, Doug Netter, Bruce
Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, Peter Woodward and Samm Barnes), the
first order of business was to play an extended clip of one of the
segments.  Then played the trailer that's been available online and
then Joe N. had the player stopped but JMS wouldn't let him and
wanted to continue to the third segment.

That segment was about how JMS tried desperately to convince WB
liaison Gregg Maday of his fresh, original idea to use sock puppets
in place of the live actors.  It'd be artistic, innovative and
certainly within budget.  He demonstrated a Londo puppet (in purple),
a Sheridan puppet (including a necklace), a Lochley puppet (with
hair) and a Galen puppet (in black with a cowl and a Sharpie as a
staff).  They filmed a scene with the puppets but Gregg seemed
unimpressed...or was that horrified...definitely speechless...and
simply turned away.  At the end of that, Joe N. assured JMS that all
of the fans were behind him and his artistic vision 100% and asked
for a show of hands at which time we all raised our sock puppeted
hands.

This was the beginning of a bout of give-and-take among the cast and
crew that was a lot of fun.  Joe N. did a great time with questions
and kept things going nicely and at least some semblance of order, a
not inconsiderable task.  I'll be able to transcribe it at a later
time.  Everybody wants to know if there'll be more Lost Tales disks
and at this point no decision has been made.

Saturday was JMS's spotlight.  He updated everybody on 'The
Changeling' starring Angelina Jolie and being directed by Clint
Eastwood and that he's writing the screenplay for 'World War Z' for
Brad Pitt's production company.  He said that he got some really
great news about WWZ but that he can't share it yet.  He also
mentioned that he's turned in the screenplay for the Silver Surfer
movie.

Before turning things over to questions, JMS said that he's had three
stages to his career that he likened to a three stage rocket.  First
he started writing at 17 and was writing articles and news and
everybody told him that as a New Jersey street kid he had no business
thinking he'd be a writer.  Then he started writing for TV and comics
and was told that he'd never make it without the right connections.
Now he's writing amazing movies for amazing talent and suddenly, at
last, he no longer hears the roar or feels the push of the rocket.
When asked if he'd ever consider doing another TV series, JMS replied
that he also had something going on there that we might be able to
hear word on around September.  He was very excited about the people
he'd be working with.

The questions for this spotlight were really good, ranging from B5 to
comics to writing questions.  Again, I'll post a transcript at some
point but it was a really good panel.

Sunday was one more signing.  The line was quite a bit larger this
time but not nearly as long as I've seen at some cons.  Before JMS
arrived, some friends and I observed that across the hall was a group
of young people screaming over a celebrity and we got the group in
line to join us in giving JMS a rock star greeting, too.  He
pretended to turn around and go away but came back and started
signing.

It was really great touching base with some of the people on the
moderated newsgroup and on JMSNews.com and meeting new people who
just love B5.  Seeing the stars and crew of the new DVD was a lot of
fun and it's obvious that they enjoyed being involved with B5 again.
*********************

Well, that's it for now.  I want to thank Jan again for sending in
the report from San Diego Comic Con.  We all wish we were there!!!!

Off to the Rila Monastery in the mountains of Sofia.
Talk to you all later.
Have a great weekend.
Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – July 8, 2007

Not a lot going on – other than the heat across the country.  I hope
that you are able to stay cool and perhaps have a chance to catch up
on some old Babylon 5 episodes.

On the Babylon 5 movie front, there continue to be new clips turning
up on the internet.  Warner Bros. has been great in getting new
snippets out on various services.  Use the links below to check them
out.

I have clipped out a portion of the schedule from the upcoming San
Diego Comic Con.  The Babylon 5 panel will be on Friday from 6-7:00.
Details are below.  I had hoped to attend this year, but will be on a
plane to Bulgaria so I'll have to depend on folks attending the
convention to keep us informed.

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES MOVIE CLIPS
Warner Bros. is getting the word out about THE LOST TALES. Besides
posting the latest trailer over at www.babylon5.com, they have also
posted to the WB Channels on the following UGC sites

vMix at www.vmix.com/wb
LiveVideo.com at http://www.livevideo.com/WarnerBros
YouTube at http://youtube.com/profile?user=WarnerBrosOnline

and Google Video at
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9025857401896040923
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9025857401896040923&hl=en

CS SOCIETY ARTICLE
Ranger James alerted me to the second installment of BABYLON 5: The
Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark' Production diary. This one is
SWEET!!!!! Go to http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?
story_id=4102 to see some great pictures of the ship, docking bay and
the New York City picture is awesome!

For all the information on THE LOST TALES, go to
<http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/lost-tales.shtml> LOST TALES here at
The Zocalo Today.

THE LOST TALES is released on July 31, so if you haven't already
ordered your copy, do so now!  Let's show Warner Bros. that we want
more Babylon 5!

BABYLON 5 JULY BIRTHDAYS
Jerry Doyle - July 16
J. Michael Straczynski - July 17
David Warner - July 29

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
Do you think that the advances in computer technology and the ability
to enhance movies with more and better CGI has made movies more
exciting?  Or do you think that this is "eye candy" and it is still
the story that makes the difference?  Or worse, does it detract from
the overall story?

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

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON

There are tons of activities taking place at San Diego Comic Con.
I've picked out a few that may be of particular interest. The entire
program is not yet up on-line, but a sneek peek is at
<http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci07prog_peek.shtml>:

Thursday, July 26
5:00-6:30 Lost Season 4— If the Lost finale was any indication of
things to come, you will not want to miss this panel! Co-
creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer
Carlton Cuse will discuss the exciting new season of ABC's Lost, all
leading up to the ultimate series finale. They'll spotlight bonus
features from the 3rd season DVD box set, preview the new Lost video
game, take questions from the audience and perhaps serve up more
surprises. Ballroom 20

8:30-10:30 World Premiere! Superman Doomsday—Superman is dead? Or is
he? All will be revealed at Comic-Con's world premiere of DC Comics,
Warner Bros. Home Video, and Warner Bros. Animation's Superman
Doomsday. It's the highly anticipated first DC Universe made-for-DVD
release presented by Warner Premiere and produced by Warner Bros.
Animation. Inspired by the best-selling graphic novel of all time,
Superman Doomsday is the epic tale of heroism and tragedy, sacrifice
and redemption. The film is rated PG-13 for action violence. The film
stars Adam Baldwin (Serenity, Chuck) as Superman, Anne Heche (Men in
Trees) as Lois Lane, and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as
Lex Luthor. DC Comics' Gregory Novek will moderate the post-premiere
panel of executive producer/director/writer Bruce Timm (Justice
League Unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series); directors Brandon
Vietti (Legion of Super Heroes) and Lauren Montgomery (Legion of
Super Heroes); writer Duane Capizzi (The Batman) and, quite possibly,
members of the voice cast. And stay `til the end—there might just be
a glimpse of future DC Universe films. Ballroom 20

Friday, July 27:
1:15-2:15 Stargate Atlantis—The Stargate legacy continues to burn
bright on SCI FI with the fourth original season of Atlantis. Amanda
Tapping, one of the most beloved stars in the Stargate universe,
travels to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis cast by reprising
her role as television's favorite astrophysicist, Lt. Colonel
Samantha Carter. Taking the torch from SG-1 as television's most
thrilling adventure series, Atlantis promises to up the ante this
season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members
and mourning the loss of some beloved friends. Featuring panelists
Amanda Tapping, (Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter); David Hewlett (Dr.
Rodney McKay); Joe Mallozzi, executive producer/writer; Nora O'Brien,
VP, original programming, SCI FI; Charlie Cohen, senior executive VP,
MGM Studios; and Robert Cooper, executive producer/writer. Moderated
by Gary Jones (Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman, Stargate SG-1).
Ballroom 20

6:00-7:00 Babylon 5: The Lost Tales—Created by J. Michael Straczynski
in 1993, Babylon 5 became an sf cult fan favorite and a top rated
show. Now in 2007, you are being taken to 2271 A.D. for Babylon 5:
The Lost Tales, a made-for-video movie. See footage from the movie
with a panel to follow. Panelists include writer/director/executive
producer J. Michael Straczynski, and members from the original cast
including Bruce Boxleitner (President John Sheridan), Tracy Scoggins
(Captain Elizabeth Lochley) and Peter Woodward (Galen) as well as
executive producer Douglas Netter and producer Samm Barnes. Room
6CDEF

Saturday, July 28:
12:45-2:00 Heroes: Exclusive Volume II Clip and Q&A—Heroes chronicles
the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary
abilities. Be the first to see an exclusive clip from Volume II and
learn more about the DVD, Heroes 360 and more. Moderated by co-
executive producer/comic book writer Jeph Loeb, participate in a Q&A
session with creator Tim Kring; comic book artist Tim Sale (Batman:
The Long Halloween); and the entire cast—Jack Coleman (H.R.G.); Noah
Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders); Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman); Ali Larter
(Niki Sanders); James Kyson Lee (Ando); Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura);
Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet); Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli);
Zachary Quinto (Sylar); Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh); Dania
Ramirez (Maya); Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli); and more. Ballroom
20

4:45-5:45 Dark Horse Presents: Joss Whedon—With the hugely successful
release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 for Dark Horse Comics,
Joss Whedon (Fray, Astonishing X-Men) talks about picking up where
the TV series left off, his other projects as well as future plans
and possibly even a few surprises. A sneak peek from the upcoming
Serenity—Collector's Edition DVD will be shown. Ballroom 20
6:30-7:30 Smallville Screening and Q&A - Comic-Con favorite
Smallville returns with an all-new screening and Q&A, featuring
executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar (both from Spider-Man
2) and cast members. Special appearance by the actress chosen to play
Supergirl in the upcoming season of Smallville! Produced by
Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros.
Television, Smallville airs Thursdays at 8 PM ET/PT on The CW. Room
6CDEF

Sunday, July 29:
12:00-1:00 The 4400—Get a sneak peek of upcoming scenes from The
4400, CBS Paramount Network Television's hit sci-fi series for USA
Network, during a panel discussion led by TV Guide West Coast editor
Craig Tomashoff with series stars Billy Campbell (Jordan Collier),
Chad Faust (Kyle Baldwin), Megalyn Echikunwoke (Isabelle Tyler),
Jenni Baird (Megan Doyle), and executive producer Ira Steven Behr
(Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and supervising producer Craig Sweeny
(Medium). In season four of The 4400, widespread distribution of the
drug promicin has created a dangerous new world, a world in which
special abilities are no longer the exclusive province of the 4400.
Fifty percent of those who take the shot pay the price with their
lives, while those who survive are now ostracized by a government
determined to rid the world of promicin forever. Room 6CDEF

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

MAGGIE EGAN:
This week's episode of STANDOFF featured the ISN Anchorwoman, Maggie
Egan. She was guest starring as Lauraine Reiker, who, along with
her "husband," played by John Billingsley from ABC's "The Nine," is
kidnapped and held hostage.

BABYLON PODCAST #72
Tim, Summer and Jeffrey muse on the imaginative creations that the
storylines in Season 3 may inspire, and Jeff is pleased to learn that
he's finally being officially credited as being "Kosh" on the show
over at http://babylon5.warnerbros.com. And we are working on having
some special guests in the upcoming weeks, so Stay Tuned!
Deep Geeking: This week, Tim and Summer talk about the Season 3
opener, "Matters of Honor", beginning with the stunning spoiler in
the opening that showed one Starfury opening fire on another, along
with Ivanova's voiceover "Our last, best hope for peace… it failed,"
the new theme and incidental music, the arrival of the White Star,
and more.

One of the biggest immediate changes for Season 3 is the arrival of
Marcus, and Babylon 5's deeper and more open involvement in the proxy
struggle between the Vorlons and the Shadows. His arrival marks the
first step in direct confrontation against the Shadows, and the start
of testing themselves for the larger battles to come.

We also have a representative of Special Intelligence, Mr. Endawi,
visiting that station to investigate the Shadow vessel in the video
footage Lt Keffer shot before his demise. His inquiries result in a
variety of responses, including Londo's fear of seeing them in a
dream, and G'Kar's description of them from a thousand years ago.
Endawi's report back to a senator at Earthdome is met with
satisfaction by Morden and a Psi Cop, given that his instructions
were "to find out what the other races know about the ship." A
secondary plan is also mentioned, which opens a whole second can of
worms for us to deal with in Season 4.

Listener Feedback: Negative results from the Mailbox Report. Check
out Jarsto's performance on SciFi Smackdown Episode 5: X-Wings vs X-
Wings, and their voicemail show should be coming up soon.
Comments on how Kosh was able to appear differently to all the
different races; Kurt weighs in the philosophical and theological
theories on why Londo can't "see" Kosh; Kurt again with a S3 blooper
on Londo's response to what he saw in the garden; Dave from PA
submits an audio montage to explain how Jarsto has invaded his brain
and won't go away (it wasnt't a Jarsto project); asks Jeffery if he
has any anecdotes from when Jerry Doyle was campaigning for office,
since Kosh is now running for President; Trampas comments on
the "Comes the Inquisitor" discussion, and other references in the
series to Jack the Ripper.

For more information on Babylon 5 podcasts, go to
www.babylonpodcast.com

NEW DVDS COMING

ASTRONAUT FARMER
Release date: July 7, 2007
For clips from the movie and more information about the film, go to
http://theastronautfarmermovie.warnerbros.com/. The DVD includes two
featurettes: How to Build a Rocket: The Making of the Astronaut
Farmer and A Conversation with NASA Astronaut David Scott.
Synopsis:

All systems are "Go" for Charles Farmer. He's faced bank foreclosure,
neighborhood naysayers and a government alarmed by his huge purchase
of high-grade fuel, but now he's ready to blast into space inside the
homemade rocket he built in his barn. Just be home in time for
dinner, Charlie. Billy Bob Thornton portrays Charlie in this charmer
about chasing dreams...and about what it means to be a family. 10,000
pounds of rocket fuel alone can't lift Charlie into the heavens. He
needs a launch/recovery crew, and he has one of the best: his wife
(Virginia Madsen) and children, dreamers all. They have liftoff. Our
spirits have uplift. Gravity cannot hold down our dreams. The
Astronaut Farmer is that kind of movie. Critic's Quotes: "Two thumbs
up." - Richard Roeper and Lisa Schwarzbaum, Guest Critic, EBERT &
ROEPER "A family film...great for all ages!" - Steve Gow, THE MOVIE
NETWORK "Brilliant, imaginative and inspirational." - Mark S. Allen,
CBS-TV

REVIEW
I loved this movie! For anyone that loves stories about those that
succeed, against overwhelming odds, this is your movie! It is a
fantastic family film -- providing not only a good story about
following your dreams, but you see a family that pulls together.
Billy Bob Thornton is awesome as Charlie Farmer. The entire cast is
marvelous. If you missed this one at the movies, it will make a
wonderful addition to your DVD library. Share it with someone who
likes good stories -- and "feel good" movies.

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS:
TV Zone #217: BABYLON 5: Babylon 5's Tracy Scoggins chats about
reprising her role as Captain Elizabeth Lochley in The Lost Years,
the latest installment of the cult Sci-Fi drama, describing her
experiences with the rest of the team and acting in a green-screen
studio; DOCTOR WHO: Ed Thomas, the production designer has been a
busy bee indeed as he discusses his work on various episodes of the
show and its spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. These
include the climatic showdown for the end of Season Three of Who and
the next Christmas special; Justin Richards - the creative director
to the BBC Who books, and author of some of the more popular titles
answers our questions about the books' launch, their continued
development and what we can expect from the autumn titles.

Cult Times #142:STARGATE: SG-1's Michael Shanks has finally hung up
his zat gun and combats. But wait! There's more! We talk to the actor
about nine years (on and off) playing Daniel Jackson and his upcoming
projects, including the DVD SG-1 movies; ATLANTIS - Paul McGillion -
He's been hired, promoted and then killed off, but he's not bitter.
Especially as the fan outcry that resulted from his character, Dr
Beckett's, death will see him back on the show! The actor sends back
some love. SMALLVILLE - Executive producer Miles Millar takes a
candid look back over six seasons of Smallville so far and reveals
what will – and definitely won't – be happening next… THE 4400 - He's
back! And better than ever! Fresh from sailing around the world,
Billy Campbell is back on The 4400 as Jordan Collier, setting out to
keep his increasingly wayward 'children' under control. THE DEAD
ZONE: As the sixth season of the hit Supernatural series edges
closer, we tracked down John L Adams, who plays Bruce Lewis, to
discover what he brings to the relationship between Bruce and
loveable psychic Johnny Smith

STARBURST #352: HEROES: Adrian Pasdar discusses his role as Nathan
Petrelli throughout the first year of the hit Sci-Fi show, and
considers what the future may hold for our favourite band of
superheroes… TRANSFORMERS: The robots in disguise are finally
unleashed! Director Michael Bay and stars Shia LaBeouf and Tyrese
Gibson talk about the making of one of this summer's sure-fire
blockbusters; HARRY POTTER: catch up with the Harry himself, Daniel
Radcliffe, his co-stars, director and producer of the latest magical
installment, THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. BABYLON 5: Bruce Boxleitner
discusses his fond return to the J Michael Straczynski universe in
the new straight-to-DVD stories The Lost Tales. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA:
Executive producers Ronald D Moore and David Eick hint at what's to
come, as the series enters production on its fourth and final season.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

SUPERMAN SEQUEL
Shooting for the sequel of SUPERMAN RETURNS will begin by next May.
The rumor is that the working title is SUPERMAN:MAN OF STEEL though
there has been no confirmation to it.

SMALLVILLE ADDITION
According to the TV Guide, Michael Cassidy(THE OC) has joined the
cast of SMALLVILLE as News Editor for the Daily Planet. He replaces
the old news editor, Carrie Fisher's character Pauline Kahn. Michael
Cassidy will be appearing in at least 6 episodes of next season and
will also be a possible love interest of Lois Lane.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
DreamWorks and Paramount's TRANSFORMERS made an estimated $22.5
million on Friday, pushing the tentpole past the $100 million mark
for a new total of $107.4 million. Pic, directed by Michael Bay, is
playing on 4,011 screens. RATATOUILLE, from Disney-Pixar, made an
estimated $9.5 million Friday from 3,940 engagements, upping the
toon's take to $90 million. 20th Century Fox's LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD
took in an estimated $5.3 million for a new cume of $72.2 million
from 3,411 screens. Playing 2,604 engagements, Warner Bros. laffer
LICENSE TO WED made an estimated $3.7 million Friday for a new total
of $11.1 million. Expanding to 703 screens, Michael Moore's docu
SICKO made an estimated $1 million Friday, upping total receipts to
$8.8 million. Lionsgate is distributing the film for the Weinstein Co.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jim Carrey will star in a Robert
Zemeckis adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, playing Scrooge, the ghost
of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of
Christmas future. The film will be produced by Walt Disney Pictures
and ImageMovers Digital, which inked a deal with Disney this year.
Zemeckis wrote the screenplay for Carrey and will direct the film,
which will be made for a 3-D stereoscopic release. Producing are
Zemeckis and his ImageMovers partners Steve Starkey and Jack Rapke.
Production will incorporate performance capture, and blend live
action and CG, building on techniques used for Zemeckis' "The Polar
Express" and upcoming "Beowulf," as well as "Monster House," which
the director executive produced. A release date for "Christmas Carol"
has not been set.

STAR TREK MOVIE
According to TrekMovie.com, producer/director J.J. Abrams talked to
Star Trek Magazine and mentioned that "James T. Kirk appears in the
movie." This marks the first time that Abrams or anyone from the
production has disclosed any plot detail about the film. "The respect
we all have for Star Trek canon - and for a brand-new audience - is
massive," Abrams added. "The script is done. We're now starting pre-
prep, and we can't wait to start shooting! Many more details to
follow!" Paramount Pictures is targeting a December 25, 2008 release
for Star Trek.

BOND 22
MI6.co.uk reports that Bond 22 director Marc Forster and writer Paul
Haggis both talked about the anticipated film at the Los Angeles Film
Festival last week. The interviews revealed that Haggis was offered
the director's chair, but he declined due to the long commitment.
They are both still very busy working on their individual projects --
Forster on The Kite Runner and Haggis on In the Valley of Elah --
before they can take on the next 007 installment. Haggis, who also
polished the Casino Royale script, said that the next film won't be
a "direct continuation" of the 21st installment. "I wouldn't describe
it as such," he said. "I think it's going to stand on its own
although it does follow right on the heels of 'Casino Royale.'" he
added that he didn't come up with the chase sequence at the beginning
of "Royale," that was director Martin Campbell, but for the new film
he does have a "couple of those [action scenes] planned." Forster
talked about why he hasn't been able to address 007 yet. "I'm just
literally mixing 'The Kite Runner' in July and then sometime in
August or September, I start [Bond]," he said. "To be honest, I
haven't put any thought because really, my mind is in 'The Kite
Runner' and scoring and finishing that up. I haven't really spent any
time with that stuff. I wish I could tell you. Maybe in a later
period." Daniel Craig will return as Bond in the film, targeted for a
November 7, 2008 release.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Keith David (Delta Farce, Crash)
will voice the villain, Dr. Facilier, in Walt Disney Pictures'
musical animated feature THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. Walt Disney
Animation Studios will produce the fairy tale, which is set in New
Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, and will introduce Princess Tiana
(Anika Noni Rose), a young girl living in the French Quarter. THE
PRINCESS AND THE FROG is based on an original story by Disney
filmmaking duo John Musker and Ron Clements, who also will direct. A
2009 holiday release is planned.

DAYBREAKERS
Popular Australian actress Claudia Karvan has won the female lead in
the Spierig Bros' new feature, "Daybreakers". The film, starring
Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill, starts filming on the Gold
Coast on July 16. "Daybreakers", set In the year 2017, tells of a
plague that has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced
with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots
their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of
vamps on a way to save humankind. a researcher (Hawke) works with a
covert group of vamps to a band of humans fight back. Karvan, best
known to Aussie audiences as the star of TV hits "The Secret Life of
Us" and "Love My Way" (American audiences may have spotted her in
the "Star Wars" prequels or kiddies pic "Aquamarine"), will play the
object of Hawke's character's affection, a human, Lucy.

STARGATE SG-1: THE ARK OF TRUTH
According to GateWorld.com and 20th Century Fox, the first Stargate
direct-to-DVD movie won't arrive until the first half of 2008. MGM
originally hoped to have Stargate: THE ARK OF TRUTH out this fall.
The visual effects-heavy film is currently in post-production. THE
ARK OF TRUTH will wrap up the two-year Ori story arc, which was left
unresolved when SG-1 finished its tenth and final season. The second
direct-to-DVD movie, STARGATE: CONTINUUM, has likewise been bumped to
2008, following THE ARK OF TRUTH. Principal photography on the second
movie recently concluded in Vancouver. If the first two movies are
successful, MGM hopes to release about two SG-1 movies per
year. "There is already talk of doing some more of these SG-1
movies," actor Michael Shanks recently wrote in his TV Guide
blog, "so keep your finger's crossed." With Stargate's traditional
production schedule running from March to October, MGM may greenlight
an additional film -- or at least commission a script -- before THE
ARK OF TRUTH reaches store shelves. Stargate fans stay tuned.

THE INVASION
With THE INVASION set to hit theaters on August 17, co-star Celia
Weston said during a recent interview that the Nicole Kidman and
Daniel Craig vehicle is Hollywood's latest variation on the genre
classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The twist, the actress said,
is that the new film takes place in Washington. "The Invasion I'm
very excited to see," Weston said while promoting her new film,
Joshua. "I haven't seen it, ... but it's set in Washington, D.C., and
it has all those implications of mind and soul snatching at the
nation's capital. So it becomes really insidious with these heads of
state." Weston plays Mrs. Belicec, who hails from the Czech Republic
and is the wife of that country's ambassador, Dr. Belicec (Josef
Sommer). "It's within our embassy that we have a sort of microcosm of
what's happening in the bigger world," Weston said. "Without giving
away too much, you see, I called it the morphing of the people, or
the snatching of the people that happens within our embassy. I loved
my part in that." Weston smiled when asked if she's morphed by the
invading aliens. "I can't say," she said. "I can't say. But I do work
with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Daniel Craig is our dear friend,
and he brings Nicole Kidman to our home, to our embassy, for a
party." Weston confirmed that there were rewrites and that she
returned to set in January for reshoots. "It became a little
something different for [her and Sommer's] storyline, but not much
[was] lost as far as our characters go," she said. "Initially, I
think, the gathering was an anniversary party for my husband and
[me], so there was a romantic overtone to it, and in the rewrites it
became more of a state dinner with an imperious Russian diplomat
[Roger Rees] on the scene who adds to the tension of global strife. I
think that ups the ante for the film, but I liked the romance part of
it."

CLOVERFIELD
Paramount has lifted the lid on a top-secret project in the form of a
teaser trailer for a new film, CLOVERFIELD. CLOVERFIELD is being
produced by J.J. Abrams and revolves around a monster attack in New
York as told from the point of view of a small group of people. It is
being directed by Matt Reeves, who co-created "Felicity" with Abrams,
and is written by Drew Goddard, who has worked with Abrams on "Lost"
and "Alias." Paramount greenlighted the project under a veil of heavy
secrecy in February, about the same time that Abrams agreed to the
take over the directing reins of the new "Star Trek" film. The
casting process was just as mysterious. No scripts or even scene
pages were sent out; agents who were contacted were simply asked if
their client wanted to be in the movie or not. Eventually a cast,
made up mostly of relative unknowns, was put together; it includes
Michael Stahl-David ("The Black Donnellys"), Odet Jasmin, Mike Vogel
("Supercross") and Lizzy Kaplan ("The Class"). The movie, which is
believed to have a relatively modest budget of about $30 million,
began shooting in mid-June in New York. With "Transformers"
generating huge tracking numbers in the weeks before its release, the
studio decided to put footage from "Cloverfield" in a teaser in front
of "Transformers" to build buzz. After first presenting the Paramount
and Bad Robot logos -- Bad Robot being Abrams' shingle -- the trailer
opens with scenes from a surprise going-away party in a New York bar
with a view of the city. Before long, a thundering roar is heard, and
by the time guests run downstairs, pandemonium and flaming debris are
hitting the streets. After a huge explosion at the lower end of
Manhattan, what appears to be the head of the Statue of Liberty comes
hurtling up the street like a giant projectile. The trailer's footage
is shot by a hand-held camera, home-movie style, giving it a sort
of "Armageddon" meets "The Blair Witch Project" feel, though it is
not clear if the entire movie follows that style. While the trailer
does not reveal the name of the movie, it does announce a release
date of Jan. 18. Several copies of the trailer, seemingly shot in
theaters with a camcorder, were posted on YouTube by Thursday
morning. But by Thursday afternoon, some links had been taken down,
replaced by an advisory saying, "This video is no longer available
due to a copyright claim by Paramount Pictures Corp." Producing the
movie along with Abrams is Bryan Burk, who has worked on such Abrams
shows as "Lost," "Six Degrees" and "What About Brian." Guy Riedel and
Sherryl Clark are executive producing. "Cloverfield" is shooting in
New York.

FIRST ASCENT
The Hollywood Reporter writes that screenwriter-turned-comic book
publisher Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes have been hired to do a
rewrite on Walt Disney Pictures' FIRST ASCENT. The film is described
as a supernatural action adventure that revolves around a group of
climbers who, while attempting to ascend a mountain in Bhutan, are
attacked by an unseen beast. Jason Reed, Brigham Taylor and Casey
Wolfe are overseeing the project for Disney. Disney's Animal Kingdom
in Florida features a roller coaster ride, "Expedition Everest," that
includes an encounter with a yeti, though Disney said that "Ascent"
is a rewrite of an older project and is not related to the ride.
Cosby is the creator of the TV series "Eureka" and "Haunting." He
also wrote an adaptation of "Damn Nation" for Paramount Pictures and
MTV Films as well as "Creature Tech" for New Regency. Cosby also is a
principal in comic book publisher Boom! Studios, which has been
setting up a number of projects around town. Paramount has pre-
emptively picked up the rights to the company's upcoming comic
book "The Foundation." Boom! also has the action-thriller
comic "Talent" and the horror comic "Tag" set up at Universal; Cosby
is a co-producer on all three projects. Stokes is a comic book writer
involved in several Boom! projects, including "Eureka." "Ascent" will
be her first feature credit.

MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION
ABC will air a series of four original films as current as today's
headlines, but with all the wonder and imagination of the best sci-fi
literature, with the 10 p.m. Aug. 4 debut of "Masters of Science
Fiction," Starz Media's John W. Hyde and Industry Entertainment's
Keith Addis jointly announced today. Featuring stories from some of
the most creative minds in science fiction literature, talented
actors and directors and hosted by world renowned physicist Stephen
Hawking, "Masters of Science Fiction" is unlike any program on the
air, on broadcast or cable networks. It's an entertaining, crowd-
pleasing collection of movies that mix powerful ideas, cinematic
production values and peak performances. With a line-up of talent in
front of and behind the cameras that is laden with top awards, this
is indeed a collection of "masters." "Masters of Science Fiction" is
produced by Starz Media in association with Industry Entertainment.
Executive producers are John W. Hyde, Keith Addis, Andrew Deane and
Brad Mendelsohn.

A CLEAN ESCAPE is first up at 10 p.m. Aug. 4. It is based on a short
story by Nebula Award- winner John Kessel ("Another
Orphan," "Buffalo"), written for TV by Emmy nominee Sam Egan ("The
Outer Limits," "Jeremiah") and helmed by Oscar-nominated director
Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond, For the Boys). A dying Dr. Deanna Evans
(two-time Oscar nominee and double Emmy-winner Judy Davis; "Life With
Judy: Me and My Shadows," Marie Antoinette) refuses to believe that
her patient, Robert Havelmann (Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Sam
Waterston; "Law & Order," The Killing Fields), cannot remember the
last 25 years of his life. It remains unclear why she has been so
obsessed with this particular patient until the final, shocking
conclusion that may just have resonance with the current global
crisis.

THE AWAKENING - at 10 p.m. on Aug. 11. Based on a short story by
Howard Fast (Spartacus) and written and directed by Michael Petroni
(The Dangerous Life of Altar Boys), it stars Emmy nominee Terry
O'Quinn ('Lost," Stepfather) and Elisabeth Rohm ("Law & Order") in a
story set in the middle of a ferocious firefight outside of Baghdad,
where U.S. soldiers discover a mysterious body one that they can't
even identify as human. Swiftly, all over the earth, more such
creatures appear and begin to communicate. With this contact, the
world is forced to choose between peace and destruction.

JERRY WAS A MAN - 10 p.m. on Aug. 18. From a short story by seven-
time Hugo Award winner Robert A. Heinlein ("Stranger in a Strange
Land," "Starship Troopers"), written and directed by Oscar, Emmy and
Golden Globe nominee Michael Tolkin (The Player, The Rapture), it
tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Van Vogel (Golden Globe nominee
Malcolm McDowell; A Clockwork Orange, "Heroes"; and Emmy nominee Anne
Heche; "Men in Trees," John Q), a wealthy couple for whom pleasure is
their only work; mundane or dangerous chores are done by anthropoids.
Somehow, Mrs. Van Vogel's dormant compassion is awakened by an
anthropoid named Jerry. What traits would prove that Jerry is,
indeed, a man?

THE DISCARDED - 10 p.m. on Aug. 25. Based on a short story by seven-
time Hugo Award winner, three-time Nebula Award winner and Science
Fiction Grand Master Laureate Harlan Ellison ("A Boy and His
Dog," "Star Trek"), written for the screen by Ellison and Oscar
nominee Josh Olson (A History of Violence) and directed by Jonathan
Frakes (Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: First Contact). It stars
James Denton ("Desperate Housewives"), two-time Oscar nominee John
Hurt (V For Vendetta) and Emmy and Tony Award- winner Brian Dennehy
(Assault on Precinct 13, Cocoon) in a story of despised minorities
forever adrift in the darkness of outer space. As a last resort born
out of their loneliness and despair they are forced to make an
ominous pact with those responsible for their plight, in the hope
that they will finally be offered refuge at home on Earth.
Tying all of these individual stories together is Prof. Stephen
Hawking, the Cambridge University professor best known for his work
in cosmology and black holes, whose bestselling book "A Brief History
of Time" entertained the general public by illuminating the
complexities of astrophysics. Yet for all the hard science that has
earned him acclaim as arguably the world's most renowned and
respected thinkers, he also has a love of the fantastic. "I have
always wanted to know what is out there, to explore the universe, and
what is beyond," Hawking notes. "I read a lot of science fiction when
I was younger, [and] now I write it, in a sense." Hawking's opening
and closing narration to the "Masters of Science Fiction" films
brings scientific authority, along with a sense of wonder, to the
programs. His remarks make you think, as befits a master of science.
And the movies make you think too, even while they provide
exceptional entertainment. And it's no wonder; after all, the
storytellers are, quite simply, "The Masters of Science Fiction."

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
A new video clip of HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX has hit
online courtesy of Yahoo Trailers & Clips. The scene is
titled "Proper Teacher" and delves into the newly formed Dumbledore's
Army meeting for the first time in the pub to discuss things.
Hermione (Watson) sets things going and Harry (Radcliffe) explains
the difficulties of trying to teach something like surviving. To see
the new video clip, go to
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808475612/trailer. HARRY POTTER & THE
ORDER OF THE PHOENIX hits theaters everywhere next week on July 11.
Filming on HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE will begin this fall
and is scheduled for a November 2008 release.

LARA CROFT
According to the TV Guide, Minnie Driver will be providing the voice
of Lara Croft in GameTap's new 10-part animated series premiering
July 10 at GameTap.com/TombRaider. GameTap is Turner Broadcasting's
video-game-themed broadband network. "World-famous writers and
artists are each doing their own version of Lara Croft, telling a
different story the way they see the character," Ricardo Sanchez, vp
of content for GameTap, told TV Guide. The first three-part adventure
was written and directed by "Aeon Flux" creator Peter Chung.
Subsequent episodes are being handled by a who's who of comic-book
big shots, including Warren Ellis, Gail Simone, Jim Lee and Christos
Gage. Angelina Jolie played Lara Croft in the two feature films.
Minnie Driver, currently starring in "The Riches," previously voiced
Jane in Disney's hit animated Tarzan and can be heard in The Simpsons
Movie, opening July 27.

NIGHT WATCHMAN
Fox Searchlight Pictures announced today that principal photography
began in Los Angeles on "The Night Watchman." Keanu Reeves stars as
Tom Ludlow, a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate
after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the
execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop
culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him
to question the loyalties of everyone around him. Academy Award®
Winner Forest Whitaker will play Captain Jack Wander, Ludlow's mentor
and superior. The stellar cast also features Hugh Laurie, Chris
Evans, Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Cedric the Entertainer, Amaury
Nolasco, Terry Crews, Naomie Harris, Martha Higareda, Kirstin Pierce,
Common and The Game. The screenplay is based on an original script by
James Ellroy, with current revisions by David Ayer. Ayer, known for
bringing gritty realism to films such as Training Day and Harsh
Times, is directing.

DOCTOR WHO
The BBC announced that British comic actress Catherine Tate will play
the Doctor's newest companion in the BBC's upcoming fourth season of
DOCTOR WHO. Tate will reprise the role of Donna, the runaway bride
from the 2006 Christmas special. Tate will join star David Tennant
for the complete 13-week run of the new season, which is due to begin
filming in Cardiff, Wales, later this month. Freema Agyeman, who
played the Doctor's companion, Martha Jones, in the third season,
will return the middle of the coming season. The third season of
DOCTOR WHO recently ended in the United Kingdom; it begins running on
SCI FI Channel in the United States on July 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Agyeman, meanwhile, will play Martha Jones in three episodes of
spinoff show TORCHWOOD, which producers have said will expand her
character. The fourth season of DOCTOR WHO is due to debut on BBC One
in spring 2008. A Christmas special starring Tennant and Australian
pop diva Kylie Minogue will air in December in the United Kingdom.

HARRY POTTER
David Yates, director of the upcoming sequel HARRY POTTER AND THE
ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, had such a great time making the film, he
couldn't resist coming back for the next one, HARRY POTTER AND THE
HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. "I found it very difficult leaving the world,
having had such a brilliant time and also knowing that the next film
is going to be very different from this one," Yates said at a recent
press conference in London. "I'm very, very proud of this film and
what we've achieved. And the next one is very different, really, and
very different for the kids, as well. And it's almost like making
another movie, a different movie." HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE
PHOENIX is the fifth film based on the popular book series by J.K.
Rowling. Yates is the fourth director to take on the franchise and
will be the first to come back for a second film since Chris
Columbus, who directed the first two installments in the series.
David Heyman, who has produced every film, said at the press
conference that the two previous directors— Alfonso Cuarón, who
directed the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,
and Mike Newell, who directed the fourth, Harry Potter and the Goblet
of Fire—were offered the opportunity to return, but both turned it
down. "These are marathons," Heyman said. "We've been very pleased
with the directors we've had. Alfonso Cuarón was asked back to work
the fourth and Mike Newell for the fifth, but they didn't have the
stamina for them, because these are—and that's no disrespect to them—
these are really tough films to make. ... But David did have the
fortitude and the strength to carry on, and I think he's done such a
great job, and the kids felt such a connection to him. And one of the
most important things is for the kids to be challenged and to keep it
fresh. And David kept it fresh right up until the very last day of
shooting for them. And each of them whispered in my ear that they
would be grateful if David came back." Emma Watson, Hermione Granger,
said that she was thrilled to hear that Yates would be
returning. "I'm glad he's staying on for the next one," she
said. "And having seen Order of the Phoenix, it's amazing that it
stands alone, but it feels like it's unfinished business. ... He has
more to do, to say, and it doesn't feel like I've learned all that I
can from David. I still feel like there's so much more that I can
learn and get out of him. So it's still a really exciting concept,
even though we'll work with the same person again." Daniel Radcliffe,
who plays the title character, added that he'd like to see Yates stay
on for the seventh film as well. "I'm thinking of getting David Yates
into his director's chair and breaking his legs so he can never
leave," he joked. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE will begin
shooting in September for release at the end of 2008. HARRY POTTER
AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX opens July 11.

ASHES TO ASHES
According to the BBC, Keeley Hawes (MI-5) will star in ASHES TO
ASHES, the time-travel spinoff of its hit LIFE TO MARS; Hawes will
play modern-day detective inspector Alex Drake, who finds herself
transported back to 1981, where she encounters the unreformed cop
Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister).

CONVENTION CALENDAR

July 13-15, 2007
Shore Leave 29
City: Baltimore, MD
Place: Hunt Valley Marriott
Babylon 5 Guest: Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Carson Becket);
Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek:TOS's Lt. Uhura); Aaron Douglas
(Battlestar Galactica's Chief Galen Tyrol); Colin Cunningham
(Stargate SG-1's Major Davis); Gary Jones (Stargate SG-1's CMSgt.
Walter Harriman); Dean Haglund (X-Files & The Lone Gunmen's Richard
Langly); William Campbell (ST:TOS's Trelane and ST:TOS and ST:DS9's
Koloth); Louise Sorel (ST:TOS's Rayna Kapec; Days of Our Lives'
Vivian Alamain) and Casey Biggs (ST:DS9's Damar ).
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 13-15, 2007
City: Columbus, Ohio
Place: The University Plaza Hotel and Conference Center or Hilton
Garden Inn Columbus-University Area
B5 Guest: Bill Mumy
Other Guests: Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks, Cirroc Loften, John
Billingsley, Tim Russ, Kate Vernon and David Reddick
For more information, go to http://www.vulkon.com/ColSF0707.shtml

July 26-29, 2007
SAN DIEGO COMIC CON
Location: San Diego, California
Probably the biggest collection of media people for science fiction
and the world of comic books ever. Babylon 5: The Lost Tales will
have a panel from 6-7:00pm that will feature J. Michael Straczynski,
Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, Peter Woodward, Doug Netter and
Samm Barnes.
For more information, go to
<http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci07prog_peek.shtml>

July 28-29, 2007
STEEL CITY CON
Location: Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Guests: Jeremy Bulloch – "Boba Fett" - from Star Wars. Felix
Silla "Twiki" from Buck Rogers. Doug Wangler - "Quinlan Vos" from
Star Wars. Christy Hemme and Gail Kim from SPIKE TV - Wrestling
Knockouts!
For a list of guests and more information, go to
http://www.steelcitycon.com

That's about it for now.  I hope you will all have a chance to visit
the website for all the up-to-date information about Babylon 5 – and
the world of science fiction.

Have a great Sunday and Take Care.
Sandy

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

The link for the Babylon 5 soundtrack should be:
<http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-5-Lost-Tales-
Score/dp/B000ROAKTU/ref=sr_1_1/103-1553333-0029419?
ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1182681223&sr=1-1>

Amazon has it listed for $14.99 with free delivery if you order $25 or
more.  The original list price is $17.98.

Talk to you soon,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – June 24, 2007

Babylon 5 News:

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES SOUNDTRACK
Ranger Jan reports that the BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES SOUNDTRACK is
available for pre-order on Amazon.com now at
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZjanmschroederQQhtZ-1. In typical B5
fashion, yesterday morning the CD was at sales rank 31,000 and this
morning it's at 2,784.

E-BAY AUCTION
Ranger Jan has a number of items out on E-Bay that may interest
Babylon 5 fans. Included you will find of the B5 short stories that
were published, a custom license plate frame, some rare collectibles
and...drum roll please...the UNPRODUCED script, "Gut Reactions" that
was written by Peter David and Bill Mumy for Season 5.
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZjanmschroederQQhtZ-1.

JMS UPDATE
THE CHANGELING: Shooting is likely to start in September. I'm
supposed to meet with Clint (Eastwood) sometime this month go go over
the script with the goal of starting prep sometime in July. Angelina
(Jolie) is still a go.

The news seems to be everywhere now, and Fox hasn't said anything
about NOT commenting on it so...yes, I'm writing the Silver Surfer
movie. (Have written, actually, being the more correct form...the
script has already been turned in.)

Overall, this has probably been the most extraordinary year of my
career. There's Changeling with Eastwood/Jolie/Howard slated for
2008...the Silver Surfer movie, which is going to be a big film, also
looking at 2008...They Marched into Sunlight with director Paul
(Bourne Ultimatum) Greengrass, based on a historical novel by a
Pulitizer prize winning author, for Tom Hanks' company, open date on
when it goes... World War Z for Brad Pitt's company, also potentially
2008...the King David script for Akiva Goldsman....just the company
of those names alone is astonishing. I am, as they say, in the tall
grass now.

And there are still at least two, and possibly three major
announcements yet to be made at Comic Con, which regardless of
whether one is a TV or movie fan, an SF fan or a comics fan...are
gonna pin people's ears back.

There isn't a day when I don't feel as though I woke up in somebody
else's life.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
There have been hundreds of science fiction movies made. If you had
to pick 10 to take with you on a desert island, which ones would you
choose and why?

Send your selections and comments along to sgbruckner@.... I'll
post them for everyone to read on the Discussion Page.
KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

BILL MUMY IN CONCERT
Join Bill Mumy and Band, in concert, June 30 at Molly Malones (575 S.
Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-935-1577) for one set only.
The Band:

Bill Mumy: lead vocal, guitar, harmonica
Chris Ross: drums
Stephen Patt: guitar, vocal
Chris Varosy: keyboard, vocal
Carlos Cordova: bass

Performance will include a special set of original music featuring
the debut of several brand new songs from Bill's upcoming new
cd, "The Landlord or the Guest" released next month on GRA records.

DEAD AIR/PAT TALLMAN

Pat Tallman (B5's Lyta Alexander) is busy on a project entitled DEAD
AIR. To read about a set visit, go to
http://www.joblo.com/arrow/index.php?id=8131. This independent film
re-teams actors Bill Moseley and Pat Tallman, who played brother and
sister Johnny and Barbara in Tom Savini's remake of NIGHT OF THE
LIVING DEAD. Sitting in the director's chair is none other than LA
Law's Corbin Bernsen, who horror fans recently saw in the Masters of
Horror episode "Right to Die". The story revolves around a radioshow
team attempting to warn its listeners after a huge explosion turns
zombies on the loose in L.A. The screenplay was penned by Kenny
Yakkel, whose other feature script "Burning The Man" was recently
announced and is being produced by his wife Lawreen Yakkel (Xombie)
and genre vet Ken Foree (Devil's Rejects).

BRAVE NEW WORDS: THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE FICTION
Editor/lexicographer Jeff Prucher told SCI FI Wire that his book
BRAVE NEW WORDS: THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE FICTION attempts to
cover the shared language of science fiction writers, critics and
fans—as well as those terms that originated in SF and have
subsequently been adopted by mainstream society or other subcultures.

"By 'shared language,' I mean those terms that have been used (in
more or less the same sense) by several writers in multiple
settings," Prucher said in an interview. "Thus a word
like 'dilithium,' which will be familiar to most people, is not
included, since it has little use outside the Star Trek universe, but
a word like 'ansible,' which is most often associated with Ursula K.
Le Guin's works, is included since other authors have subsequently
used the term."

BRAVE NEW WORDS is also a historical dictionary, which means that, in
addition to the usual dictionary content (definitions, parts of
speech, etymologies, etc.), each definition is supported by citations
taken from a variety of sources, Prucher said. "These citations play
a variety of different roles. One of the chief ones is to show the
earliest known use of a term in a given sense. But they can also show
how a word has been used over time or be used to indicate variant
spellings and even to some extent show when words have been used in
non-SF contexts."

The dictionary is in many ways an offshoot of an ongoing project of
the Oxford English Dictionary, which is actively seeking evidence for
words related to science fiction, Prucher said. "The project
maintains a Web site that lists all the terms the OED is interested
in; anybody is welcome to contribute, and they've collected several
thousand citations this way," he said. "I've been involved in the
project for some time, first just as an enthusiastic contributor and
later as one of the site's administrators."

Prucher sees the dictionary as filling several roles, he said. "On
the one hand, it is a serious dictionary, and I hope it will be both
a valuable contribution to lexicography and to the study of science
fiction and popular culture," he said. "On the other hand, I hope
that most people will read it at least partly for enjoyment—I think
that there is a lot of pleasure to be had in reading through the
citations, finding connections between words, maybe being reminded of
forgotten works or discovering that a familiar term is older (or
newer) than you thought or has unfamiliar meanings."

Prucher said it was exciting to realize how much of the language of
science fiction has become part of the mainstream language. "Obvious
examples are words related to space exploration, like spaceship," he
said. "One of my favorites of these, since it refers not to a
technology but to a sensation, is 'space-sick,' which was coined by
Hugo Gernsback in 1911 but was not actually experienced by a human
until 1961."

CONVENTION CALENDAR

July 7-8, 2007
The Memorabilia Show
The National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham, England
Guest: Mira Furlan
For more information, go to http://www.memorabilia.co.uk

July 13-15, 2007
Shore Leave 29
City: Baltimore, MD
Place: Hunt Valley Marriott
Babylon 5 Guest: Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Carson Becket);
Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek:TOS's Lt. Uhura); Aaron Douglas
(Battlestar Galactica's Chief Galen Tyrol); Colin Cunningham
(Stargate SG-1's Major Davis); Gary Jones (Stargate SG-1's CMSgt.
Walter Harriman); Dean Haglund (X-Files & The Lone Gunmen's Richard
Langly); William Campbell (ST:TOS's Trelane and ST:TOS and ST:DS9's
Koloth); Louise Sorel (ST:TOS's Rayna Kapec; Days of Our Lives'
Vivian Alamain) and Casey Biggs (ST:DS9's Damar ).
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 13-15, 2007
City: Columbus, Ohio
Place: The University Plaza Hotel and Conference Center or Hilton
Garden Inn Columbus-University Area
B5 Guest: Bill Mumy
Other Guests: Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks, Cirroc Loften, John
Billingsley, Tim Russ, Kate Vernon and David Reddick
For more information, go to http://www.vulkon.com/ColSF0707.shtml

July 28-29, 2007
STEEL CITY CON
Location: Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Guests: Jeremy Bulloch – "Boba Fett" - from Star Wars. Felix
Silla "Twiki" from Buck Rogers. Doug Wangler - "Quinlan Vos" from
Star Wars. Christy Hemme and Gail Kim from SPIKE TV - Wrestling
Knockouts!
For a list of guests and more information, go to
http://www.steelcitycon.com

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

300 CHALLENGE
To celebrate the July 31 release of 300 on DVD, fans can enter for a
chance to win two trips to Comic-Con and compete for a set visit to
WATCHMEN, the new film from director Zack Snyder.
THIS IS SPARTA!
http://www.jointhe300 NOW.

PRISON BREAK
several more new faces will join PRISON BREAK when returns for its
third season on FOX this fall. Already reported by the Hollywood
Reporter are the additions of Jodi Lynn O'Keefe ("Nash Bridges") and
Robert Wisdom ("The Wire"). The HR says that Danay Garcia and Chris
Vance will also be taking regular roles. When last we left our
prisoner breakers, tattoo-happy Michael (Wentworth Miller) had just
been locked up in a particularly gloomy prison in Panama at the
behest of yet another vast government conspiracy. Vance will play
Whistler, one of the prisoners at Michael's new abode. Garcia will
play Sofia, Whistler's girlfriend. Garcia's credits are limited to
the feature "Danika," starring Marisa Tomei, and a lone episode
of "CSI: Miami." She has also completed work on the feature "From
Mexico with Love." Vance is a British actor, best known to fans of
U.K. series including "All Saints" and "Stingers."

IRON MAN
We get the first look at the Iron Man characters courtesy of
Entertainment Weekly. This will be how the characters "look" in the
upcoming Iron Man which hits theaters next May. In the photo you can
see: Robert Downey Jr. aka Tony Stark; Gwyneth Paltrow aka Pepper
Potts (his administrative assistant); Terence Howard aka Jim Rhodes
(his friend/bodyguard & Future iron-suit wearer)and Jeff Bridges aka
Obadiah Stane (Iron Monger).

GALAXIKI
Ranger Jos sent a note announcing a new website to visit
www.galaxiki.org. Galaxiki is a web-based, free content virtual
community project. It consists of a virtual galaxy with over a
million stars and solar systems that can be explored using a 2-
dimensional map. Each star, each planet and each moon represents one
wiki page, the idea behind the project is that Galaxiki site members,
also called "Galaxicians", can edit those pages and write fictional
histories about them. Galaxiki membership, editing solar systems and
using all other site features is free. Galaxiki was launched as a
prototype on March 12, the official launch is planned for Sunday,
July 1st 2007. It is already possible to sign up on www.galaxiki.org,
although editing stars, planets and moons will become operational on
July 1st 2007.

HEROES WORLD TOUR
To kick off the HEREOES: SEASON ONE DVD and HD DVD release in both
domestic and international markets, NBC Universal announced the
Heroes World Tour, featuring the cast on a personal tour as
production resumes on the drama's second season. The news follows
last week's announcement of a marketing campaign shared by Nissan and
NBC on behalf of the show. "We are thrilled to be embarking on this
exciting venture," series creator Tim Kring said in a statement. "The
theme of Heroes has been about people from all over the planet coming
together to do great things. About making the world a smaller, more
interconnected place. This tour is the embodiment of those ideals.
Clearly, the show has struck a real chord with people around the
world, creating a huge fan base. We're eager to visit these fans and
spread the word about the show." The first-season DVD hits stores
Aug. 28. In late August, cast members will make personal appearances
in various countries. Members of the cast who will participate
include Santiago Cabrera (Isaac), Jack Coleman (Horn-Rimmed Glasses),
Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah), Greg Grunberg (Matt), Ali Larter (Niki),
James Kyson Lee (Ando), Masi Oka (Hiro), Hayden Panettiere (Claire),
Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Adrian Pasdar
(Nathan), and Milo Ventimiglia (Peter). The cast members will travel
to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Munich, Paris, London and New York,
as well as further stops yet to be announced. Actors on the North
American leg of the tour will appear at the NBC Experience Store in
New York on Aug. 28 to participate in signings of DVDs and other
merchandise on the floor. NBC.com will be the online destination for
fans as the cast and producers travel the world, with photos and
video from each international location, as well as vlogs and personal
photos from the actors in each city. Fans from around the world can
also upload their photos from the events. Heroes returns with all-new
episodes in the fall.

STARGATE ATLANTIS
After 10 years on STARGATE SG-1, Amanda Tapping (Col. Carter), is
moving over to STARGATE ATLANTIS, the spinoff series that is now
going into its third season. Tapping said in a recent
interview, "It's been great. It's kind of an embarrassment of riches
for me at the moment. The fact that my character moved over to
Atlantis [makes her] a completely different character for me now.
Carter being in charge, having her own command, changes her character
so much that it's not at all boring. It doesn't feel like I'm playing
the same Carter. (SPOILER WARNING!) Carter takes over the
multinational team, replacing Torri Higginson's Dr. Elizabeth Weir,
whose fate is uncertain. Carter's new assignment is unlike any other
she's ever taken, Tapping said. "She's in command now, as opposed to
being in Sam's comfort zone, which was being part of the hierarchy of
the military and being in a subordinate position," she said. Known as
the brainiac of SG-1, Carter will now need to rely more on the
expertise around her, including Lt. Col. John Sheppard (Joe
Flanigan). "She understands Sheppard's military expertise, and even
though she may have the same amount of military expertise, it's not
in this galaxy. She's never fought the Wraith before, so she defers
to him a lot. She defers to [Dr. Rodney] McKay [played by David
Hewlett] and his scientific expertise in the Pegasus galaxy. And then
Teyla [Rachel Luttrell] and Ronon [Jason Momoa] are complete unknowns
to her, so she really has to make her way with them." After more than
a decade in the Stargate SG-1 universe, it didn't take Tapping long
to nail down the differences between the two shows. "SG-1 is a bit
more irreverent, I think," Tapping said. "SG-1 has a certain sense of
humor to it, and even though we're stuck on Earth on a military
base, ... we're more accessible because we're present-day human
beings on Earth. Whereas Atlantis has a bit more otherworldly feel to
it, and it's a bit darker, in a lot of ways." Stargate Atlantis
returns with all-new episodes later this year.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
David Yates, director of the upcoming HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF
THE PHOENIX, said during a recent interview that he was impressed by
his young leads—Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint—
calling them innately talented actors who learned a great deal from
their previous directors. In this fifth Potter movie, based on J.K.
Rowling's book, Radcliffe reprises the role of fated boy wizard Harry
Potter, Watson is faithful classmate Hermione Granger and Grint is
best friend Ron Weasley. "What's brilliant about working with them is
that they come each day to the floor, and they just want to be pushed
and be the best that they can be at what they do," Yates said in an
interview. "They're really eager to learn. I think they have learned
something from every director they have worked with, and they're
really hungry for knowledge and information about how to be better at
their job of acting. It's just a huge enthusiasm. And they're all
very perceptive and very bright." The young actors have literally
grown up on film, beginning under helmer Chris Columbus, who directed
the first two films (2001's The Sorcerer's Stone and 2002's The
Chamber of Secrets), and subsequent directors Alfonso Cuarón (2004's
The Prisoner of Azkaban) and Mike Newell (2005's The Goblet of Fire).
Yates said that Radcliffe is "incredibly instinctive and incredibly
witty and funny." He found Watson to be bright and "able to turn on a
sixpence. And Rupert has got this great comic gift." In Order of the
Phoenix, Harry, Hermione and Ron return to Hogwarts for their fifth
year of study when they realize that much of the wizarding community
is in denial about the return of the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph
Fiennes). The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores
Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), leaves the students unprepared to fight
Voldemort, forcing Harry, Hermione and Ron to form the rebellious
secret Dumbledore's Army. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
opens on July 11. Be sure to visit
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.co.uk/site/ for pictures and more
information about the movie.

THE HUMAN FACTOR
Variety reports that Morgan Freeman will play former South African
President Nelson Mandela in THE HUMAN FACTOR, an independently
financed drama, based on the upcoming John Carlin book "The Human
Factor: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed the World." Freeman
will produce the Mandela film with his Revelations Entertainment
partner Lori McCreary and Mace Neufeld. South African scribe Anthony
Peckham (Don't Say a Word) wrote the script. The film is set after
the fall of apartheid, when South Africa was host to the 1995 Rugby
World Cup. Mandela was in his first term as South African president,
and he used the event as a way to end decades of mistrust and hatred
between whites and blacks. Freeman and McCreary traveled to South
Africa last year to discuss the project with Mandela. "I have known
Nelson Mandela personally for quite some time, and am continually in
awe of his enormous presence in the world," Freeman said. "The
opportunity to portray him in this film is a great honor."

WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? - SEASON 2
Sci Fi Channel has released images of the 10 contestants for its
second season of Who Wants To Be A Superhero?, the reality series
hosted by Stan Lee. The second season, from Nash Entertainment and
Lee's POW! Entertainment., begins on Thursday, July 26 at 9 p.m
(ET/PT). The season will have eight episodes -- two more than the
first season. The winner will be featured in a Dark Horse Comics book
by Lee and as an action figure from Shocker Toys. "I never thought
anything could be more of a blast than writing stories about
superheroes," Lee said. "I was wrong! Appearing on Who Wants To Be A
Superhero? has been one of the most exciting, fun-filled experiences
ever! Imagine, instead of looking at panels of costumed cavorters on
a page, I'm looking at them and talking to them and reacting with
them in real life! And the tremendous feedback from fans via letters,
e-mails and blogs is half the fun!"

INDY IS BACK
For the first time since 1989, Harrison Ford dons the familiar
costume on Thursday, June 21, 2007, as the upcoming "Indiana Jones"
adventure begins production under the direction of Steven Spielberg.
The new "Indiana Jones" movie is set in the 1950s and stars Shia
LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent .
The Lucasfilm Ltd. production will be released by Paramount Pictures
worldwide on May 22, 2008

HARRY POTTER 7
Reuters reports that a self-styled computer hacker posted what he
said were key plot details about the upcoming seventh and final Harry
Potter novel, but a publisher warned the details could be fake. The
hacker, who goes by the name "Gabriel," claimed to have taken a
digital copy of author J.K. Rowling's book, HARRY POTTER AND THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS, by breaking into a computer at London-based
Bloomsbury Publishing. The book, whose plot has been a closely
guarded secret, hits bookstores on July 21. Gabriel has posted
information at the Web site InSecure.org. A Bloomsbury spokesman
declined comment to Reuters on the hacker's claims. Kyle Good, a
spokesman for the U.S. distributor, Scholastic Corp., would not say
whether the posting was accurate, but did warn readers to be
skeptical about anything on the Web that claims to have inside
information on the book's plot.

COWBOYS AND ALIENS
According to Variety, DreamWorks and Universal Pictures will join to
turn the graphic novel COWBOYS & ALIENS into a live-action feature
film. Imagine partners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will produce,
along with Platinum Studios chairman-chief executive Scott Mitchell
Rosenberg and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Ervin Rustemagic and
Rich Marincic co-produce. The script will be written by Mark Fergus
and Hawk Ostby. The graphic novel mixes Western and science fiction
genres. Set in 1800s Arizona, the movie begins with a skirmish
between cowboys and Apaches, which is interrupted by the crash
landing of a spaceship. The alien commander plans to tame the Old
West and enslave everyone, but the cowboys and Native Americans turn
their six-guns against the alien invaders. Rosenberg, who ran Malibu
Comics when Men in Black transferred from graphic novel to hit film,
created the concept for Cowboys & Aliens and published the graphic
novel in 2006. Kurtzman and Orci scripted the upcoming
DreamWorks/Paramount summer film Transformers and wrote a draft of
Paramount's upcoming Star Trek. Fergus and Hawk Ostby's recent
credits include Children of Men and Iron Man.

STAN LEE ACTION FIGURE
Stan Lee, the 84-year-old creator of Spider-Man, the Hulk, X-Men,
Fantastic Four and other Marvel comic-book heroes, is being honored
by Hasbro with a 6-inch tall Marvel Legends action figure, the
Associated Press reported. The toy shows Lee's likeness wearing khaki
pants, a blue windbreaker and eyeglasses. "We feel it's long overdue
that Stan Lee be immortalized as an action figure, much like the
dozens of marvelous characters that he has created for years and
years," said Eric Nyman, Hasbro's vice president of marketing. "And
it couldn't be more fitting than to create him as a 'Marvel Legends'
figure." The limited-edition, $14.99 toy will be introduced next
month in San Diego at Comic-Con International.

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
With the success of the FANTASTIC FOUR movies, game publisher 2K
announced the release of FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, a
third-person action video game based on the hit sequel film now in
theaters, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

WANTED
According to Variety, Terence Stamp has joined the cast of
Universal's WANTED, directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Stamp joins James
McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie in the big screen
adaptation of Mark Millar's graphic novel series. The movie is
scheduled for a March 28, 2008 release.

HEROES - NEW CAST MEMBERS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that HEROES has added six more! "Alias"
alum David Anders, Barry Shabaka Henley, Holt McCallany, Japanese pop
star and actress Eriko Tamura, Lyndsy Fonseca and Dianna Agron will
all take on recurring roles. Anders will play the most intriguing
part, that of the ancient samurai warrior Takezo Kensei, Hiro
Nakamura's (Masi Oka) childhood hero. While never seen
during "Heroes'" first season, Kensei played a key part in the show's
plot. Hiro spent most of the season trying to get ahold of Kensei's
sword, which he hoped would help him in his quest to save the world.
In another Japanese connection, Tamura will play a Japanese princess.
Henley will play Detective Fuller, a New York police officer.
McCallany will play Ricky, the ringleader of a group of Irish thugs.
Fonseca and Agron will play beautiful cheerleaders in Southern
California, where Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is expected to move.
Fonseca's character April is sweet, while Agron's Debbie is a mean
girl. The six join Nick d'Agosto, who recently landed a recurring
role on "Heroes" next season, as well as Dania Ramirez, who was cast
as a new regular.

JAMES BOND 22

Marc Forster (Stranger Than Fiction, Finding Neverland) will direct
the as-yet-untitled 22nd James Bond film, it was announced today by
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the James Bond
films, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.
Forster will commence work shortly with screenwriter Paul Haggis
(Crash, Million Dollar Baby) on a draft of the screenplay by Neil
Purvis and Robert Wade. Daniel Craig will reprise the role of James
Bond in the film, which follows CASINO ROYALE, the highest-grossing
installment in the franchise to date. The new film will begin
shooting at Pinewood Studios in London this December, for a planned
release date on November 7, 2008.

THE CHRONCILES OF NARNIA
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Michael Apted (The World is Not
Enough) has signed on to direct the third film in THE CHRONCILES OF
NARNIA series, THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER. The next installment
in the franchise based on the book by C.S. Lewis follows THE LION,
THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, which was released in 2005, and the
upcoming PRINCE CASPIAN, set to open next year. DAWN TREADER will
begin filming next January and is scheduled for release on May 1,
2009. Ben Barnes will reprise his role as Prince Caspian in the third
film, along with Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley, who play the two
youngest Pevensie siblings, Edmond and Lucy. Mark Johnson returns
once again as producer. Andrew Adamson, who directed the first two
films in the series, will continue his involvement by also serving as
a producer on the project.

RETURN TO HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL
Variety reports that Dark Castle Entertainment, a joint venture
launched by filmmakers Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis, has signed a
deal with Warner Premiere to produce two or three films a year
directly for DVD, beginning with the sequel RETURN TO HOUSE ON
HAUNTED HILL. The company will also produce original digital content
for the Internet and wireless platforms that will be used to
complement direct-to-DVD releases, or to tell stand-alone stories
that further the Dark Castle brand. Dark Castle was created with the
intent to produce low-budget horror films in the spirit of the late
William Castle. Some of the company's previous films include HOUSE ON
HAUNTED HILL, THIR13EN GHOSTS, HOUSE OF WAX and THE REAPING. Warner
Brothers launched Warner Premiere last year to make a play in the
increasingly competitive direct-to-DVD and digital arenas. Dark
Castle won't produce just horror titles for Warner Premiere, but
other genre pics as well, including action films and thrillers. The
projects could encompass prequels, sequels and original titles that
fit the Dark Castle brand. For the high-definition market, the
companies will introduce new features such as "navigational cinema"
technology that will allow viewers to interact with the storyline on
both HD and Blu-Ray formats. RETURN TO HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL will
ship in October in both standard and high-definition versions.
According to Warner Premiere, the disc will include seven viewer
choices leading to over 90 iterations of the storyline. Other film
projects in development under the pact include the supernatural
thriller Widow Whisps, the psychological suspense tale Odds and
Cheerleaders in Trouble, an homage to 1980s slasher films.

THE 4400
Did you miss the final episode of season three for THE 4400? How
about the fourth season premiere on Sunday? Well, don't feel bad. The
official Web site for The 4400 is currently streaming both
episodes. "The Wrath of Graham" can be found at
http://video.usanetwork.com/player/?id=119606. The site has been
drawing fans to its multimedia "Battle over Promicin" experience. The
4400 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

BURN NOTICE - BRUCE CAMPBELL
USANetwork.com is streaming an interview with fan favorite actor
Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Spider-Man) in connection with the
network's upcoming spy drama BURN NOTICE, which premieres June 28.

SUNSHINE
Chris Evans, currently on the big screen in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF
THE SILVER SURFER, plays a very different kind of hero in the
upcoming SF film SUNSHINE. Directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later),
the film stars Evans, Rose Byrne, Cillian Murphy and Michelle Yeoh in
a story about a group of astronauts on a mission to save Earth. "The
basic synopsis [is] the sun is going to die, [and] astronauts go into
the future to reignite it with a bomb," Evans said. "I play an
astronaut named Mace, who's morally uncomplicated, [has a] very
military background—cut and dry—doesn't mince words. It was a
wonderful, wonderful experience working on that film. Can't say
enough." Evans said that SUNSHINE was less demanding than RISE OF THE
SILVER SURFER in terms of action and special effects. "There are a
lot of intangibles to [Silver Surfer], a lot of green screen," he
said. "Things are happening, and you have to communicate with your
director to know what's happening around you. SUNSHINE, we had a big,
wonderful, enormous set that was a spaceship, so for the most part
everything around us, you could touch it, see it, smell it, and it
created a wonderful, authentic world." SUNSHINE will be released on
July 20.

VALKYRIE
Variety reports that Eddie Izzard has joined the Bryan Singer-
directed thriller VALKYRIE at United Artists. He joins the previously-
announced Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Patrick Wilson,
Stephen Fry, Tom Wilkinson and Carice van Houten. In the film, German
generals hatch a scheme to assassinate Adolph Hitler at the height of
WWII. VALKYRIE is based on actual events.

THE $40,000 MAN
According to Variety, New Line has picked up THE $40,000 MAN by
screenwriters John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. The comedy
spoof revolves around a legendary astronaut and true American hero
who finds himself horribly injured in a car accident and rebuilt by
the government to be a bionic man, on a budget of $40,000 -- which
makes him not that bionic. Management firm Benderspink will produce.

MAN-WITCH
Comedian Jack Black and director Todd Phillips ("Road Trip," "Starsky
and Hutch") are teaming for Warner Bros. comedy "Man-Witch" reports
Variety. In the comedy, Black will play a schoolteacher who suddenly
discovers he has witchlike abilities. Taken in by a coven, he is
persuaded to attend a school for witches, only to discover that his
classmates are all girls. Jay Reiss ("Lonny the Great") is penning
the script and Phillips is being eyed to direct.

STAR TREK MOVIE
Roberto Orci and writing partner Alex Kurtzman are scripting the new
Star Trek movie. They have finished the script and are in
preproduction on the movie, which will go into production in November
under director J.J. Abrams. "We're still casting," Orci said while
promoting his next film, Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS. "We're in
preproduction, actually this month." While revealing little about the
11th Trek film's top-secret plot, Orci offered a few tidbits. "Kirk
is in the movie," he said. "Some kind of Kirk. ... We literally
haven't cast them yet. It's actually one of the challenges, and so
we're hoping to have something by Comic-Con [in San Diego in July],
but we'll see." Orci added that producers are wrestling with who to
cast. "That's one of the debates, you know?" he said. "Like, how much
does a familiar face hurt or not?" As for rumors that Matt Damon is
line for Kirk or Adrien Brody for Spock, Orci would only smile. "I've
read all those rumors, too." Is the Trek movie being eyed as the
kickoff of a possible TV series? "I'm sure CBS is thinking about
that," he said. "That's not [something] we're thinking about. We're
just thinking about the movie. Certainly, I don't know how they could
not think about that."

THE DRESDEN FILES
The first season of SCI FI's original series THE DRESDEN FILES comes
to DVD in August, featuring all 12 episodes and bonus features that
include audio commentary, deleted scenes and a "making-of"
featurette.

TROPICAL THUNDER
Variety reports that Owen Wilson and Nick Nolte have joined the Ben
Stiller-directed DreamWorks comedy "Tropic Thunder." The story
follows a group of actors who go on location to shoot a war movie,
only to find that reality replicates their plot. Stiller, Jack Black,
Robert Downey Jr., Brandon Jackson, Steve Coogan, Danny McBride, Bill
Hader, Jay Baruchel, Matt Levin and Andrea De Oliveira are already
onboard to star. Stiller, who wrote the script with Justin Theroux
and Etan Cohen, will begin filming this summer in Hawaii and Los
Angeles.

HEROES
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Nick D'Agosto has landed a major
recurring role on NBC's HEROES for next season. He will play Claire's
(Hayden Panettiere) boyfriend, West, who is said to have "a very cool
superpower." D'Agosto is the second new addition to the cast
of "Heroes" for next season, joining recently appointed new regular
Dania Ramirez. D'Agosto will next be seen in Picturehouse's ROCKET
SCIENCE, opening in theaters on August 10.

I guess that is about it for now.  I see that SciFi is getting ready
for its traditional Twilight Zone marathon on July 4.  Get ready to
watch your favorite episodes over the holiday.

Take care and have a fantastic Sunday.  Be sure to visit the website
for all the latest news and links to new videos and stories related
to Babylon 5: The Lost Tales.

Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – June 8, 2007

It has been an awesome week.  It has brought us more B5: THE LOST
TALES clip exposure, a terrific second installment from the CG
Society on Babylon 5 and fantastic news about the renewal of
JERICHO.  While only renewed for 7 episodes, it is a major triumph
for fans of the series.  After delivering tons of nuts to CBS, word
came of the limited renewal, probably for mid-season placement.  Read
more about all this below.

I have a lot of news for you today so be sure to visit all of the
sites to see the clips, trailers and special information about
upcoming projects.

THOR #1 -
If you are interested in seeing what JMS is doing over in the comic
book realm, pop over to
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=10790 and get
a rundown of the latest THOR issue. It goes on sale July 5, 2007.

B5 CHAT
Ranger Suzy sent me a note to tell me about a B5 chat on Sunday
nights at midnight ET. It lasts an hour and because it is a web chat,
anyone with different isps can join. Here is the link to sign up
Other*Worlds*Cafe Chat . You will need to register a screen name and
password.

BABYLON 5 MOVIE CLIPS

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES
Warner Bros. is getting the word out about THE LOST TALES. Besides
posting the latest trailer over at www.babylon5.com, they have also
posted to the WB Channels on the following UGC sites
vMix at <http://www.vmix.com/wb>

LiveVideo.com at <http://www.livevideo.com/WarnerBros>

YouTube at <http://youtube.com/profile?user=WarnerBrosOnline>

and Google Video at
<http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9025857401896040923>
<http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9025857401896040923&hl=en>

Ranger James alerted me to the second installment of BABYLON 5: The
Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark' Production diary. This one is
SWEET!!!!! Go to <http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?
story_id=4102> to see some great pictures of the ship, docking bay and
the New York City picture is awesome!

MORE B5 DIARIES
Ranger Michael alerted me to more video diaries from JMS on B5: THE
LOST TALES. Go to B5 Diaries to view them. Don't be afraid of the
German you'll see. Click on the B5 station logo (not the shield).
This will take you into another section. The videos you haven't seen
yet are: Small Brown Cat, Writer/Director JMS and Set Construction.
Thanks to Warner Bros., we have some additional video to watch from
the Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. Use the links below. More versions of
these clipls will be posted shortly.

Aftermath
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_babylon_5_\
the_aftermath_qt_300.mov>

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_babylon_5_\
the_aftermath_300.asx>

Reunion
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_babylon\
5thereunioon_qt_300.mov>

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_brucebo\
xleitner_300.asx>

Bruce Boxleitner
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_brucebo\
xleitner_qt_300.mov>

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_brucebo\
xleitner_300.asx>

Joe's First Day
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_joes_first\
_day_qt_300.mov>

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_joes_first\
_day_300.asx>

Over on B5: The Lost Tales page
<http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/lost-tales.shtml>, you will find a lot of
different versions of these
clips -- with a number of different bandwidth flavors. Pick which one
works best for you and watch and enjoy.

BASICS
Street Date: July 31, 2007
Languages: English
Audio: 5.1
Rating: NR
Price: $24.98 SRP / No MAP
DVD catalog: #1129844

Pre-Order at Amazon
You can pre-order the DVD through Amazon.com. Click on this link to
go directly to the site. <http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-5-The-Lost-
Tales/dp/B000PHX8RA>. You can save a few dollars from the original
price by ordering now.

BABYLON 5: The Lost Tales - Original Soundtrack
Music Composed by Christopher Franke

Ranger Jason found this information posted at Verese Sarabande.
BABYLON 5 has been one of the most successful and enduring science
fiction franchises since it debuted in 1994.

Ten years after he became President of the Interstellar Alliance,
President John Sheridan returns to Babylon 5 for the IA?s anniversary
celebration. When a technomage shows him a glimpse of a future Earth
destroyed in a devastating Centauri assault, and a demonic entity
makes itself known closer to home, the stakes are raised, with
billions of lives in the balance.

In Voices in the Dark, series creator J. Michael Straczynski reunites
with stars Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins and Peter Woodward in two
richly imagined stories set after the events of the original series.
In one, a supernatural force penetrates Babylon 5 on a mission whose
success or failure will devastate or redeem whole planets, and in the
other, Sheridan must make a decision to take, or save, one life ? a
decision that will result in either the salvation, or the
destruction, of Earth herself. Also returning to the BABYLON 5
universe is composer Christopher Franke.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases the already best-selling DVD
BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES on July 31.
Catalog #: 302 066 829 2
Release Date: 07/24/07

BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS - VOLUME 11
Synopsis:
VOLUME 11
• Endgame
• Rising Star
• Sleeping in Light
• The Deconstruction of Falling Stars
• No Compromises
• The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari
• The Paragon of Animals
Release date: Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 10am Pacific.
For more information on the scripts, go to www.babylon5scripts.com or
visit our Babylon 5 Scripts page at Babylon 5 Scripts.

BABYLON PODCAST #68
The universe is back to the way it should be: Tim, Summer and Jeffrey
joshing around in the open, and the invasion of the chatroom lurkers
is held off one more day. Or was that because the studio is too full
to hold them?

Tim also gives us scientific reasons why he and Summer should always
work together, else the show will remain out of balance… and Jarsto
has already provided us an ad for the "Kosh for President: All Sex,
All The Time" campaign.

Deep Geeking: This week's episode is "The Long, Twilight Struggle",
and Tim and Summer talk about the reeling shifts in plot arcs and
characterization that we all came to know and love in the series.
Jerseys Are Go! Interested? Let us know if you'd place a pre-order!
For more information on Babylon 5 Podcasts, go to
<http://www.babylonpodcast.com>.

DISCUSSION TOPIC
There are hundreds of "classic" science fiction tales that have yet
to be brought to the big screen. If money were no object (yes, I
know, I wish too), which stories would you bring to the big screen?
Who would you have play the main character/s?

Send your comments along to sgbruckner@.... I'll post them for
everyone to read on the Discussion Page.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

July 13-15, 2007
Shore Leave 29
City: Baltimore, MD
Place: Hunt Valley Marriott
Babylon 5 Guest: Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Carson Becket);
Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek:TOS's Lt. Uhura); Aaron Douglas
(Battlestar Galactica's Chief Galen Tyrol); Colin Cunningham
(Stargate SG-1's Major Davis); Gary Jones (Stargate SG-1's CMSgt.
Walter Harriman); Dean Haglund (X-Files & The Lone Gunmen's Richard
Langly); William Campbell (ST:TOS's Trelane and ST:TOS and ST:DS9's
Koloth); Louise Sorel (ST:TOS's Rayna Kapec; Days of Our Lives'
Vivian Alamain) and Casey Biggs (ST:DS9's Damar ).
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 28-29, 2007
STEEL CITY CON
Location: Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Guests: Jeremy Bulloch – "Boba Fett" - from Star Wars. Felix
Silla "Twiki" from Buck Rogers. Doug Wangler - "Quinlan Vos" from
Star Wars. Christy Hemme and Gail Kim from SPIKE TV - Wrestling
Knockouts!
For a list of guests and more information, go to
http://www.steelcitycon.com

AROUND SCIENCE FICTION TODAY

JERICHO RENEWED!!!!!!!
Fantastic news this morning! CBS has renewed JERICHO for another
seven episodes, to air sometime mid-season. Nina Tassler, president,
CBS Entertainment, made the announcement on the official JERICHO
message board on June 6. "Wow!" Tassler wrote. "Over the past few
weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented
display of passion in support of a prime-time television series. You
got our attention; your e-mails and collective voice have been heard.
As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of JERICHO for mid-season
next year." Tassler added that the show, about the residents of a
small Kansas town who struggle to survive in the wake of a nuclear
disaster, would still need to bring in viewers. "A loyal and
passionate community has clearly formed around the show," she
said. "But that community needs to grow. It needs to grow on the CBS
Television Network, as well as on the many digital platforms where we
make the show available. We will count on you to rally around the
show, to recruit new viewers with the same grass-roots energy,
intensity and volume you have displayed in recent weeks."

CBS offered no date or timeslot for the show's return. But it said
that it would rebroadcast JERICHO reruns over the summer, stream them
online and release the first season on DVD on Sept. 25. The network
also plans on "continuing the story of JERICHO in the digital world
until the new episodes return," Tassler wrote. "We will let you know
specifics when we have them so you can pass them on."

Tassler added: "Please stop sending us nuts :)"
The latter was a reference to the tons of peanuts that fans have sent
to the network to protest its earlier cancellation, a campaign that
CBS credited for its change of heart.

THE INVASION TRAILER
Warner Bros. Pictures has revealed the new trailer online for The
Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam and
Malin Akerman. Opening August 17, the sci-fi action thriller is
directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
The official site for director David Slade's 30 Days of Night has
launched here with the new trailer for the graphic novel adaptation,
produced by "Spider-Man" franchise director Sam Raimi. The thriller,
opening October 19, stars Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny
Huston, Ben Foster and Manu Bennett.

THE LOSERS
Variety reports that Tim Story (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
Surfer) is set to direct the big screen adaptation of DC-Vertigo's
gritty comic book THE LOSERS for Warner Bros. Jamie Vanderbilt will
adapt Andy Diggle's comic, working from a first draft by Peter Berg.
Berg and Weed Road's Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster are producing.
Also producing is Sarah Aubrey, Berg's partner at Film 44, and John
Cameron, who brought the project to Film 44. The movie will center
around a small band of elite and highly trained commandos who are set
up to to be killed by their own government. They set out to avenge
the wrong, as well as avenge other injustices. THE LOSERS was
published by DC Comics imprint Vertigo in the 1970s. It was revived
several years. Story's feature adaptation will be set in contemporary
times, with the special ops team carrying out missions around the
world before the members are left for dead. Flying under the radar,
they return and move around the U.S.

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Director Guillermo del Toro has set Danny Elfman to score HELLBOY II:
THE GOLDEN ARMY. On his message board, Del Toro posted, "Danny Elfman
IS going to score HELLBOY II and I feel privileged. I have worked
with Marco Beltrami many times and will work with him soon enough but
I believe we will have a beautiful score with Elfman, whom I admire
greatly and with whom I share a dark view of the world." Del toro
also noted, "In the first HELLBOY film we had about 8 creatures
(total, between CGI and animatronics/ prosthetics) but in this one we
have around 30 or more and the emphasis is still heavily on a 50% 50%
balance with CGI as enhancemnet or as a choice but not THE choice."
HELLBOY II will arrive in theaters in August 2008.

INDIANA JONES 4
In a statement posted on the official Indiana Jones Web site, Sean
Connery said that he will not reprise the role of Henry Jones in the
upcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie. "I get asked the question so
often, I thought it best to make an announcement," the 76-year-old
actor said. "I thought long and hard about it, and if anything could
have pulled me out of retirement, it would have been an Indiana Jones
film. I love working with [director] Steven [Spielberg] and
[producer] George [Lucas], and it goes without saying that it is an
honor to have Harrison [Ford] as my son. But in the end, retirement
is just too damned much fun." Connery, who played Indy's dad in
1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, retired from acting in
2005. He had this advice for Ford, who turns 65 in July and whom he
referred to as "junior": "Demand that the critters be digital, the
cliffs be low and for goodness sake keep that whip by your side at
all times in case you need to escape from the stunt coordinator! This
is a remarkable cast, and I can only say, 'Break a leg, everyone.'
I'll see you on May 22, 2008, at the theater!" INDIANA JONES 4 will
co-star Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone and John Hurt.
It's in preproduction.

HARRY POTTER PREVIEW
ABC Family will offer viewers a sneak peek at the upcoming HARRY
POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX as part of its broadcast of the
previous three Potter films, July 6-8. During the broadcast of each
of the three earlier movies—HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE,
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS and HARRY POTTER AND THE
PRISONER OF AZKABAN — the cable network will air never-before-seen
footage from the upcoming fourth installment, which opens July 11.
Air dates and times follow: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,
July 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, with a repeat on July 7 at 3:30 p.m.;
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, July 7 at 7 p.m., with a
repeat on July 8 at 1 p.m.; and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban, July 8 at 5 p.m., with a repeat on July 8 at 8 p.m.

STAR TREK FAN STORY
Star Trek actors George Takei and Wil Wheaton and writer Andre
Bormanis have teamed up with FanLib.com and CBS Interactive for Kirk
vs. Picard, an event in which fans will be invited to write pieces of
a new online Trek narrative. The event, which kicks off June 13,
marks the first time that CBS has ever allowed the use of Star Trek
characters for an official online fan-writing event, organizers said.
The storyline will require that Capt. James T. Kirk be pitted somehow
against Capt. Jean-Luc Picard. Takei (Sulu) and Wheaton (Wesley
Crusher) will act as online "hosts" for the endeavor. Bormanis will
moderate and help fans navigate the site. Writers of winning scenes
and several other winners will be featured prominently online during
the event and will win prizes, including a trip to Las Vegas with a
VIP tour of Star Trek: The Experience, Apple MacBook computers, an
Apple iPhone and Star Trek merchandise and memorabilia.

I AM LEGEND
Warner Bros. Pictures has revealed the new trailer for Will Smith's
highly-anticipated I AM LEGEND, opening in theaters on December 14.
In the action-thriller, directed by Francis Lawrence (Constantine),
Smith plays brilliant scientist Robert Neville who could not contain
the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made.
Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is
left of New York City and maybe the world. The link can be found at
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/iamlegend/medium.html.

NARNIA RELEASE DATES
Walt Disney Pictures has set release dates for THE CHRONICLE OF
NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TRADER and PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS
OF TIME. The former will hit theaters on May 1, 2009 while the
latter, an adaptation of the video game produced by Jerry
Bruckheimer, opens on July 10, 2009. Disney has also set a June 12,
2009 date for a Pixar film titled Up.

DEATH RACE
At Universal, Paul W.S. Anderson's Death Race remake has received a
September 26, 2008 release date. Produced by Tom Cruise and Paula
Wagner, the futuristic thriller stars Jason Statham.

UNSTOPPABLE
CASINO ROYALE director Martin Campbell is in talks to board
UNSTOPPABLE, a 20th Century Fox drama about a runaway train carrying
a cargo of toxic chemicals. Variety says the drama, written by Live
Free or Die Hard screenwriter Mark Bomback, pits an engineer and his
conductor in a race against time. They're chasing the runaway train
in a separate locomotive and need to bring it under control before it
derails on a curve and causes a toxic spill that will decimate a
town. Julie Yorn is producing for Firm Films, along with Mimi Rogers.
Chris Ciaffa is executive producing.

HEROES: ORIGINS
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Tim Kring, creator of HEROES,
has signed a new overall two-year deal with show's production
company, NBC Universal Television Studio, under which he will
continue as the show runner and will shepherd its upcoming spinoff,
HEROES: ORIGINS, as well as various HEROES offshoots in print and
digital media.

CITY OF HEROES
Variety reports that TRANSFORMERS producer Tom DeSanto has secured
the film rights to NCsoft and Cryptic Studio's video game CITY OF
HEROES. The plan is to adapt the massively multiplayer online role-
playing game into a live-action feature and then transition it to
television in some form. The movie revolves around a group of
superheroes who live in Paragon City and must team up in order to
fight an invasion of aliens known as the Rikti. In the game, players
design their own superhero characters and pay a monthly fee of $14.99
to battle supervillains, aliens, madmen and other criminals. An
expansion of the game also enables players to create their own
villainous characters. CITY OF HEROES first bowed at retailers in
2004 and turned into a franchise, spawning the sequel City of
Villains and a comic-book series published by Top Cow Productions.

TESTER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, DreamWorks and Parkes/MacDonald
Productions have acquired the spec SF script TESTER by first-time
scribe Colin Trevorrow, about a war vet who discovers that the chip
implanted in his brain is not medicine, but rather neurotechnology
designed to control his body as a weapon of war.

EMPIRE
Orson Scott Card's SF novel EMPIRE is being adapted for the big
screen by Oren Moverman as a large-scale drama for Warner Brothers
and Silver Pictures, Variety reported. Joel Silver is producing. Set
in the near future, the novel centers on an America in chaos: The
assassination of the president and vice president plunges America
into civil war, and a team of special forces operatives try to
unravel the conspiracy and save the country. The book was published
last year. Warner is also developing Card's classic ENDER'S GAME as a
big-scale SF film by director Wolfgang Petersen. Moverman most
recently co-wrote the Bob Dylan movie I'M NOT THERE with director
Todd Haynes.

STAN LEE AND DISNEY
The Walt Disney Studios announced that it has entered into an
exclusive multiyear first-look deal with Spider-Man creator and
producer Stan Lee and his production company, POW! Entertainment.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lee and his production company will
develop and produce all forms of entertainment. Disney Studio
Chairman Dick Cook said in a statement that the deal was designed to
create characters and projects that can become franchises for Disney.

THE SHANNARA
Variety reports that Warner Brothers has acquired screen rights to
THE SHANNARA, the best-selling fantasy book series by Terry Brooks.
Brooks is the second biggest-selling living fantasy book writer,
after Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. Warner has franchise hopes
for Brooks' 14-book series, which is set 1,000 years in the future in
a world populated by elves, trolls, gnomes and dwarves in a post-
apocalyptic Earth. THE SHANNARA family is a half-elf, half-man clan
with magical abilities and warrior skills who must save the world.
THE SHANNARA has never been optioned for film treatment because the
author has avoided it until now. Warner intends to develop The
Elfstones of Shannara, the second book in the series, as the first
film.

TUDORS
Variety reports that Peter O'Toole will follow his Oscar-nominated
role in Venus by playing Pope Paul III on Showtime's "The Tudors."
The actor has booked a seven-episode arc on the second season of the
cable channel's new success story. He'll film his episodes later this
year for broadcast next spring. The season two storyline promises to
pit O'Toole's pontiff against Jonathan Rhys Meyers' Henry VIII. The
series will follow the historic showdown between the two men.

DEXTER
Keith Carradine is also joining Showtime's "Dexter" as a series
regular. He'll play an FBI agent who comes to investigate a series of
murders that turn out to be the work of the show's title character
(Michael C. Hall). He'll end up romantically involved with Dexter's
sister (Jennifer Carpenter).

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Executive producer, Ron Moore, said in a recent interview that he and
fellow executive producer David Eick are planning to send the series
off on a note of finality at the end of the coming fourth
season. "The plan is to end the show," Moore said. "The plan is to
bring us to a definitive conclusion. There's no plans or thoughts in
our heads, really, of then doing a follow-up feature or any series or
anything beyond that." Moore and Eick announced on May 31 that they
would wrap the acclaimed series at the end of the upcoming fourth
season and elaborated on their decision in a call with journalists a
day later. Moore said that he and the writers have been thinking
about how they wanted to end the series since the middle of the
second season and began talking seriously about the conclusion
towards the end of the third. "Those ideas about where we were headed
and what it all meant started to really sort of coalesce over the
course of the third season," Moore said. "And in between seasons four
and three is when we started talking in earnest about, 'OK, if we do
end it next year, what would it really be?' And it just felt like,
yeah, this is the right time to do it. ... We're really sort of
taking our cues from the story itself, and it just feels like the
story has moved forward aggressively." Moore said that he's proud
that the show has been unafraid to take risks. "And it's been
unafraid to move strongly forward instead of trying to sort of tread
water," he said. "And it just feels like the momentum of the series
is moving towards a conclusion." Moore and Eick have not yet begun
writing the script for the finale, but they have had some discussions
about how they will wrap up the story. One thing that has been talked
about is leaving some of the relationships open to
interpretation. "The intention is to certainly concentrate on the
characters and their relationships and sort of bring them all to an
end point," Moore said. "I don't know if we'll resolve every single
thing about every relationship, and I think there's value in leaving
some things open to the imagination and having some things that are
sort of tantalizingly unresolved. But the intention is to move
towards what is the final chapter." In November, a special two-hour
Battlestar episode, "Razor," will air. The fourth season kicks off in
early 2008.

NOTTINGHAM
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Brian Helgeland (L.A.
Confidential) has been brought on board to rewrite NOTTINGHAM,
Universal Pictures' revisionist take on the legend of Robin Hood.
Russell Crowe is starring, Ridley Scott is directing and Imagine
Entertainment's Brian Grazer is producing. Crowe stars as the Sheriff
of Nottingham in a scenario that sees him more noble lawman than an
evil king's right- hand man and facing off with a more shadier Robin
Hood in the Sherwood Forest. Universal is hoping to being production
early next year.

BLINDNESS
Variety reports that Mark Ruffalo will star with Julianne Moore in
director Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of BLINDNESS, the Jose
Saramago novel about an outbreak of blindness that sweeps an
unidentified town. The trade says shooting begins this summer in Sao
Paolo, Brazil. Ruffalo will play a doctor who loses his sight along
with everyone else in town, except the doc's wife. Don McKellar wrote
the script, and Meirelles' 02 Filmes will produce.

INDIANA JONES 4 CASTING CALL
SpielbergFilms.com reports that there will be a casting call for
Indiana Jones 4 in New Haven, Connecticut on June 11 and June 12:
The production is holding an open casting call for extras to appear
in a sequence where Indy tears through campus on a motorcycle (along
Chapel Street in New Haven). The call, organized by Billy Dowd
Casting, will be held on Monday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 12 at the
Omni Hotel at Yale between 1 p.m.-9 p.m. both days. For more details,
go to SpielbergFilms.com. The production will film in New Haven
between June 28 and July 7.

DOLCE'S INFERNO
Russell Crowe's new production company, Fear of God Films, Mark
Staufer's script DOLCE'S INFERNO as the first film to be made under
this banner. Variety reports that the film will revolve around a
cranky Los Angeles gossipmonger whose love life spins out of control.
It will supposedly be a romantic comedy. Crowe bought the rights to
the script using his own money. While he plans on developing the
project, he does not plan on starring in it. Crowe said in a
statement, "I'm looking forward to collaborating with Mark, who is
such a talented writer." The film does not have a firm start date at
this time.

PATRICK STEWART
According to The Argus, Patrick Stewart and screenwriter John Logan
are teaming up to make a new theatrical version of THE MERCHANT OF
VENICE. The two are currently working on a theatrical performance of
Macbeth together.
The Argus writes:
"He's carrying on that association with the Bard with his next film
project, producing and starring in a film version of The Merchant Of
Venice, set in the Las Vegas of the 20th century. The screenplay was
written by John Logan, the man behind Hollywood successes such as The
Last Samurai and The Aviator. The idea came out of an argument the
two had after Logan described it as a "loathsome play".
"I spent half an hour arguing the contrary," says Patrick. "He said,
Would you like it if I started working on a screen project for
nothing?' He earns about $2 million a project, so I thought it was a
decent offer. "It is a startling way of doing the play; it is about
money and sex and love and corruption." There is no word on when The
Merchant of Venice will go into production.

TRANSFORMERS
Director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg's
Transformers was featured on the MTV Movie Awards Sunday night and
four new clips and two new featurettes have come online at
http://www.transformersmovie.com/. Opening July 3rd (with a July 2nd
evening screening), the Paramount/DreamWorks release stars Shia
LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Rachael
Taylor, Megan Fox, John Turturro and Jon Voight.

HIGHWAY 61
Variety reports that filming has begun on HIGHWAY 61. Tobin Bell,
best known for portraying Jigsaw in the Saw films, has signed to play
the Devil in and executive- produce the project for British financier
Halcyon Pictures and Utah-based Prankster Film Co. The movie, written
and directed by Luke and Jeremy Jackson, chronicles a struggling rock
group whose manager arranges a meeting with the Devil at the
Crossroads, the intersection in Mississippi made famous by blues icon
Robert Johnson. Nick Thune (License to Wed) stars as the lead
guitarist.

SPEED RACER
Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) has landed a role in Warner
Brothers' SPEED RACER, which starts shooting this month in Berlin,
Variety reported. Porter joins Matthew Fox who will play Racer X and
Emile Hirsch plays the title role. The cast also includes John
Goodman and Susan Sarandon. Andy and Larry Wachowski wrote and will
direct the movie. Based on the classic series created by anime
pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the live-action film will follow the
adventures of the young race car driver Speed in his quest for glory
on and off the track in his thundering Mach 5. In addition to Speed
and Trixie, the movie will feature other characters that fans of the
show will remember, including Speed's family and his mysterious arch-
rival, Racer X.

ALL ABOUT ADAM
Variety reports that Disney has purchased ALL ABOUT ADAM, a spec
script by Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons. Scott Rudin will produce
the project. The story follows the biblical Adam as he trails Eve to
modern-day New York after they have a lover's quarrel. Adam discovers
Satan was behind the breakup.

That's it for now.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  Be sure
to visit the website for the latest information on Babylon 5 and
other science fiction projects.

Take care.
Sandy

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

The Zocalo Today – June 2, 2007

BABYLON 5:  THE LOST TALES

NEW VIDEO CLIP FOR THE MOVIE
A video clip from the upcoming movie, THE LOST TALES, is now up at the
website, babylon5.warnerbros.com. You have got to see this! For a fan,
it is a wonderful teaser for the movie, giving you a taste of what is
to come. It is absolutely awesome hearing the Christopher Franke B5
music again. I can't wait until July!

BABYLON 5 WEBSITE
Warner Bros. has brought the BABYLON 5 website back to life in time
for THE LOST TALES. Go to www.babylon5.com to find this opening screen:

Check out the Official Babylon 5 The Lost Tales MySpace Page for the
latest Babylon 5 updates!
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales DVD available July 31st. Order your copy now!

Vote on your favorite Babylon 5 Episodes through the Chronicles
Section and see the top ranked episodes in our Fans Section!

Show your Babylon 5 love by personalizing your MySpace page with our
Babylon 5 MySpace skin and The Lost Tales MySpace skin from our
Downloads Section!

The Main Menu offers: The Lost Tales Movie; News; Chronicles; Cast &
Crew; Personality Quiz; Downloads; Fans and Store. Some of the
sections are not complete as yet, but it will be fun to watch develop
and grow.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
There are hundreds of "classic" science fiction tales that have yet to
be brought to the big screen.  If money were no object (yes, I know, I
wish too), which stories would you bring to life?  Who would
you have play the main character/s?

Send in your comments and suggestions to sgbruckner@....  Share
your thoughts with your fellow readers – I'll post them for all to
read on the Discussion Page at The Zocalo Today.

BABYLON PODCAST #67
Welcome to Show #67!
Summer, Jeffrey and guest commentator Edmund Boys talk about Tim being
missing in action this episode, and also open the doors to the
burgeoning availability of Jeff's B5 collectibles. Summer will have to
figure out a way to arrange travel to Los Angeles, so she can catalog
Jeff's stash and help him sell those items to Babylon Podcast
listeners and then to the greater B5 collector community.

And Jeff proposes that we need to have sex. A lot of it. For a week or
so… nothin' but sex. As a platform for "Kosh for President". On the
Green ticket (not on the Purple ticket). Discuss. It's out of hand,
but try to discuss anyway.

Deep Geeking: This week's episode is "Divided Loyalties", and even
though Tim has been vocal in the past about his displeasure with this
episode, he really has a good reason for not being present to voice
his reasons live.

So Summer and special guest Edmund Boys discuss the episode, and Tim
submits his opinions and comments via a pre-recorded statement. Since
Tim isn't there to rebut our refutations to his explanations, Summer
and Tim win this round of the argument.

In "Divided Loyalties", we see Rangers go to desperate measures to
warn the station's command staff of the presence of a spy, including
bringing Lyta back to the station, at risk to her freedom since she's
been reclassified as a rogue. We also see a little more interaction
and deepening of the relationship between Sheridan and Delenn.

The sudden heating up of the relationship between Susan and Talia, and
the unmasking of the spy (as well as how they'd remained hidden so
long) are all wrapped up a little too fast for the tastes of most
die-hard fans, but given the pending cast changes at the time, JMS did
a pretty fine job with what he had to work with in such a short time
frame.

Listener Feedback: Just for the record, the FarPoint tag is officially
spelled "boohkie", all because Google kept pulling up websites for
bookmakers. Make a note of it.

Jerseys Are Go! Interested? Let us know if you'd place a pre-order!
This week we field voicemails from John in NC about batting cage sound
effects; Kurt from the ScapeCast chimes in on the appropriate
equipment for the Narn Bat Squad; Kurt again, back to recount the
story on how he missed seeing "Knives" the first time around; Kurt one
more time, with details on what happened to Sol to cause the events we
see in "Deconstruction of Falling Stars"; Eric from NY wants a Purple
football jersey with "E. Smith" as the name; Jim from Brookline on
football jerseys over baseball jerseys.

For more information on Babylon 5 Podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

BABYLON 5 JUNE BIRTHDAYS
Jeffrey Willerth (Kosh) - June 5 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFFREY!
Donovan Brown (Optic Nerve) - June 6
Ann Bruice Aling (Costumes)- June 8
Mark Walters (Art Department)- June 10
Susan Norkin (Post) - June 10
Adrienne Barbeau (Amanda Carter) - June 11
Enid-Raye Adams (Crusade)- June 16
Mike Vejar (Director)- June 25

If there is anyone we have missed, be sure to drop me a note so that I
can add them to our Cast and Crew Birthday Listing. We want to include
everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

NEW DVDS COMING

300
The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen
with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style
faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI
animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the
titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans
fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive
Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a
cutting edge.
Available July 31, 2007

Complete Matrix Trilogy, The (HD)
Original Product Release Date: 05/22/2007
Synopsis:
The #1 requested film on HD is now here! The Complete Matrix Trilogy
presents the complete adventures of machine battling truth-seekers Neo
(Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Cary-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Lurence
Fishburne) in all three of the Wachowski's ground-breaking monumental
sci-fi feature films. This collection features all three films in
Hi-def and includes exclusive In Movie Experience (IME). These are the
ultimate films for the ultimate hi-def format!

Robin Hood: Season 1
Synopsis:
People's hero, war hero, romantic hero and leader of the world's most
famous resistance group...Robin Hood is known and loved by millions
around the world. His fight against a corrupt government and greedy
officials is something we all can connect with. Fun, modern and
intelligent, the BBC's Robin Hood is guaranteed to appeal to today's
sophisticated viewers and is set to be as popular as the new Doctor
Who. Sharp, witty scripts by Dominic Minghella and a striking new look
set the tone as the BBC updates this popular legend for all the
family. Episodes: 1 - Will you tolerate this? Sheriff got your tongue?
Who shot the Sheriff? 2 - Parent Hood The Arrow and the Optic 3 - The
Taxman Cometh The Brothers A-Date The Assassin A Thing or Two About
Loyalty 4 - Peace? Off! Dead Man Walking The Return of the King Clue: No

ER: The Complete Seventh Season
Synopsis:
A busload of fume-sickened school kids...a gunman whose shooting spree
claimed 19 victims...a guy in an opossum outfit who bit a man dressed
as a kangaroo. They and so many others all converge at ER. The gurneys
keep rolling in a superlative Season 7 that includes Abby's reunion
with her mother, a turbulent woman who suffers from bipolar disorder.
Also making the rounds in the 22 episodes: Carter returns from detox,
Abby goes back to square one in med training, Benton struggles to
emerge from Romano's doghouse, Kovac confronts a mugger, Weaver
reveals her sexual orientation and Chen refuses to reveal the father
of her child. Meanwhile, Greene and Corday marry...and live under the
shadow of Greene's health crisis. Excitement, drama, suspense - the
doctors are on call.
Episodes: 1 - 1. Homecoming, 2. Sand and Water, 3. Mars Attacks, 4.
Benton Backwards, 2 - 5. Flight of Fancy, 6. The Visit, 7. Rescue Me,
8. The Dance We Do, 3 - 9. The Greatest of Gifts, 10. Piece of Mind,
11. Rock, Paper, Scissors, 4 - 12. Surrender, 13. Thy Will Be Done,
14. A Walk in the Woods, 15. The Crossing, 5 - 16. Witch Hunt, 17.
Survival of the Fittest, 18. April Showers, 19. Sailing Away, 6 - 20.
Fear of Commitment, 21. Where the Heart Is, 22. Rampage.

Closer, The: The Complete Second Season
Synopsis:
An offbeat personality, a tough-as-nails approach and a track record
as one of the country's leading investigators--these are just a few of
the trails exhibited by television's next great detective, Deputy
Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, played by three-time Golde Globe Award
nominee Kyra Sedgewick in "The Closer". In her first lead role in a
dramatic series, Sedgwick plays a tough CIA-trained detective, with
Southern charm, who has been brought from Atlanta to Los Angeles to
head up the Priority Murder Squad, a special unit of the LAPD that
handles sensitive, hogh- profile murder cases. "The Closer" is
executive produced by the team behind "Nip/Tuck." Episodes: 1 - 1.
Blue Blood, 2. Mom Duty, 3. Slippin', 2 - 4. Aftertaste, 5. To Protect
and Serve, 6. Out of Focus, 7. Head Over Heels, 3 - 8. Critical
Missing, 9. Heroic Measures, 10. The Other Women, 11. Borderline, 4 -
12. No Good Deed, 13. Overkill, 14. Serving the King (Part 1 & 2).
For information on these videos, go to www.warnervideo.com

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times #141:  HEROES: On Heroes, Sendhil Ramamurthy plays Mohinder
Suresh, a geneticist whose father is killed, putting Mohinder on a
path towards a series of encounters with people with amazing
abilities. He talks about his search in this issue. SUPERNATURAL:
Jensen Ackles explains what's turned his character, Dean Winchester,
from a gung-ho demon fighter into a more internal, considered person
with repressed emotions; BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Mary McDonnell,
President Roslin's cancer's back but she's determined to fight on. Her
alter ego, Mary McDonnell, explains how she plans to keep going in
Season 4; MEDIUM - Gifted with her mother's psychic abilities, Ariel
Dubois finds herself increasingly drawn into a dark world of criminal
acts. Sofia Vassilieva, who plays her, talks about what's coming, and
VERONICA MARS -Jason Dohring goes through the changes in his
character, Logan Echolls, which have taken him from bad boy and chief
nemesis of Veronica to romantic lead on the show.

TV Zone #216: DOCTOR WHO - Director Graeme Harper discusses his
episodes 42 and the return of Captain Jack Harkness in Utopia.
Plus...As Robot comes to DVD, writer Terrance Dicks recalls the
creation of Tom Baker's Time Lord. And... A special picture preview of
Human Nature. STUDIO 60: Matthew Perry discusses the battle for
survival of the critically-acclaimed drama set behind the scenes on a
failing comedy show; HUSTLE - Ashley Walters, the latest recruit to
the conman team, the former rapper who shot to fame group So Solid
Group, now plays grifter Billy Bond… BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Writer
Mark Verheiden guides us through his episodes for the second and third
seasons, including the stunning season finales… STARGATE ATLANTIS: The
second part of an article on the series's visual effects, creator Mark
Savela discusses the imagery of a fan favourite's controversial death…

NEW JMS COMIC BOOKS

CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #2
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Millar, penciled by Ron
Garney and Steve McNiven, cover by Garney.
Experience Civil War and it's major tie-ins from Amazing Spider-Man,
Fantastic Four, Front Line and more in chronological order! The
landscape of the Marvel Universe is changing, and it's time to choose:
Whose side are you on? Peter Parker makes the most important decision
of his life. As the sides square off for the looming Civil War, he'll
have to live with it. Now the big question is, what will this decision
cost him? This issue reprints Civil War #2 and Amazing Spider-Man #532
and #533.
72 pages, $4.99, in stores on August 8.

SILVER SURFER: REQUIEM #4
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, paints and cover by Esad Ribic.
"Agnus Dei." The latest offering from the Marvel Knights line
concludes! For untold years, Norrin Radd surfed the galaxy, exploring
the darkness between stars, witnessing the rise and fall of vast
civilizations. Now his ride comes to an end. Zenn-La, the planet of
his birth, the planet he saved through his own sacrifice -- the Silver
Surfer crossed the galaxy to draw his last breath here. He's home.
What waits for him?
32 pages, $3.99, in stores on August 22.

THOR #2
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Olivier
Coipel, variant cover by Gabriele Dell'Otto.
A freak thunderstorm hit the wide open spaces of Oklahoma...the same
day a young doctor named Donald Blake drove into town! Now the
friendly residents of this cozy burg are just as puzzled by the
walking stick-carrying young man as they are by the storm clouds
gathering on the horizon. Little do they know an honest-to-goodness
god of Asgard walks among them, searching for his own home in the
heart of theirs... and he's got big plans for their dusty little town!
But what connection does Asgard and Norse mythology have to the
wide-open plains of Oklahoma?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on August 1.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

HARRY POTTER THEME PARK
Reuters writes that author J.K Rowling has given her permission and
blessings for a Harry Potter theme park to be built in Orlando,
Florida. The joint venture between Warner Bros Entertainment and
Universal Orlando Resort will be called The Wizarding World of Harry
Potter. The builders loook to "create the world's first immersive
Harry Potter themed environment." Rowling said, "The plans I have seen
look incredibly exciting and I don't think fans of the books or films
will be disappointed." The new area will feature rides and interactive
attractions. In addition there will be shops and restaurants will
allow visitors o sample fare from the wizarding world's best-known
establishments. Production designer Stuart Craig, who worked on all of
the feature films,will lead the creative design for the new park so it
remains faithful to the look and feel of the films. The park is
scheduled to open sometime in 2009. Take a peek at the plans at
http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/.

SPY HUNTER
Variety reports that RESIDENT EVIL and ALIEN VS. PREDATOR director
Paul W.S. Anderson will direct SPY HUNTER, the big budget adaptation
of the popular Midway video game that revolves around a transforming
supercar called the Interceptor. The trade paper says he will be
working with another writer to pen the project, which has already gone
through several writers, including Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Zak
Penn and Stuart Beattie. John Woo was originally attached to helm the
movie, in 2004, that will introduce the never-seen spy hunter who
works for a secret government agency. He uses the gadget- packed
Interceptor (that can transform from a car into a motorcycle, jet ski
and submarine) to hunt down agents and thwart a shadowy terrorist org
known as Nostra. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has long been attached to
play the secret agent behind the wheel of the vehicle. Whether he'll
be recast has yet to be determined. The Rock starred in "Spy Hunter:
Nowhere to Run," a Midway game that the company released last year.
Anderson's next film is DEATH RACE, which he is also directing for
Universal. The film is a remake of 1975's Death Race 2000. Adrian
Askarieh, who has an adaptation of the video game Hitman filming at
Fox, is producing the project with Chuck Gordon and Jeremy Bolt.

NUTS FOR JERICHO
Jericho lovers are rallying together to send as many nuts to CBS's
corporate offices as possible. NutsOnline.com is hosting the "Nuts to
CBS" effort, allowing people to purchase peanuts at a steep discount
for the cause. The result is literally truckloads of peanuts--20,550
pounds as of this morning--en route or already delivered to Tessler or
Kelly Kahl, senior vice president of programming and planning at the
network.

Fans interested in helping to join the campaign to renew Jericho can
visit Jericho Lives (www.jericholives.com) for more information.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA COMING TO AN END
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that the upcoming fourth season of
Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will be its final one. After
months of speculation, the show's producers will make the announcement
at a press conference today. Ending "Battlestar" with the upcoming
22-episode fourth season was a creative decision made by the show's
executive producers Ronald Moore and David Eick. "This show was always
meant to have a beginning, a middle and finally, an end," Eick and
Moore said in a statement Thursday. "Over the course of the last year,
the story and the characters have been moving strongly toward that end
and we've decided to listen to those internal voices and conclude the
show on our own terms. And while we know our fans will be saddened to
know the end is coming, they should brace themselves for a wild ride
getting there - we're going out with a bang." The fourth and final
season of "Galactica" will kick off in November with "Razor," an
extended two-hour episode, with the rest of the season slated to run
beginning in early 2008. Sci Fi's executive vp original programming
Mark Stern said the channel's brass "respect the producers' decision
to end the series." "We are proud to have been the home of this
groundbreaking show," he said. "We have always known that Ron and
David had a plan for 'Galactica' and trust that fans can look forward
to a truly amazing final season." A couple of weeks ago, the show's
star Edward James Olmos was quoted saying that the upcoming batch of
episodes were definitely the last ones. Sci Fi issued a statement
denying such a decision had been made. "I promise you that when Ron
and I make a decision about 'Galactica's' future, we'll let you know,"
Eick said at the time.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA PANEL DISCUSSION - JUNE 6
SCI FI Channel is inviting fans of its SF series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
to a panel discussion with the cast and crew in Los Angeles, followed
by a sneak peek at the upcoming fourth season. The question-and-answer
session with executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick and
stars of the show will take place at the Cinerama Dome theater, 6360
W. Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, on June 6 at 8 p.m. Seating is on a
first-come, first-served basis. The panel will be moderated by cast
member Lucy Lawless, who will be joined by co-stars Edward James
Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber and Katee Sackhoff. It will be
followed by a peek at BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's fourth season, which
returns to SCI FI Channel in January 2008. As a special bonus, the
first 500 fans in line will be allowed in at 6 p.m. for a screening of
the season-three finale, "Crossroads, Part 2," in high definition.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END
Variety reports that Disney's Buena Vista TV has sold PIRATES OF THE
CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END to USA Network for its broadcast premiere in
September 2009.

THE 4400 - NEW CAST MEMBER
Executive producer of USA's THE 4400, Ira Steven Behr, said in a
recent interview that the upcoming fourth season will introduce a new
regular character, played by Australian actress Jenni Baird. Baird
(Conviction) will play Meghan Doyle, the new head of the National
Threat Assessment Command, or NTAC, for which Tom Baldwin (Joel
Gretsch) works. Baird's Doyle is the third commander of the government
agency charged with monitoring the 4,400 people who were abducted,
then returned in a ball of light, with new superhuman abilities; the
previous directors were Dennis Ryland (Peter Coyote) and Nina Jarvis
(Samantha Ferris). Meghan Doyle, who makes her first appearance in the
fourth-season premiere "Wrath of Graham", is a Fellini-loving,
rule-breaking outsider who threatens to upset the careful order of the
quasi-law-enforcement establishment of NTAC. And it's no accident that
Doyle is an attractive blonde. "I had the bright idea that Meghan,
this new character, could give us a new head of NTAC and would also
give us someone for Tom to ultimately get involved with..." Behr said.
Baird joins a returning cast that also includes Billy Campbell,
Jacqueline McKenzie, Patrick Flueger, Chad Faust, Megalyn Echikunwoke
and Conchita Campbell. THE 4400 kicks off its fourth season on June 17
at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

MOONLIGHT
The Hollywood Reporter writes that David Greenwalt ,
co-creator/executive producer of ANGEL, has been signed to serve as
executive producer/show runner on CBS' new drama series MOONLIGHT,
which has a similar theme. MOONLIGHT, from Warner Brothers TV and
Silver Pictures TV, centers on a private investigator (Alex
O'Loughlin) who is a vampire. In his eternal life, he is joined by his
former bride (Amber Valletta), a seductive vampire who bit him 60
years ago, as well as a deceitful ally (Rade Serbedzija), who also is
undead. The PI's life is turned upside down when he falls for a
beautiful mortal woman. In the presentation, Shannon Lucio played the
part, which is now being recast. Greenwalt will serve as an executive
producer alongside Joel Silver; the project's writers, Ron Koslow and
Trevor Munson; director Rod Holcomb; and Gerard Bocaccio. Greenwalt
previously served as show runner on NBC's Kidnapped, UPN's Jake 2.0
and ABC's Miracles. In addition to co-creating Angel with Joss Whedon,
Greenwalt was a writer-producer on Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
He also worked as a consulting producer for SCI FI Channel's original
series EUREKA.

LOST
"Lost: The Complete Third Season -- The Unexplored Experience" will be
released on Dec. 11 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. The 23-episode,
seven-disc set comes with a one-on- one with star Matthew Fox, a
featurette on "The Others," a documentary chronicling 24 hours in
production and a selection of never-before-seen flashbacks. Also
included are behind-the-scenes looks at 10 episodes, audio
commentaries, deleted scenes and bloopers.

THE 4400 - RETURNING JUNE 17
In a recent interview, Ira Steven Behr, executive producer of USA's
THE 4400, said that the upcoming fourth season will propel the story
to a different level and ultimately answer the big question put
forward in the very first episodes: Why exactly were people abducted
in a big ball of light, only to be returned with superhuman abilities?
"What most excites me about this season [is] that we finally answer—or
may answer, depending on your point of view—what it was all about,
what ultimately it's all about," Behr said in an interview in
Hollywood on May 30. "Most shows won't do that and then still feel
they have enough credence to continue on. But, you know, I think it's
a pretty cool outgrowth of what the original concept series was. And
it always bugged me from the very beginning: ... Why did everyone come
back? ... I wanted answers, you know?" Before that happens, the show
will rapidly pick up the threads left dangling in the third-season
cliffhanger last fall, during which self-styled 4400 messiah Jordan
Collier (Billy Campbell) had passed out promicin, a drug that gives
takers a 50-50 chance of developing superhuman abilities—or dying.
(The show's producers are pretty far along in the fourth season's
production, with writers finishing up the 11th of 13 segments this
season.) "The first ... four episodes are ... shows that really talk
about what it's like for people who did not get taken in a ball of
light against their will and were given abilities against their will:
What happens to people who actually risk death and took the shot,"
Behr said. The next few episodes will deal with the mythology of the
series, and the character of Richard Tyler (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali)
for the ninth and 10th episodes (Ali has otherwise been occupied
filming a role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.) The final
three episodes of the season will kick things into "space madness,"
Behr said with a laugh. The fallout from the promicin release will
inform much of the season's story arcs and is the subject of several
Web videos that are linked through the show's official Web site. As
for the big answers coming? "There's going to be some people who are
going to deny that that's what it's all about," Behr teased. "On the
show, they're not going to be sure if it's what it's all about. In the
writers' room, there's some discussion what it's all about. But I
think it certainly [is] a reasonable facsimile [of] what it's all
about. And it certainly gives a focus, you know?" THE 4400, which
stars Joel Gretsch, Jacqueline McKenzie, Patrick Flueger, Chad Faust,
Megalyn Echikunwoke and Conchita Campbell, returns with the episode
"Wrath of Graham" on June 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

TEEN TITAN MOVIE COMING
According to the Hollywood Reporter, DC Comics' Teen Titans will be
adapted as a live-action movie for Warner Brothers. Akiva Goldsman and
Kerry Foster will produce through their Weed Road company, while Mark
Verheiden has been brought on board to write the script. The Teen
Titans first appeared in 1964 as a sort of junior Justice League,
comprising Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl and Speedy, the
respective sidekicks of Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green
Arrow. The comic series reached X-Men-style success in the 1980s, when
the team was relaunched in a new comic with the characters no longer
kids but college-age adults, and the stories explored more mature
themes. The series also saw the addition of Cyborg, Starfire and
Raven, original characters who weren't sidekicks, while the character
of Robin matured into one called Nightwing. Most recently, the comic
was adapted to the television screen with a Cartoon Network series
that ran from 2003-'06 that used many of the '80s comics' heroes and
storylines. It is not known which heroes will be used in the new
movie, but Nightwing is said to be in the mix. Goldsman said the tone
will be consistent with such recent Warners' comic book fare as Batman
Begins, Superman Returns and the upcoming Watchmen.

DOCTOR WHO - PETITION
Last year the BBC commissioned a project to recreate in animation form
the two lost episodes of the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Invasion for
DVD release. At this stage, despite glowing reviews, there are no
plans to animate any of the remaining 106 lost episodes. This petition
aims to get those plans restarted:
http://www.petitiononline.com/lostwho/petition.html.

FEARNET
Ghost House Pictures, the joint venture between producers Sam Raimi
and Rob Tapert with Mandate's Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane, will
provide two original Internet series for FEARnet, beginning this
spring. The first series, Devil's Trade, will premiere on June 6. It
follows three teenagers who incur the wrath of a horrifying curse
after purchasing an item off DevilsTrade.com. The live-action series
will consist of seven three- to five-minute episodes. The second
series has yet to be announced. FEARnet calls itself the world's
premier destination for on-demand, online and mobile horror.

INFESTED
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rogue Pictures and Random House
Films have picked up the rights to Scott Sigler's upcoming SF thriller
novel INFESTED and its untitled sequel. INFESTED, due to be published
next spring, was picked up by the Random House imprint Crown
Publishers. The book follows a CIA black ops specialist and a Centers
for Disease Control scientist who team to contain a rapidly spreading
parasite whose bite turns ordinary people into crazed serial killers.
The trail of corpses leads to an infected man who is fighting a bloody
battle for control of his own mind and body.

HERCULES - AGAIN
Variety reports that Avi Lerner's Millennium Films is developing a
HERCULES feature film, based on the mythological Greek demigod. Lerner
and Millennium's Boaz Davidson, Danny Dimbort and Trevor Short are
producing. Sean Hood (Blackwell) has already delivered a script. No
director's yet attached. The saga of HERCULES provided ample fodder
for more than a dozen Italian movies, starting with Hercules in 1957
with Steve Reeves. The myth was also fodder for the syndicated TV
series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Disney's animated feature
film Hercules". Hood's credits include The Crow: Wicked Prayer and
Halloween: Resurrection.

THE HAPPENING
Variety reports that Zooey Deschanel (TIN MAN) has signed to star with
Mark Wahlberg in M. Night Shyamalan's 20th Century Fox SF thriller THE
HAPPENING. The story concerns a man who takes his family on the run
when an apocalyptic natural crisis threatens to end civilization;
shooting starts in August in Philadelphia. Deschanel's credits include
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA and the upcoming animated SURF'S UP. Deschanel
will also play the role of DG in SCI FI's Tin Man, based on L. Frank
Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; it debuts in December.
VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - DVD
The first volume of the third season of the classic SF TV series
VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA debuts on DVD on June 19 and features
the season's first 13 episodes, plus photos and an interview with star
David Hedison.

TRANSFORMERS PREMIERE
Variety reports that Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS will have its world
premiere at Italy's Taormina Film Festival on June 21; the SF movie
opens everywhere else on July 4.

LIFE ON MARS
According to Variety, David E. Kelley has recruited The West Wing and
Studio 60 helmer Thomas Schlamme to direct the pilot for his ABC
time-travel drama LIFE ON MARS, based on the BBC original show.
Schlamme will also executive-produce the pilot, which is in
preproduction and slated to shoot sometime this summer. LIFE ON MARS
is based on the BBC series of the same name, which revolved around a
21st-century detective (John Simm) who finds himself inexplicably
thrust back into the 1970s, working on a case that may affect the
future. Casting on Kelley's Mars is under way. Rachelle LeFevre has
already been set.

DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING
Film Ick reports a rumor that author Neil Gaiman will direct his first
feature film later this year: an adaptation of his graphic novel
DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING, based on his own script. The site also
reported that Gaiman had discussed the movie with Pan's LABYRINTH
director Guillermo del Toro a couple of weeks back. The film will most
likely shoot in late autumn or early winter in the United Kingdom,
that TRANSFORMERS star Shia LaBeouf is "almost certainly going to play
the male lead," named Sexton Furnival in the comics, and that Death—or
Didi as she calls herself in her mortal form—has snagged the interest
of a famous young actress who will be named soon.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
Warner Brothers has bumped up the release date of HARRY POTTER AND THE
ORDER OF THE PHOENIX a couple of days, to July 11 from the original
July 13.

ELRIC
Empire Online reports that Chris and Paul Weitz will adapt the fantasy
saga, about Elric of Melniboné (aka Elric Kinslayer or The White Wolf)
for the big screen. The Elric books first appeared in print in 1961
and number more than a dozen volumes. "Of the great classic fantasy
series it's the one that hasn't been done yet," Chris Weitz told
Empire Online. "My brother, Paul, and I liked those books growing up,
and we've met Michael Moorcock, and he trusts us to take those books
forward." The Weitz brothers' Depth of Field production company will
develop the adaptation, although no director is yet attached. "I'd
really like it if my brother directed them," Chris said.

TRAVELING
Variety reports that Stuber/Parent's Scott Stuber and Mary Parent will
produce Universal Pictures drama TRAVELING. Shooting begins early next
year. Aaron Eckhart is set to star in the film, which will mark the
directing debut of Brandon Camp. Camp wrote the script with longtime
writing partner Mike Thompson, who will also produce. Eckhart will
play a widower whose book about grieving turns him into a phenomenon.
Reinvented as a charismatic self-help guru, he falls for a woman at a
seminar and is forced to confront the fact that he hasn't come to
grips with his own loss.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT
Dennis Iliadis will direct a remake of Wes Craven's first film, THE
LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, which Craven is producing for Rogue under his
Midnight Pictures. Adam Alleca is on board to rewrite the script.
Variety reports that Craven is producing with Midnight cohort Marianne
Maddalena and Sean S. Cunningham. The latter produced the 1972
original. Craven said the remake will retain the spirit of the
original, about killers who inadvertently seek refuge with the parents
of one of their victims, but aim for a more realistic tone. Craven
expects to begin production on THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT early next
year.

DARK KNIGHT
USA Today reports that THE DARK KNIGHT, the sequel to director
Christopher Nolan's BATMAN BEGINS, will become the first feature film
to be partly shot in the large- screen IMAX format. Nolan will shoot
four action sequences, including the introduction of the Joker, played
by Heath Ledger, in IMAX. "There's simply nothing like seeing a movie
that way," Nolan told the newspaper. "It's more immersive for the
audience. I wish I could shoot the entire thing this way." The four
scenes will fill the IMAX screens, some of which are eight stories
high. And in traditional theaters, the scenes will appear more vivid.

DOCTOR WHO
According to the official Web site of Freema Agyeman, Martha Jones on
the third season of the BBC's DOCTOR WHO, shot down rumors that the
actress would be leaving the series. The site posted a statement from
the BBC: "It is absolute rubbish that Freema Agyeman has been axed or
sacked from DOCTOR WHO. However we do not comment on future
storylines." The statement came in reaction to a story published in
the British tabloid The Sun, which said that Agyeman was being axed
because "show chiefs think her performance is not as strong as in her
earlier episodes." Agyeman joined the series opposite star David
Tennant at the beginning of season three, following in the footsteps
of Billie Piper, who played the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, in the
first two seasons. The third season of DOCTOR WHO is currently airing
in the United Kingdom on BBC One. It will begin airing in the United
States on SCI FI Channel in July.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

June 1-3, 2007
AdventureCon
Place: Knoxville Convention Center
City: 701 Henley Street, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
Babylon 5 Guests: Walter Koenig and Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Dave Prowse (Darth Vader), Billy
Dee Williams (Lando Callrision) and Jeremny Bulloch (Bobo Fete)
For More information, go to www.adventurecon.com

June 8-10, 2007
SciFi Summer Con
Place: Crown Plaza Atlanta-Marietta
City: ATLANTA, GA
For more information, go to http://www.scifisummercon.net

July 13-15, 2007
Shore Leave 29
City: Baltimore, MD
Place: Hunt Valley Marriott
Babylon 5 Guest: Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Carson Becket);
Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek:TOS's Lt. Uhura); Aaron Douglas
(Battlestar Galactica's Chief Galen Tyrol); Colin Cunningham (Stargate
SG-1's Major Davis); Gary Jones (Stargate SG-1's CMSgt. Walter
Harriman); Dean Haglund (X-Files & The Lone Gunmen's Richard Langly);
William Campbell (ST:TOS's Trelane and ST:TOS and ST:DS9's Koloth);
Louise Sorel (ST:TOS's Rayna Kapec; Days of Our Lives' Vivian Alamain)
and Casey Biggs (ST:DS9's Damar ).
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 28-29, 2007
STEEL CITY CON
Location: Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Guests: Jeremy Bulloch – "Boba Fett" - from Star Wars. Felix Silla
"Twiki" from Buck Rogers. Doug Wangler - "Quinlan Vos" from Star Wars.
Christy Hemme and Gail Kim from SPIKE TV - Wrestling Knockouts!
For a list of guests and more information, go to
http://www.steelcitycon.com

This has been a very exciting week for Babylon 5 fans.  The website
Warner Bros. opened for THE LOST TALES is a good start for promoting
the upcoming movie.  The new clip that is now up at the site it
terrific.  We can only hope that sales of the DVD will show Warner
Bros. that BABYLON 5 is STILL popular and should continue to invest in
projects for JMS.

I hope that you will visit the website (http://www.isnnews.net) to
stay on top of whatever information is available on BABYLON 5.  Be
sure to tell your friends as well – and join in on the discussion topic.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Be safe,
Sandy

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

Warner Bros. has finally posted information about Babylon  5: THE LOST TALES
over at
http://www.babylon5.com.  The site pops up with some very familiar people -- and
you
will find downloads, a photo gallery and much, much more.

Here is what you'll find:

Check out the Official Babylon 5 The Lost Tales MySpace Page for the latest
Babylon 5
updates!Babylon 5: The Lost Tales DVD available July 31st. Order your copy
now!Vote on
your favorite Babylon 5 Episodes through the Chronicles Section and see the top
ranked
episodes in our Fans Section!Show your Babylon 5 love by personalizing your
MySpace
page with our Babylon 5 MySpace skin and The Lost Tales MySpace skin from our
Downloads Section!Customize your Instant Messenger with our Babylon 5 Buddy
Icons!

Enjoy!
Take care,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – May 26, 2007

Another week has come to an end and we have a ton of information on
BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES.  Warner Bros. sent me a number of links to
clips created for the upcoming DVD.  There are some new ones out at
VMIX – all the links are below.  Be sure to keep watching the
website.  If any new information comes out, I'll have it there first.

I draw your attention to the fan campaign to SAVE JERICHO.  I loved
this show – and it has been cancelled.  A campaign is underway to
save the series – by sending nuts to CBS.  For more details, read
below.  We B5ers are familiar with fan campaigns – so support the
series if you can.

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES
JMS writes:
FYI I'm told -- emphasis on told -- that the TRAILER for the B5 LOST
TALES DVD will be going up on www.babylon5.com end of the day today
or at some point not long thereafter.

Nothing yet! Will keep watching!

BABYLON 5 MOVIE CLIPS

MORE B5 DIARIES
Ranger Michael alerted me to more video diaries from JMS on B5: THE
LOST TALES. Go to <http://stargate-project.de/babylon5/index.php?
seite=news&show=detail&get=2335> to view them. Don't be afraid of the
German you'll see. Click on the B5 station logo. This will take you
into another section where you will see a number of B5 videos.  The
ones you haven't seen yet are: Small Brown Cat, Writer/Director JMS
and Set Construction.

Thanks to Warner Bros., we have some additional video to watch from
the Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. Use the links below. More versions of
these clipls will be posted shortly.

Aftermath
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
babylon_5_the_aftermath_qt_300.mov> Aftermath - 300 MOV

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
babylon_5_the_aftermath_300.asx>  Aftermath - 300 Window Media

Reunion
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
jc_bruceboxleitner_qt_300.mov> Reunion-300 MOV

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
jc_babylon5thereunioon_300.asx> Reunion-300 Windows Media

Bruce Boxleitner
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
jc_bruceboxleitner_qt_300.mov> Bruce Boxleitner Clip - MOV

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
jc_bruceboxleitner_300.asx> Bruce Boxleitner Clip - Windows Media

Joe's First Day
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
joes_first_day_qt_300.mov> Joe's First Day - MOV
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_
joes_first_day_300.asx> Joe's First Day - Windows Media

Over on <http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/lost-tales.shtml>B5: The Lost
Tales page, you will find a lot of different versions of these clips -
- with a number of different bandwidth flavors. Pick which one works
best for you and watch and enjoy.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
The last batch of season/series finales have just about been
completed. What do you think? Did the cliffhanger leave you eager to
see the start of the next season? Was it a let-down? Are you bummed
that the series won't be back and you won't know what happened to
your favorite character?

Send your comments along to sgbruckner@.... I'll post them for
everyone to read on the Discussion Page.

BABYLON PODCAST #66

Welcome to Show #66!
Tim, Summer and Jeffrey launch the When Farm Animals Attack segment,
and all we can say is TurDuckEn. It's harder to avoid duck attacks
than it is Shadow attacks.

Warner Bros has also released "Lost Tales" teasers on YouTube, and
links will be provided later (after recovering from Lazy Show Notes
syndrome), and we really do start the "Michael checks the FarPoint
Media mailbox" segment…

Deep Geeking: This week's episode is "Confessions and Lamentations",
and Summer fesses up that this was the episode that permanently
hooked her focus into the Babylon 5 universe.
Supremely lazy show notes…. no update today. Update tomorrow… there's
always an update tomorrow.

Listener Feedback: Just for the record, the FarPoint tag is
officially spelled "boohkie", all because Google kept pulling up
websites for bookmakers. Make a note of it.

Jerseys Are Go! Interested? Let us know if you'd place a pre-order!
For more information – and back episodes of Babylon Podcasts, go to
http://www.babylonpodcast.com.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

JEANNE CAVELOS
B5 author Jeanne Cavelos will be appearing on STAR WARS TECH, a
special on The History Channel airing Monday, May 28 at 8 PM Eastern
Time. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the original STAR
WARS movie, the show explores how close we are to developing some of
the technology in George Lucas's universe. (FYI, there is another
STAR WARS special airing at 9 PM, so don't be confused.)
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=221451

**OTHER APPEARANCES**
Jul 7: Appearing at Readercon, Marriott Hotel, Burlington, MA
http://www.readercon.org
Jul 14: Hosting the Odyssey Science Fiction & Fantasy Slam at Barnes
& Noble, Nashua, NH, 2-3:30 pm
Jul 25: Hosting the Science Fiction & Fantasy Slam at Barnes & Noble,
Manchester, NH, 6:30-9 pm
Nov 1-4: Appearing at the World Fantasy Convention, Saratoga Springs,
NY http://www.lastsfa.org/wfc2007/

NEW DVDS COMING

Complete Matrix Trilogy, The (HD)
Original Product Release Date: 05/22/2007
Synopsis:
The #1 requested film on HD is now here! The Complete Matrix Trilogy
presents the complete adventures of machine battling truth-seekers
Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Cary-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Lurence
Fishburne) in all three of the Wachowski's ground-breaking monumental
sci-fi feature films. This collection features all three films in Hi-
def and includes exclusive In Movie Experience (IME). These are the
ultimate films for the ultimate hi-def format!

Robin Hood: Season 1
Synopsis:
People's hero, war hero, romantic hero and leader of the world's most
famous resistance group...Robin Hood is known and loved by millions
around the world. His fight against a corrupt government and greedy
officials is something we all can connect with. Fun, modern and
intelligent, the BBC's Robin Hood is guaranteed to appeal to today's
sophisticated viewers and is set to be as popular as the new Doctor
Who. Sharp, witty scripts by Dominic Minghella and a striking new
look set the tone as the BBC updates this popular legend for all the
family. Episodes: 1 - Will you tolerate this? Sheriff got your
tongue? Who shot the Sheriff? 2 - Parent Hood The Arrow and the Optic
3 - The Taxman Cometh The Brothers A-Date The Assassin A Thing or Two
About Loyalty 4 - Peace? Off! Dead Man Walking The Return of the King
Clue: No

ER: The Complete Seventh Season
Synopsis:
A busload of fume-sickened school kids...a gunman whose shooting
spree claimed 19 victims...a guy in an opossum outfit who bit a man
dressed as a kangaroo. They and so many others all converge at ER.
The gurneys keep rolling in a superlative Season 7 that includes
Abby's reunion with her mother, a turbulent woman who suffers from
bipolar disorder. Also making the rounds in the 22 episodes: Carter
returns from detox, Abby goes back to square one in med training,
Benton struggles to emerge from Romano's doghouse, Kovac confronts a
mugger, Weaver reveals her sexual orientation and Chen refuses to
reveal the father of her child. Meanwhile, Greene and Corday
marry...and live under the shadow of Greene's health crisis.
Excitement, drama, suspense - the doctors are on call.
Episodes: 1 - 1. Homecoming, 2. Sand and Water, 3. Mars Attacks, 4.
Benton Backwards, 2 - 5. Flight of Fancy, 6. The Visit, 7. Rescue Me,
8. The Dance We Do, 3 - 9. The Greatest of Gifts, 10. Piece of Mind,
11. Rock, Paper, Scissors, 4 - 12. Surrender, 13. Thy Will Be Done,
14. A Walk in the Woods, 15. The Crossing, 5 - 16. Witch Hunt, 17.
Survival of the Fittest, 18. April Showers, 19. Sailing Away, 6 - 20.
Fear of Commitment, 21. Where the Heart Is, 22. Rampage.

Closer, The: The Complete Second Season
Synopsis:
An offbeat personality, a tough-as-nails approach and a track record
as one of the country's leading investigators--these are just a few
of the trails exhibited by television's next great detective, Deputy
Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, played by three-time Golde Globe Award
nominee Kyra Sedgewick in "The Closer". In her first lead role in a
dramatic series, Sedgwick plays a tough CIA-trained detective, with
Southern charm, who has been brought from Atlanta to Los Angeles to
head up the Priority Murder Squad, a special unit of the LAPD that
handles sensitive, hogh- profile murder cases. "The Closer" is
executive produced by the team behind "Nip/Tuck." Episodes: 1 - 1.
Blue Blood, 2. Mom Duty, 3. Slippin', 2 - 4. Aftertaste, 5. To
Protect and Serve, 6. Out of Focus, 7. Head Over Heels, 3 - 8.
Critical Missing, 9. Heroic Measures, 10. The Other Women, 11.
Borderline, 4 - 12. No Good Deed, 13. Overkill, 14. Serving the King
(Part 1 & 2).
For information on these videos, go to www.warnervideo.com

COMIC BOOKS
CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #2
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Millar, penciled by Ron
Garney and Steve McNiven, cover by Garney.
Experience Civil War and it's major tie-ins from Amazing Spider-Man,
Fantastic Four, Front Line and more in chronological order! The
landscape of the Marvel Universe is changing, and it's time to
choose: Whose side are you on? Peter Parker makes the most important
decision of his life. As the sides square off for the looming Civil
War, he'll have to live with it. Now the big question is, what will
this decision cost him? This issue reprints Civil War #2 and Amazing
Spider-Man #532 and #533.
72 pages, $4.99, in stores on August 8.

SILVER SURFER: REQUIEM #4
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, paints and cover by Esad Ribic.
"Agnus Dei." The latest offering from the Marvel Knights line
concludes! For untold years, Norrin Radd surfed the galaxy, exploring
the darkness between stars, witnessing the rise and fall of vast
civilizations. Now his ride comes to an end. Zenn-La, the planet of
his birth, the planet he saved through his own sacrifice -- the
Silver Surfer crossed the galaxy to draw his last breath here. He's
home. What waits for him?
32 pages, $3.99, in stores on August 22.

THOR #2
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Olivier
Coipel, variant cover by Gabriele Dell'Otto.
A freak thunderstorm hit the wide open spaces of Oklahoma...the same
day a young doctor named Donald Blake drove into town! Now the
friendly residents of this cozy burg are just as puzzled by the
walking stick-carrying young man as they are by the storm clouds
gathering on the horizon. Little do they know an honest-to-goodness
god of Asgard walks among them, searching for his own home in the
heart of theirs... and he's got big plans for their dusty little
town! But what connection does Asgard and Norse mythology have to the
wide-open plains of Oklahoma?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on August 1.

WHAT'S NEW IN SCIENCE FICTION

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2007 – Platinum Studios www.PlatinumStudios.com,
an entertainment media company that controls the world's largest
independent library of comic book characters, today announced that
Toon Boom Animation, Inc., Planetwide Media's Comic Book Creator and
Wacom will be providing prizes to the Top 50 entrants in Platinum
Studios' 2007 Comic Book Challenge (www.ComicBookChallenge.com), the
industry's leading contest for aspiring comic book writers and
artists worldwide.  For all the information about this contest, go to
<http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/platinum.shtml>. <p>

24
The season finale for many shows took place this week,
including "24". Unlike many series, "24" now has a seemingly secure
spot on FOX's schedule through the 2008-09 season. Not-so-
coincidentally, the renewal carries the show through the duration of
star Kiefer Sutherland's contract with the show's production company,
20th Century Fox TV. The drama has averaged 13.6 million viewers per
week and won its first Emmy for outstanding drama series and for lead
actor Sutherland. Although the ratings have been down only slightly,
the sixth season has faced increased criticisms from fans over the
ongoing plotlines. Producers have made repeated promises that there
will be sweeping changes before next year.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
In what it hailed as a "phenonenal" pre-weekend start, Walt Disney
Pictures reported Friday that PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S
END registered a worldwide gross of $58 million in its first two days
in the global market prior to a massive takeoff over the weekend.
Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Marketing and Distribution, said that $17 million came from Thursday
night domestic showings across the U.S., $12.1 million from 13
foreign territories that opened on Wednesday, and $29 million from
Thursday showings in a total of 39 territories. "We're thrilled
beyond belief with these spectacular early returns, and anticipate
that the incredible excitement and demand will continue throughout
the weekend and summer," said Zoradi in a statement. The third in the
adventure trilogy starring Johnny Depp expanded to 102 overseas
markets on Friday, including such key countries as Japan, Mexico,
Spain, and Brazil, Disney said.

NUTS FOR JERICHO
Jericho lovers are rallying together to send as many nuts to CBS's
corporate offices as possible. <www.nutsonline.com> NutsOnline.com is hosting
the "Nuts to CBS" effort, allowing people to purchase peanuts at a steep
discount for the cause. The result is literally truckloads of peanuts--20,550
pounds as of this morning--en route or already delivered to Tessler or Kelly
Kahl, senior vice president of programming and planning at the network.  Fans
interested in helping to join the campaign to renew Jericho can visit
<http://jericholives.com> Jericho Lives for more information.

NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS
Yahoo! Movies has a teaser trailer for NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF
SECRETS. Jon Turteltaub is back again directing. Jerry Bruckheimer is
producing. The script is by Gregory Poirier, Cormac Wibberley, and
Marianne Sellek Wibberley. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger,
Ed Harris, Helen Mirren and Justin Bartha. It hits theaters on
December 21, 2007. Go to Yahoo! Movies for a peek.

THE LONE RANGER
Let's say Jerry Bruckheimer is HOT! Well, here's a note on the
internet that caught my eye!

"Pirates of the Caribbean" scribes Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio may re-
team with their 'Pirates' producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and possibly
even director Gore Verbinski, on a contemporary feature film update
of classic western "The Lone Ranger." The original assorted radio,
film and television serial adventures followed a masked Texas Ranger
in the American Old West, who gallops about righting injustices,
usually with the aid of a clever and laconic American Indian sidekick
called Tonto, and his horse Silver. Collider reports that the new
version would see a reinvention of the property for a modern
audience. A lesser attempt was made in 2003 to do just that with a
two-hour TV movie/backdoor pilot on The WB network starring that
channel's most popular backdoor young hunk - Chad Michael Murray.
Heavily panned, the potential series never eventuated.

STAR WARS CONVENTION IN LOS ANGELES
STAR WARS CELEBRATION IV, a Lucasfilm-sponsored convention, opened a
five-day run May 23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with
exhibits and programming to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the
first movie, including a sneak peek at the proposed animated Star
Wars TV show. Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm's director of fan relations,
promised that Celebration IV would be the largest Star Wars
convention ever; The Hollywood Reporter estimated that as many as
20,000 fans would attend. The convention will feature 17 hours of
programming, including appearances by franchise actors Carrie Fisher
(Princess Leia) and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), special opening
ceremonies on May 25, a laser tag tournament, an art exhibit of
painted and sculpted Darth Vader helmets, an exhibition of props and
set pieces from the Lucasfilm archives and panels on Star Wars-themed
episodes of Family Guy and Robot Chicken. The convention will also
offer a preview of Fanboys, an upcoming feature film dealing with the
efforts of a group of Star Wars fans who try to sneak into Skywalker
Ranch. And Celebration IV will boast an enormous store of Star Wars-
themed items, some exclusive to the convention, which will remain
open 24 hours a day for the duration. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa is expected to proclaim May 25 "Star Wars Day in Los
Angeles" with an official proclamation. And the United States Postal
Service will issue the first of its Star Wars-themed stamps on that
day as well. The convention runs through May 28, Memorial Day.

LOST RATINGS DOWN
Variety reports that the ratings for the third-season finale of LOST
were down from a year ago, but it came in a strong second in its
Wednesday-night time period. According to preliminary nationals from
Nielsen, the two-hour Lost finale averaged a 5.8 rating among adults
aged 18-49 and 13.7 million viewers overall, peaking with a 6.6
rating in the demographic and 15.5 million viewers overall in its
final half- hour. This was the show's best performance since Feb. 7,
when it premiered in a new Wednesday 10 p.m. timeslot, although its
total program average was down more than 20 percent vs. last year.
LOST returns in January with a fourth season.

JAMES BOND
According to the Los Angeles Times, Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning
writer-director of CRASH and co-writer of CASINO ROYALE, will work on
the script for the next James Bond movie, which is slated for release
on Nov. 7, 2008.

LAND OF LOST THINGS
Variety tells us that Arnold and Anne Kopelson will produce the
fantasy family adventure LAND OF LOST THINGS for Paramount Pictures'
Nickelodeon Movies from a script by new writer Dan Mazeau. Producing
with Kopelson Entertainment is Sherryl Clark, previously an executive
at the company. Clark now runs the film side of J.J. Abrams'
production company Bad Robot. Nick Movies and producers are keeping
the story of Land of Lost Things under wraps. Production is
anticipated to begin early next year.

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Warner Brothers has acquired the
film rights to Irish author Derek Landy's SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT, which
follows a wisecracking skeleton detective and his young female
accomplice who try to stop the return of the evil Faceless Ones.

PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Disney has tapped Dreamgirls co-star Anika Noni Rose to star in the
animated musical fairy-tale romance The Princess and the Frog.
Variety reports that Rose will voice the character Tiana, a princess
living in New Orleans' French Quarter. The movie is based on an
original story by helmers John Musker and Ron Clements, whose credits
include Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. New Orleans native Randy
Newman will compose songs and score for the project.

MONDAY, MONDAY
According to Variety, Disney has acquired the fantasy pitch MONDAY,
MONDAY, about a neurotic teen who has to relive his disastrous first
day at a new high school until he gets it right. Producers Adam
Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot will develop the comedy through their
Offspring Entertainment company. The script is by first-time feature
writer Flint Wainess. Shankman will produce but may not direct. He
opens HAIRSPRAY this summer and next directs Adam Sandler in Disney's
BEDTIME STORIES, which he and Gibgot will executive-produce.

HE-MAN AND MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Producer Joel Silver is developing a new film version of HE-MAN AND
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE for Warner Brothers, working with toymaker
Mattel, Variety reported. Justin Marks is set to write the script.
Mattel, which owns the toy-based franchise, must approve an outline
for the project. HE-MAN was born as a Mattel action figure, and the
toymaker created an animated series in hopes of selling dolls. The
series became a cult favorite and a campy 1987 movie that starred
Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella. The toymaker, which now licenses
HE-MAN for high-end merchandise sold to hardcore collectors, has been
wary of going Hollywood again. An attempt by Fox 2000 to make another
movie, this time with director John Woo, ended in futility as the
toymaker didn't spark to the screen plans, the trade paper reported.
The franchise has been reimagined by the producer and the writers and
pitched to Mattel as a classic good- vs.-evil battle, using the kind
of visual effects strategy employed in 300. A warrior is touted as
the last hope of a magical land called Eternia, which is being
ravaged by technology and the evil Skeletor.

THE 4400
As USA's THE 4400 prepares to return for a fourth season on June 17,
Adweek reports that the network has created a wide-ranging
interactive world consisting of 80 videos on six Web sites to promote
the series that launched on May 21. The Web sites all appear to take
sides in the debate over the use of "promicin," the fictitious drug
that can either imbue its users with superpowers or kill them. The
battle over the drug rages in the show as well. The promotion will
run through the show's season with videos featuring some characters
from the show, as well as new ones.

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
Variety reports that Mike Myers is attached to star in THE SECRET
LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, a remake of the Danny Kaye comedy classic that
producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. has moved from Paramount to 20th Century
Fox. Jay Kogen, a writer and producer on "The Simpsons," "Frasier"
and, most recently, CBS' "The Class," is writing the script. Samuel
Goldwyn Jr. and John Goldwyn will produce. Myers' next live-action
vehicle, Paramount comedy THE LOVE GURU, is on track to begin
production in September in Toronto, with Marco Schnabel directing.
MITTY will compete for Myers' next live- action slot with See Me,
Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure, the Spitfire
Pictures/Gerber Pictures drama in which Myers will play the hard-
living drummer for the British rock group the Who. Playwright Donald
Margulies (Brooklyn Boy) has completed a first draft and will do a
rewrite. The Who lead singer Roger Daltrey is aboard as a producer.
Myers also has several projects looming in the future. He is attached
to star in How to Survive a Robot Uprising, an adaptation of a
humorous survival guide written by Daniel H. Wilson that is Reno 911!
duo Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant are scripting for Paramount.
Myers also has begun early discussions with New Line and director Jay
Roach for a fourth installment of the "Austin Powers.

STARDUST
Paramount Pictures has brought online the new official website for
director Matthew Vaughn's STARDUST, opening in theaters on August 10.
Narrated by Ian McKellen, the movie is based on the best-selling
graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. Claire Danes, Charlie
Cox, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais, Jason Flemyng, Peter O'Toole,
Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro star. Visit Stardustmovie.com
and meet the locals in the village of Wall, view the new gallery
images, and pick up the new downloads.

OUR LADY OF VICTORY
Variety reports that Ellen Burstyn, Carla Gugino and David Boreanaz
will co-star in independent sports drama OUR LADY OF VICTORY. The
film tells the story of the Immaculata College women's basketball
team, which rose from loser status to victory in the National Women's
Collegiate Championship in 1972. The script was written by helmer Tim
Chambers, with Pat Croce producing. Shooting began yesterday. Gugino
portrays the coach, Boreanaz her husband.

SAN DIEGO COMI-CON CONTEST
Over on the San Diego Comic Con masquerade page, http://www.comic-
con.org/cci/cci_masq.shtml you will find an announcement about Warner
Home Video presenting the best costume entry based on Babylon 5, the
new made for video film: Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, plus complete DVD
sets of the entire five seasons of the television series and Babylon
5: The Movies.

BARBARELLA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Robert Rodriguez (Grindhouse) has
signed on to direct BARBARELLA, a new film adaptation of the classic
SF comic-book series that Universal Pictures is fast-tracking for a
2008 worldwide release. The character was immortalized in a 1968
movie starring Jane Fonda. Dino De Laurentiis, who produced the
original film, will produce the update with Martha De Laurentiis.
BARBARELLA tells the story of a female mercenary who roams across the
universe of a distant future, undertaking missions that require
physical fearlessness, ingenuity and sensuality. The character
debuted in 1962 in a French graphic magazine written and illustrated
by Jean-Claude Forest and was known for her many adventures, often
involving sex. There also was a musical produced in 2004. Rodriguez
is working with writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Casino Royale),
who are developing a completely original adventure for BARBARELLA.
Rodriguez's coming on board puts to rest questions about what the in-
demand director would do next, including THE JETSONS at Warner
Brothers and LAND OF THE LOST at Universal.

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
MGM Home Entertainment will release a new two-disc collector's
edition DVD of the 1978 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS on Aug. 7,
timed to the theatrical release of the similarly themed THE INVASION,
which opens Aug. 17.

THE BOOK OF ELI
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Joel Silver will produce and
Albert and Allen Hughes will direct THE BOOK OF ELI, a
postapocalyptic Western movie written by Gary Whitta for Warner
Brothers. Silver Pictures' Susan Downey and Erik Olsen also produce.
The script, which Warner bought earlier this year, centers on a lone
hero who must fight his way across the wasteland of post-apocalyptic
America to protect a sacred book that might hold the key to saving
the future of humanity. Ironically, it was a book that was the key
for the Hughes brothers getting the job to helm the feature. The duo
had read the script, agreeing that it had been the best thing they
had read in years, and knew they wanted it to be their next project.
Using their own funds, they produced a hardcover tome that featured
notes, comic panels, color photos and storyboards on how they
envisioned the movie.

VALKYRIE
Variety reports that Kenneth Branagh will star with Tom Cruise in
VALKYRIE, the Bryan Singer-directed WWII drama that shoots this
summer for United Artists. Branagh will play a German general who
mentors Cruise's character and hatches a plan to assassinate Hitler.
Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander wrote the script, based on
a true story. Singer and McQuarrie, who will produce, brought the
project to Cruise and Paula Wagner in March; Cruise committed to star
shortly thereafter. The movie begins shooting July 19 in Berlin.

THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DEAD ZONE's Anthony Michael Hall has told the LA Daily News he is
playing a character in THE DARK KNIGHT for director Christopher
Nolan. In the interview Hall told the News, "I signed a
confidentiality agreement, and I can't say which part I'm playing
because it affects the story. I can't give away the suspense — it's a
$200 million surprise, and I don't want to be the guy to ruin it." He
will return to the KNIGHT set in August for more filming. The actor
revealed, "They're shooting in London, Chicago and Hong Kong. My next
dates are in Chicago, the third week of August with Morgan, then I
get to go back to London." He went on to note, "It's really a great
role. I'm in throughout the whole movie, and I'm really looking
forward to working with Christian and Morgan and all these real
Hollywood heavy hitters."

CONVENTION CALENDAR
June 1-3, 2007
AdventureCon
Place: Knoxville Convention Center
City: 701 Henley Street, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
Babylon 5 Guests: Walter Koenig and Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Dave Prowse (Darth Vader), Billy
Dee Williams (Lando Callrision) and Jeremny Bulloch (Bobo Fete)
For More information, go to www.adventurecon.com
SciFi Summer Con
June 8-10, 2007
Place: Crown Plaza Atlanta-Marietta
City: ATLANTA, GA
For more information, go to http://www.scifisummercon.net

July 13-15, 2007
Shore Leave 29
City: Baltimore, MD
Place: Hunt Valley Marriott
Babylon 5 Guest: Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Carson Becket);
Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek:TOS's Lt. Uhura); Aaron Douglas
(Battlestar Galactica's Chief Galen Tyrol); Colin Cunningham
(Stargate SG-1's Major Davis); Gary Jones (Stargate SG-1's CMSgt.
Walter Harriman); Dean Haglund (X-Files & The Lone Gunmen's Richard
Langly); William Campbell (ST:TOS's Trelane and ST:TOS and ST:DS9's
Koloth); Louise Sorel (ST:TOS's Rayna Kapec; Days of Our Lives'
Vivian Alamain) and Casey Biggs (ST:DS9's Damar ).
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 28-29, 2007
STEEL CITY CON
Location: Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Guests: Jeremy Bulloch – "Boba Fett" - from Star Wars. Felix
Silla "Twiki" from Buck Rogers. Doug Wangler - "Quinlan Vos" from
Star Wars. Christy Hemme and Gail Kim from SPIKE TV - Wrestling
Knockouts!
For a list of guests and more information, go to
http://www.steelcitycon.com

I guess that is about it for now.  Should any additional information
come my way for BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES, I will indeed pass it
along.  Keep an eye on http://www.isnnews.net.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day.
Sandy

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

I received some video files to post from Warner Bros. tonight from
BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES.  Be sure to visit the website
(http://www.isnnews.net) for links to these new videos.

Aftermath:

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_babylon_5_\
the_aftermath_300.asx> - Windows Media

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_babylon_5_\
the_aftermath_qt_300.mov> - MOV

Reunion:

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_babylon\
5thereunioon_300.asx> - Windows Media

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_babylon\
5thereunioon_qt_300.mov> - MOV

Bruce Boxleitner Clip:

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_brucebo\
xleitner_300.asx> - Windows Media

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_jc_brucebo\
xleitner_qt_300.mov> - MOV

Joe's First Day:

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_joes_first\
_day_300.asx> - Windows Media

<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/babylon5/diaries/bts_joes_first\
_day_qt_300.mov> - MOV


Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – May 12, 2007

BABYLON 5 DIARIES
Here is what we have been waiting for.  BABYLON 5 DIARIES: Babylon 5:
The Lost Tales have started to show up online:
<http://www.vmix.com/view.php?
id=2422707&current_resourceid=2422707&type=video> Babylon 5 Diaries -
DVD Clip - VMIX Free Video Sharing & Hosting Community is about
creating the CGI

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APTPy3MLmNI> YouTube - Babylon 5
Diaries - DVD Clip 'The Reunion' featuring Tracy Scoggins, Bruce
Boxleitner and Peter Woodward

<http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1758827742688386756&q=%
22babylon+5%22> Babylon 5 Diaries - DVD Clip - Google Video 'The
Aftermath' shot after primary photography was completed.

Enjoy!!!!!!

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES

BURBANK, CA, April 24, 2007 - Created by J. Michael Straczynski in
1993, Babylon 5 became a Sci-Fi cult fan favorite and a top rated
show. Now in 2007, Warner Home Video (WHV) and Warner Bros.
Television (WBTV) will take you to 2271 A.D. for Babylon 5: The Lost
Tales,a made-for-video movie featuring the original cast including
Bruce Boxleitner ("President John Sheridan"), Tracy Scoggins
("Captain Elizabeth Lochley") and Peter Woodward ("Galen"). Babylon
5: The Lost Tales will be released on July 31, 2007 for $24.98,
making it the first WHV made-for-video title for one of their popular
TV franchises. Region 2 is scheduled for a Sept. 3, 2007 release and
is available for pre-order at Play.com and other outlets.
Written and directed by show creator J. Michael Straczynski, this
made-for DVD movie is a spectacular vision of B5 and New York City in
the 23rd century as it uses the most innovative filmmaking
technology, which was unavailable during the original series.
On an immense space station built by the Earth Alliance, the crew of
Babylon 5 is charged with maintaining the peace among the various
alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and
negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors.
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales picks up the dramatic series in 2271A.D,
ten years after John Sheridan is appointed President of the
Interstellar Alliance.

The Lost Tales follows Sheridan as he prepares for a fateful Babylon
5 reunion that could prevent Earth's impending doom. Unfortunately,
he is also forced to compromise his own principals in doing so. At
the same time, commander Lochley confronts an unexpected interloper
on the way station - a being whose presence makes the B5 freeport the
crossroads between heaven and hell.

Babylon 5 garnered countless honors including two Emmys, two Hugo
Awards, the Ray Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction Writers of
America, the Saturn Award, five English Media 'Cult TV' Awards, the
Sci-Fi Universe Reader Choice Award for Best TV Series and was the
winner of the TV Guide Poll for Best Sci-Fi Show among others. The
show also enjoyed 9 successful years in syndication, spawned five
feature length TV movies, and now a made-for-video installment.

DVD special features include:

* Straczynski Diaries - a multi-part series of vignettes as filmed by
J. Michael Straczynski as he documents every phase of pre-production,
production and post- production for The Lost Tales. Viewers are given
a first person, inside look at the creative process of making the
Babylon5 film.

"Babylon 5: The Lost Tales has a richly imagined storyline and an
extraordinary vision of the 23rd century created by the renowned J.
Michael Straczynski. WHV is excited to release this made-for-video
title that continues the storyline of Babylon 5, one of the most
successful science fiction series of all time," said Jeff Brown, WHV,
Senior Vice President and General Manager, TV, Animation and
Family. "Although the show has been off the air for a few years, it
continues to have a fervent fan base that is eager for this new
installment."

Marketing Support
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales will be supported by extensive national
media campaign including TV and Online advertising. Marketing support
will also include significant presence at the San Diego ComicCon.
Online podcasts and a completely new redesigned website will also
deliver significant awareness.

BASICS
Street Date: July 31, 2007
Languages: English
Audio: 5.1
Rating: NR
Price: $24.98 SRP / No MAP
DVD catalog: #1129844
About Warner Home Video

With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a
Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution
infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's
film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new
and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures,
Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and
New Line Home Entertainment. About Warner Bros. Television. Warner
Bros. Television (WBTV) is one of the entertainment industry's most
respected providers of original content, producing award-winning
drama and comedy series, made-for- television movies and miniseries
for both network and cable television. Having produced 28 series for
the 2006-2007 seasons, WBTV is the industry's number one supplier of
primetime television programming, with multiple shows on each of the
five broadcast networks, as well as numerous cable networks.
Pre-Order at Amazon

You can pre-order the DVD through Amazon.com. Click on this link to
go directly to the site. http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-5-The-Lost-
Tales/dp/B000PHX8RA. You can save a few dollars from the original
price by ordering now.

You can also now order at DeepDiscount.com. Here is the link:
Deep Discount

and DVDEmpire:
DVD Empire.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
What has been your favorite new program this year? There hasn't been
a lot to choose from, but there are some that stand out -- HEROES and
JERICHO are my favorites. Which ones do you enjoy watching -- and
why?

Send your comments along to sgbruckner@.... I'll post them for
everyone to read on the Discussion Page.

BABYLON PODCAST #64
Welcome to Show #64!
Summer, Tim C and Tim A banter, and gee, I guess you really, really
missed me!

Tim C and Summer both managed to score copies of Babylon 5 Script
Book Volume 11, thanks to generous contributions from our listeners.
It's a lovely and much appreciated act, and we both truly thank you
all.

We will also be receiving a review release of "The Lost Tales" DVD,
so we will be providing you with a full review of the film and the
DVD contents. Don't hate us… we're doing this for you, our listeners!
Deep Geeking: This episode revolves around geeking on "In the Shadow
of Z'ha'dum", a pivotal second season episode that remains a powerful
episode to watch even after all these years.

We move from a casual observation that Morden, a dead man, has been
seen doing business on the station, through a potential diplomatic
rescue by the Centauri, through the borderline alienation of key
station personnel, to an intervention by Delenn and Kosh, all to
prevent an irate and obssessed Sheridan from breaking Morden and
obtaining too much truth too soon about what the Shadows are and what
they're up to.

Listener Feedback: Just for the record, the FarPoint tag is
officially spelled "boohkie", all because Google kept pulling up
websites for bookmakers. Make a note of it.

Edmund comments on the Shadows being behind the escalation of the
Drazi's green/ purple conflict; Gary from Jacksonville sends a
priority Gold Channel request for Summer's return to the mic; Gary
again, with yet another call for a Babylon Podcast Fan Show… Yikes?
Do you want to see any Babylon Podcast swag? Currently, there's swag
for other FarPoint Media shows over at Podcast Junk, so if you're
interested in buying podcast related swag, let us know, and maybe we
can add this show to the swag store. I definitely want to use the
name "Sunhawks" as the team name for the purple and green Babylon
Podcast football jerseys.

I don't know think it would be a licensing infringement for using the
name, but use of any Drazi logo probably would be. I'm still trying
to find out who to talk to about that.

To catch up on the Babylon Podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcasts.com or
go to Podcasts here at The Zocalo today.

BABYLON 5 MAY BIRTHDAYS
Theodore Bikel - May 2
Michael O'Hare - May 6
Stephen Furst - May 8
Melissa Gilbert-Boxleitner - May 8
Bruce Boxleitner - May 12
Andreas Katsulas - May 18
Andrea Thompson - May 22
Doug Wise - May 21
Douglas Netter - May 23
Paul Winfield - May 22
Roy Dotrice - May 26
Harlan Ellison - May 27

If there is anyone we have missed, be sure to drop me a note so that
I can add them to our Cast and Crew Birthday Listing. We want to
include everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN
We will have 100 copies of the book available for pre-order. All pre-
orders will be signed and personalized to you (unless you request
otherwise) and will ship in June. Orders will be processed through
Paypal. Cost per copy is $32.00 for US residents and $37.00 for
everyone else. All prices are in US dollars and include shipping and
handling. Click the appropriate button below to submit your order.
NOTE: If you want to order multiple copies, you will need to go
through the Paypal process once for each copy. To make up for the
inconvenience, we will include a special bonus with every multiple-
copy order. We hope you enjoy the book as much as Claudia enjoyed
writing it! If you have any questions, please e-mail
Holly@....

PETER JURASIK
An interview with Peter Jurasik was published in the Wilmington Star
this week. He talks about his work in acting. Go to
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com under Currents.

PAT TALLMAN-KENNY YAKKEL-KEN FOREE
Variety reports that Producers Chris Aronoff and Jesse Lawler of
Antibody Films have announced that their horror/thriller "Dead Air"
is about to begin shooting a week from this Friday in North
Hollywood, CA. This independent film re-teams actors Bill Moseley and
Pat Tallman, who played brother and sister Johnny and Barbara in Tom
Savini's remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Sitting in the
director's chair is none other than LA Law's Corbin Bernsen, who
horror fans recently saw in the Masters of Horror episode "Right to
Die". The story revolves around a radioshow team attempting to warn
its listeners after a huge explosion turns zombies on the loose in
L.A. The screenplay was penned by Kenny Yakkel, whose other feature
script "Burning The Man" was recently announced and is being produced
by his wife Lawreen Yakkel (Xombie) and genre vet Ken Foree (Devil's
Rejects).

DEAD AIR
Ranger Ky sent along the following link to some video of Pat Tallman
on the set of Dead Air. This interview will give you some insight
into the movie.
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8779

WALTER KOENIG
For science fiction fans, Walter Koenig has created two memorable
television characters: Chekov and Bester. He is the only original
Star Trek cast member without a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Walter has been nominated for a star and the Walk of Fame Committee
will be voting in June 2007 on whether to award it to him. A letter-
writing campaign to convince the committee to vote for him has
started, and you can help! Walter's official website
www.WalterKoenigSite.com has all the information. Thank you for your
help and support!

NEW NOVELS

STARGATE ATLANTIS: Entanglement — the second novel that Martha Wells
has written for us — is here. It's a great read, so hope you enjoy it
as much as we did.

This is Martha's second novel for us, her first being STARGATE
ATLANTIS: Reliquary. For those of you who aren't familiar with her
work, Martha is an award-winning writer of s/f novels. Recent titles
include Ships of Air and Wizard Hunters.

Fans of Martha may be interested to know that she has been invited as
a writer guest at DragonCon (31 August-3 September 2007, Atlanta, GA,
USA) It's well worth visiting her website which includes details of
all her books, sample chapters, reviews and interviews.

NEW SCI-FI PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times #140:DOCTOR WHO: A glitzy press launch celebrated the
start of Season Three and there are photos and interviews with stars
David Tennant and Freema Agyeman.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: As the third season reaches its climax, Ronald
D. Moore, the man behind the show's reinvention, talks about his
achievements so far and what's ahead. LOST: Elizabeth Mitchell - she
may be one of the Others, but is she on their side? Actress Elizabeth
Mitchell explains why there's more to her character of fertility
doctor Juliet Burke than meets the eye… MEDIUM: DA Devalos, aka
Miguel Sandoval, the man who must find a way to turn psychic
premonitions into convictions.

STARBURST #350: Starburst is now 30 years old! And they celebrate
such a milestone with some of our best-loved Sci-Fi celebs have sent
in their very own kind words… Including: Scott Bakula, Robert Vaughn,
Marina Sirtis, Ioan Gruffud, Sigourney Weaver, David Duchovny, DCI
Gene Hunt, James Marsters, Tricia Helfer, Jamie Bamber, Iain M Banks
and many more… Take a trip down memory lane to highlight just some of
the many moments that have defined the past 30 years of Science
Fiction and Fantasy… Stargate SG-1 - Exclusive interview! Director
Peter DeLuise chats candidly about his work over the past 10 years
and his final foray into the world of the hit Sci-Fi show. Heroes -
Producer Tim Kring discusses the successful first year of the hottest
Sci-Fi show around, and provides some clues as to what to expect in
its second year and beyond…

TV Zone Special #76: Doctor Who - Producer Gillane Seaborne guides us
through the behind-the-scenes show's third year – and it's expansion
into sister series, including animated adventure The Ultimate Quest.
Stargate Atlantis - Production designer James Robbins opens up his
sketchbook to reveal the designs that have created Atlantis' world in
the concluding part of this two-part feature. Lost - Actor Terry
O'Quinn discusses his character John Locke's role in the ongoing
enigmatic series, and why Locke sabotaged the castaways' best chance
of getting home. Actor Matthew Fox tells us about how Dr Jack
Shepherd has been forced to become a hero... 24: Noah Daniels' co-
conspirator Chad Lowe talks about why he tries not to judge his
character Reed Pollock's role in handing America to a ruthless Vice
President. What does actor Powers Boothe make of his character Noah
Daniels' ascent to power during an international crisis?

The Works #15: Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End - The Works
sets sail on the high seas and travels to the end of the world to
locate stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, who talk
about their phenomenal franchise has reinvented the pirate genre.
Director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer reveal how
this might not be the end of Pirates after all… SPIDER-MAN 3: The
Works joins on-screen foes Spider-Man Tobey Maguire and Sandman
Thomas Haden Church to find out why movie Number Three is their
personal favourite.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

BIONIC WOMAN
Katee Sackhoff from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA will play the original
cyborg in NBC's BIONIC WOMAN SF series. "I play Sarah Corvus,"
Sackhoff said in an interview at the Saturn Awards in Los Angeles on
May 10. "She's the original bionic woman. The first bionic woman. She
doesn't let anyone forget it. And she's kind of gone off the
reservation. She's a little crazy." Sackhoff, who plays fighter jock
Starbuck in BATTLESTAR, will star in THE BIONIC WOMAN opposite
Michelle Ryan, who plays Jamie Sommers. Sackhoff revealed that her
character will have two bionic arms, "both legs, two eyes, one ear,
part of my chest." The show is a reimagining of the original 1970s
series, which starred Lindsay Wagner as Jamie Sommers. Sackhoff said
that her character would be part of the series as well. Sackhoff
added: "My biggest fear was that Sarah Corvus was going to turn out
like Starbuck. But she didn't. She turned out a little like Number
Six [laughs]. She's the femme fatale. She's dangerous. She's sexy.
She knows it, and she uses it. She walks with a purpose, and Starbuck
really doesn't. It's ... two different sides of the coin, but both
misunderstood." THE BIONIC WOMAN, from Battlestar executive producer
David Eick, is being looked on favorably by NBC, Sackhoff said. "It
hasn't been [picked up] ... officially," she said. "Unofficially,
I've heard that it's getting picked up. But officially, we'll find
out Monday."

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Battlestar Galactica's search for Earth continues to be an open-ended
adventure, executive producer David Eick said. Contrary to comments
by Edward James Olmos (Adm. Adama) at the Saturn Awards on May10, no
end has been announced for the award-winning show. BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA is preparing to film its fourth season, one that will
include 22 episodes, rather than the previously announced 13. "For
those of you who have been paying attention over the years, this is
not the first time Eddie has made an announcement about the
possibility of the show's end," chuckled Eick. "I promise you that
when [executiuve producer] Ron [Moore] and I make a decision about
Galactica's future, we'll let you know."

HEROES
While at the Saturn awards picking up the best supporting actor
award, Masi Oka, who plays Hiro in HEROES, said that the upcoming
season finale will have a resolution of the first season and a
cliffhanger in the last three minutes that will lead directly into
season two. "I think it's great the way the finale ends," Oka
said. "It's a wrapping up of volume one, which is [called] 'Genesis.'
And it wraps up the whole bomb storyline. So it's a nice finale, and
there's a great cliffhanger with everybody, I would say. And you do
get to see a little bit of volume two, which is
called 'Generations.'" George Takei will be returning as Hiros'father
on the show and he has some involvement with the mysterious O.W.I.,
or Organization Without Initials. "It's going to be pretty
fantastic," Oka said of the next episode, titled "Landslide." "[Takei
is] there, and we get a little bit of a training montage, like a
Karate Kid thing. ... He might be part of the O.W.I. We don't know.
The whole O.W.I. could be something bigger than we think. And as I
say, volume two is called 'Generations.' What does that mean? Does
that mean the past? There's going to be some more things with
generations of other families, or is it generations in terms of
years? Eras? Who knows?" As for the final episode, Oka said it was a
difficult shoot, but the efforts of the cast and crew paid off in the
end. "The big finale has been amazing because we had a lot of long
nights," he said. "Because of the location, we had to shoot
overnight. So we'd have 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. day after day after day. It
was tough on the crew, tough on the cast. ... But it's going to be
fantastic. The finale's going to be the bomb. Literally and
metaphorically." HEROES airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

FLASH GORDON
Gina Holden (Fantastic Four) has been cast as Dale Arden, the female
lead in SCI FI's upcoming series FLASH GORDON. She will co-star
opposite Eric Johnson (Smallville), who plays the title character. In
other casting, Jody Racicot (Night at the Museum) will play Dr. Hans
Zarkov, and John Ralston (Earthstorm) will play the villainous Ming.
Holden, who also appeared in The Butterfly Effect 2 as well as the
upcoming Alien vs. Predator 2, will play Flash Gordon's love interest
in the show, which is based on the classic SF comic-strip
franchise. "During auditions and rehearsals, we could tell this one
was the right Dale, because [Johnson] had such good chemistry with
her," said Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of original
programming. "We had to find the right actress to work with him,
because there's jealousy and a love triangle and friendship involved,
and we did not want to stick him with an actress he couldn't stand."
Others in the cast include Karen Cliché (Baylin), Giles Panton (Joe),
Panou (Nick), Jonathan Walker (Rankol), Jill Teed (Norah), Carmen
Moore (Jolie) and Anna van Hoft (Aura). SCI FI has ordered 22
episodes of FLASH GORDON, which began shooting this week in
Vancouver, Canada, and will debut in August.

THE BOX
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Barry Sonnenfeld is in
negotiations to direct the supernatural action-adventurer THE BOX for
20th Century Fox. Evan Spiliotopoulos is writing the screenplay,
which serves up a contemporary take on the myth of Pandora's box. BOX
centers on a college graduate with an uncertain future, who is
tricked into opening the mythical box, unwittingly unleashing the
evils trapped within. He then must team with Pandora to save the
world from destruction. BOX returns Sonnenfeld to the genres that put
him on the map, with such movies as THE ADDAMS FAMILY and MEN IN
BLACK.

HEAVEN PROJECT
Linda Cardellini is set to star opposite Paul Walker in HEAVEN
PROJECT, a fantasy- tinged independent drama being directed by John
Glenn, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The story follows an ex-
con who is sentenced to death and wakes up from his lethal injection
in a small Oregon town. Working as a groundskeeper for a mental
hospital, he is told he was given a second chance by God, but
questions whether he ever really died. Cardellini will play the
hospital's administrator and Walker's love interest. Production is
under way in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cardellini, one of the stars of
NBC's ER, played Velma in the Scooby-Doo films.

JOURNEYMAN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that emmy-winning writer-producer Kevin
Falls, creator of NBC's newly picked-up time-travel series
JOURNEYMAN, has signed a new two-year overall deal with the show's
producer, 20th Century Fox TV. Falls will focus on JOURNEYMAN, on
which he will serve as executive producer and show runner. The trade
paper also reported that NBC had picked up JOURNEYMAN for the fall.
JOURNEYMAN is described as an epic fantasy starring Kevin McKidd
(HBO's Rome) as a man who travels back in time to fix the lives of
people in trouble.

SATURN AWARD WINNERS
In the latest round of Saturn Awards, SUPERMAN RETURNS came out on
top, pulling in five awards, including best fantasy film and best
director (Bryan Singer). On the TV side, NBC's hit superhero drama
HEROES won three awards, including best network television series.
CHILDREN OF MEN received the award for best science fiction film. The
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films presented the 33rd
Annual Saturn Awards in a ceremony in Universal City, Calif., hosted
by Heroes star Greg Grunberg and Jeffrey Ross. SUPERMAN RETURNS also
won awards for best writing (Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty), actor
(Brandon Routh) and music (John Ottman). HEROES also garnered
statuettes for two of its stars: Masi Oka (Hiro), for best supporting
actor, and Hayden Panettiere (Claire), for best supporting actress.
Complete list of winners follows.
Best Science Fiction Film: Children of Men
Best Fantasy Film: Superman Returns
Best Horror Film: The Descent
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: Casino Royale
Best Animated Film: Cars
Best International Film: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Actor: Brandon Routh (Superman Returns)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman (V For Vendetta)
Best Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland)
Best Supporting Actress: Famke Janssen (X-Men: The Last Stand)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Ivana Baquero (Pan's Labyrinth)
Best Director: Bryan Singer (Superman Returns)
Best Writing: Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris (Superman Returns)
Best Music: John Ottman (Superman Returns)
Best Costume: Yee Chung-Man (Curse of the Golden Flower)
Best Makeup: Todd Masters and Dan Rebert (Slither)
Best Special Effects: John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and
Allen Hall (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
Best Network Television Series: Heroes
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Battlestar Galactica
Best Presentation on Television: The Librarian: Return to King
Solomon's Mines
Best Actor on Television: Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Best Actress on Television: Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Masi Oka (Heroes)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Hayden Panettiere (Heroes)
Best DVD Release: The Sci Fi Boys
Best DVD Special Edition Release: Superman II
Best DVD Classic Film Release: Gojira
Best DVD Collection: James Bond Ultimate Edition
Best DVD Television Series: Masters of Horror
Best Retro Television Series on DVD: Adventures of Superman
Special Awards: Rising Star Award, Matt Dallas (Kyle XY); Filmmakers
Showcase Award, James Gunn (Director of Slither); Service Award,
Kerry O'Quinn (former publisher of Starlog magazine); Special
Recognition Award, "Alien Xmas," written by Stephen Chiodo and Jim
Strain)

NEW STAR WARS MOVIES
STAR WARS creator George Lucas revealed to Fox411.com that he's
thinking of making two new hourlong live-action STAR WARS TV
films. "But they won't have members of the Skywalker family as
characters," he told the site. "They will be other people of that
milieu." The two extra films will be made for TV and will probably be
an hour each, the site reported. Lucas said he doesn't know yet where
they might end up. In the meantime, Lucas is busy producing a fourth
Indiana Jones movie and is developing new STAR WARS live-action and
animated TV shows.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Variety reports that Tim Roth (Planet of the Apes) will play the
villainous Emil Blonsky/Abomination in THE INCREDIBLE HULK opposite
Edward Norton's Bruce Banner.

SUPERNATURAL BOOKS COMING
British publisher Titan Books announced that it has acquired
worldwide publishing rights for the official companion books to The
CW's SUPERNATURAL. The first volume, Supernatural: The Official
Companion Season 1, is slated for release in September in the United
States, with a U.K. release in October. In addition to behind-the-
scenes interviews and exhaustive episode guides, the official
companion book will feature dozens of photos, including a 16-page
full-color supplement. SUPERNATURAL stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen
Ackles as the Winchester brothers, who travel the backroads of
America fighting supernatural evil. It airs Thursdays at 9 p.m.
ET/PT.

HENRY POOLE IS HERE
Mark Pellington ("The Mothman Prophecies," "Arlington Road") is set
to direct and Luke Wilson set to star in Lakeshore Entertainment's
dramedy "Henry Poole Is Here." The story centers on a man (Wilson)
who discovers he has only six weeks to live. He hopes to spend the
remainder of his time alone in suburbia downing pizza and vodka.
However, a so-called miracle transforms his life and his quirky
neighbors disrupt his plan to live out his days in quiet desperation.
Shooting begins this Summer in Los Angeles.

TORTURED
Variety reports that Laurence Fishburne and Cole Hauser have signed
to star in crime thriller TORTURED which Nolan Lebovitz is directing
from his own script. The story centers on an undercover FBI agent
(Hauser) who infiltrates the world's most powerful crime syndicate.
When he cracks the inner circle, he's assigned the task of torturing
one of its accountants (Fishburne). Five Star Pictures, Insight Film
Studios and Proud Mary Entertainment are producing, and shooting
begins Monday in Vancouver.

JOOST AND WARNER BROS
Internet TV broadcaster, Joost said Tuesday that Warner Bros.
Television Group (WBTVG) will make its TV programs available
exclusively on its online video network. The deal includes WBTV: SCI-
FI FIX and WBTV: Before They Were Mega Stars. This marks the first
time that WBTVG will launch Warner Bros.-branded programming services
online. Warner Bros's both WBTV channels will launch on Joost this
month. WBTV: SCI-FI FIX will feature popular shows like "Adventures
of Briscoe County," "Aquaman," "Babylon 5," "Crusade," "Human
Target," "Invasion," "Max Headroom," "My Favorite
Martian," "Prey," "Time Trax" and "V."

HARRY POTTTER BOOK 7
According to Amazon.com, more than 1 million advance orders for HARRY
POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, the upcoming seventh and final book
in J.K. Rowling's franchise, which is scheduled for release in late
July. Reuters reported that the online retailer also lowered its
price on the book to $17.99 from $18.89. It said it would honor the
lower price for customers who had already ordered the book, the last
volume in the series about a boy wizard and his struggle against the
forces of evil. More than 620,000 copies have been ordered in advance
in the United States, with more than 250,000 in the United Kingdom,
Amazon.com said. Advance orders for this book have surpassed those in
2005 for Rowling's sixth release, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince. In April, Barnes & Noble said that advance orders for the
book had topped 500,000 copies, breaking the bookseller chain's
record for the most advance requests in its history. The book, which
is published in the United States by Scholastic Corp and in Britain
by Bloomsbury, officially goes on sale on July 21.

HEROES
Hayden Panettiere, who plays the indestructible cheerleader Claire on
HEROES, said during a recent interview that there has been talk of
her character's getting a boyfriend next season. "It's possibly in
the future," she said. "I haven't heard or seen anything from this
upcoming season, so I can't tell you what exactly is going to happen,
but, yes, there is potential." Panettiere added that it's something
she'd like to see happen on the show—and she said that she has a
feeling the audience agrees. "I think people want to see her being a
normal teenage girl," she said "They want to see her have boyfriends.
They want to see the human side of her, which, you know, is what
normal teenage girls do. They date. They like boys. They kiss boys."
As the end of the hit series' freshman season approaches, Panettiere
said that the stories will focus on the human drama among the
characters and their quest to save the world from the dark future
seen a few episodes ago. "At the moment we're really concentrating on
the human stories that are going on with the show," she
said. "Because it's not just about our powers. It's about mankind.
It's about the world. It's about helping it before it becomes
completely ... changed. Everyone's lives will be shifted and pointed
in a different direction, and, for the most part, as you saw, it's
not for the good. ... I think it's about doing what's right and what
we're kind of meant to do. But, you know, I am indestructible, and
things happen all the time. My gore is definitely not over." HEROES
airs Mondays at 9 p.m. PT/ET.

DAYBREAKERS
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Ethan Hawke has signed on to
star in Lionsgate's futuristic vampire film DAYBREAKERS, written and
to be directed by Australian horror veterans Peter and Michael
Spierig (Undead). Shooting begins in July in Australia, with Weta
Workshop creating the creature effects. Hawke will play a researcher
in the year 2017, when a plague has transformed most of the world's
population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction,
vampires must capture and farm every remaining human or find a blood
substitute before time runs out. Meanwhile, a covert group of
vampires makes a discovery that has the power to save the human race.
DAYBREAKERS will be produced by Chris Brown of Australia-based
Pictures in Paradise and Sean and Bryan Furst of Furst Films.

SWARM
Variety reports that Dino and Martha De Laurentiis will partner with
a trio of German producers to turn the best-selling Frank Schatzing
SF novel THE SWARM into a big-budget ecological disaster film. Ted
Tally has been set to adapt the novel. The film is a co-production
between the De Laurentiis duo and German producers Michael
Souvignier, Ica Souvignier and Till Gronemeyer. The book tells the
story of an alien presence that exists quietly on the ocean floor and
is compelled to destroy humanity after its ecosystem is disrupted by
pollution. Scientists race to stave off an apocalypse. The book was a
best-seller in Germany and other European countries. The book didn't
fare as well in the United States.

SPIDER-MAN 3
While SPIDER-MAN 3 is breaking records at the box office, it is also
making news on the television scene. FX has nabbed the rights to the
film from Sony Pictures Television in a deal that observers said is
tied to the movie's final domestic boxoffice tally and could reach
$40 million. Reps for FX, which also owns the rights to "Spider-Man
2," and SPT declined comment on the deal Tuesday. The five-year deal
on "Spider-Man 3" is slated to begin in December 2009, following the
film's pay window on Starz. SPT has the option to carve out three
windows during the length of the deal with FX for airings on
broadcast networks. SPT is expected to take the film to the broadcast
nets after it wraps its upfront presentations next week. With
additional broadcast runs and a syndication window that would
follow "Spider-Man 3's" second cycle on pay cable, the sequel's total
TV revenue is expected to be in line with the $60 million- plus
fetched by the previous two "Spider-Man" movies. In 2004, "Spider-Man
2" was sold to Fox Broadcasting Co. and FX in a deal that was valued
at about $50 million, with the possibility for extra broadcast/cable
windows pegged at about $10 million (HR 5/30/04). Fox also has the
rights to the first "Spider-Man" through a 10-year $60 million-plus
deal shared with Turner Broadcasting's TNT and TBS. Going
aggressively after "Spider-Man 3" fits into FX's strategy to acquire
big, broad feature films. For the past several years, the network
brass have opted to add blockbuster movies to its schedule instead of
reruns of popular crime procedural dramas -- a once-hot cable
commodity that has cooled off. FX's recent premiere of "Spider-Man 2"
attracted more than 1 million viewers in the adults 18-49
demographic. "Spider-Man 3," which grossed $151 million in North
America this past weekend and $382 million worldwide, smashed a slew
of records, including biggest opening weekend. Its haul could surpass
the original "Spider-Man," which is the highest-grossing film in the
franchise so far with $403.7 million domestically.

ARMAGEDDAGAIN: THE DAY BEFORE TOMORROW
Screen Gems has picked up the action disaster spoof script
ARMAGEDDAGAIN: THE DAY BEFORE TOMORROW by Robert Moniot (pronounced
Mon-Yo) and Travis Oates. Noah Emmerich, Phil Goldfine and Robert
Moniot will produce. Moniot will also direct. Moniot's narrative
debut, Pearl Harbor II: Pearlmageddon, was shot in two days. Moniot
wrote, directed, and edited the spoof.

THE JETSONS
Robert Rodriguez is in talks with Warner Bros. Pictures to direct the
live-action feature version of futuristic 1960s cartoon THE JETSONS.
Denise Di Novi and Donald De Line would produce. The JETSONS' script
was written by Adam Goldberg. Rodriguez also recently met with actor
Will Ferrel to discuss Universal Pictures' big screen version of LAND
OF THE LOST, which Ferrel is attached to star in.

SPIDER-MAN 3
Variety reported that Sony has revised its opening-weekend box-office
totals for SPIDER-MAN 3 upward. The hit sequel took in $382 million
worldwide and $151 million in North America.

MEDIUM RENEWED
Word came through yesterday from NBC regarding their early renewal of
the fourth season of MEDIUM, its supernatural drama. "MEDIUM is a
quality show with an outstanding star that has always delivered a
very loyal audience," Kevin Reilly, president of NBC Entertainment,
said in a statement. "We are pleased to know that we can look forward
to more of its unique storytelling next year under executive producer
Glenn Gordon Caron's superb creative vision." MEDIUM has averaged a
3.0 rating among adults aged 18-49 and 8.5 million viewers overall
this season. Created by Caron, MEDIUM stars Patricia Arquette as
psychic Allison DuBois. MEDIUM airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

WANTED
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Chicago rapper Common has signed
on to the Morgan Freeman-Angelina Jolie SF movie WANTED for Universal
Pictures, playing an assassin who helps a white-collar worker (James
McAvoy) who discovers he is the son of the most evil supervillain on
Earth.

SHREK THE THIRD
In a recent interview, Antonio Banderas, who voices Puss in Boots in
the upcoming SHREK THE THIRD, said that there are plans to make a
spinoff film featuring his swashbuckling character, though details
remain sketchy. "Donkey doesn't have a movie, but Puss in Boots does,
and they are pushing for a movie someday soon," Banderas said while
out promoting the third installment in the hit franchise. The
Hollywood Reporter said that a Puss in Boots movie might go directly
to DVD, much like sequels that Disney did for Cinderella, Aladdin and
other classics. SHREK THE THIRD producer Aron Warner said he wasn't
sure what the DreamWorks Animation division has in store for Puss.
The story is being developed by Jon Zack (Shrek the Third) and David
H. Steinberg (American Pie 2), but no director has been named yet.
The Puss in Boots film is on the slate for a 2010 release, perhaps
around the same time as a fourth Shrek movie. SHREK THE THIRD opens
on May 18.

BLOOD TIES
Variety reports that Lifetime has renewed BLOOD TIES, its vampire
melodrama, for a second cycle of 10 hourlong episodes, which kick off
in the fall. Christina Cox stars as a private eye who investigates
supernatural crimes, aided by her partner, who's a vampire. Scheduled
Sundays at 10 p.m., the series premiered March 11 and has averaged a
1.1 household rating.

LOST
ABC has agreed to let the producers of LOST set an expiration date
for the series: three years in the future, the network announced May
7. Starting in the 2007-'08 season, LOST will air in uninterrupted
arcs of 16 episodes each, culminating in the show's finale sometime
during the 2009-'10 season. Executive producers Damon Lindelof and
Carlton Cuse had said last summer that they wanted LOST to end after
two more seasons as a way to focus the storytelling. They agreed to
the three shortened seasons as a condition of signing new multiyear
deals with the ABC Television Studio, which produces the series. (The
48 episodes they'll produce over the next three years is the same
number the show produced during its first two seasons.) "In
considering the powerful storytelling of LOST, we felt this was the
only way to give it a proper creative conclusion," Stephen McPherson,
president of ABC Entertainment, said in a statement. "I always said
that we would allow the series to grow and give viewers the most
compelling hour possible. And, due to the unique nature of the
series, we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity
and strength of the show consistent throughout and to give the
audience the payoff they deserve." It's unclear when the series will
return next season in order to air the new episodes without repeats,
but it will likely be around January. "This is a bold and
unprecedented move for ABC," Lindelof and Cuse said in their own
statement. "The show would not be what it is without the vision and
support we've received from Steve McPherson, Mark Pedowitz and
everyone at ABC and ABC TV Studios. We always envisioned LOST as a
show with a beginning, middle and end. By officially announcing
exactly when that ending will be, the audience will now have the
security of knowing that the story will play out as we've intended."
LOST is expected to kick into high gear at 9 p.m. ET/PT on May 23
with the broadcast of the two-hour third-season finale, "Through the
Looking Glass," which is expected to change the show dramatically.
Here's how ABC describes it: "Jack and the castaways begin their
efforts to make contact with Naomi's rescue ship."

CONVENTION CALENDAR

June 1-3, 2007
AdventureCon
Place: Babylon 5 Guests: Walter Koenig and Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Dave Prowse (Darth Vader), Billy
Dee Williams (Lando Callrision) and Jeremny Bulloch (Bobo Fete)
For More information, go to www.adventurecon.com

July 13-15, 2007
Shore Leave 29
City: Baltimore, MD
Place: Hunt Valley Marriott
Babylon 5 Guest: Claudia Christian
Other Guests: Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis' Dr. Carson Becket);
Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek:TOS's Lt. Uhura); Aaron Douglas
(Battlestar Galactica's Chief Galen Tyrol); Colin Cunningham
(Stargate SG-1's Major Davis); Gary Jones (Stargate SG-1's CMSgt.
Walter Harriman); Dean Haglund (X-Files & The Lone Gunmen's Richard
Langly); William Campbell (ST:TOS's Trelane and ST:TOS and ST:DS9's
Koloth); Louise Sorel (ST:TOS's Rayna Kapec; Days of Our Lives'
Vivian Alamain) and Casey Biggs (ST:DS9's Damar ).
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 28-29, 2007
STEEL CITY CON
Location: Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Guests: Jeremy Bulloch – "Boba Fett" - from Star Wars. Felix
Silla "Twiki" from Buck Rogers. Doug Wangler - "Quinlan Vos" from
Star Wars. Christy Hemme and Gail Kim from SPIKE TV - Wrestling
Knockouts!
For a list of guests and more information, go to
http://www.steelcitycon.com

Well, I guess that is about it for now.  I wanted to make sure you
all knew about the new BABYLON 5 DIARIES videos out on the internet.
They are wonderful and hopefully there will be more before the DVD is
released.

Have a wonderful weekend – and a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Be safe,
Sandy

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

It's almost here!  BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES will be available July
31 and you can now pre-order at Amazon.com.  Here are the details.

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES

BURBANK, CA, April 24, 2007 - Created by J. Michael Straczynski in
1993, Babylon 5 became a Sci-Fi cult fan favorite and a top rated
show. Now in 2007, Warner Home Video (WHV) and Warner Bros.
Television (WBTV) will take you to 2271 A.D. for Babylon 5: The Lost
Tales,a made-for-video movie featuring the original cast including
Bruce Boxleitner ("President John Sheridan"), Tracy Scoggins
("Captain Elizabeth Lochley") and Peter Woodward ("Galen"). Babylon
5: The Lost Tales will be released on July 31, 2007 for $24.98,
making it the first WHV made-for-video title for one of their popular
TV franchises.

Written and directed by show creator J. Michael Straczynski, this
made-for DVD movie is a spectacular vision of B5 and New York City in
the 23rd century as it uses the most innovative filmmaking
technology, which was unavailable during the original series.

On an immense space station built by the Earth Alliance, the crew of
Babylon 5 is charged with maintaining the peace among the various
alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and
negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors.
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales picks up the dramatic series in 2271A.D,
ten years after John Sheridan is appointed President of the
Interstellar Alliance.

The Lost Tales follows Sheridan as he prepares for a fateful Babylon
5 reunion that could prevent Earth's impending doom. Unfortunately,
he is also forced to compromise his own principals in doing so. At
the same time, commander Lochley confronts an unexpected interloper
on the way station - a being whose presence makes the B5 freeport the
crossroads between heaven and hell.

Babylon 5 garnered countless honors including two Emmys, two Hugo
Awards, the Ray Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction Writers of
America, the Saturn Award, five English Media 'Cult TV' Awards, the
Sci-Fi Universe Reader Choice Award for Best TV Series and was the
winner of the TV Guide Poll for Best Sci-Fi Show among others. The
show also enjoyed 9 successful years in syndication, spawned five
feature length TV movies, and now a made-for-video installment.

DVD special features include:

* Straczynski Diaries - a multi-part series of vignettes as filmed by
J. Michael Straczynski as he documents every phase of pre-production,
production and post- production for The Lost Tales. Viewers are given
a first person, inside look at the creative process of making the
Babylon5 film.

"Babylon 5: The Lost Tales has a richly imagined storyline and an
extraordinary vision of the 23rd century created by the renowned J.
Michael Straczynski. WHV is excited to release this made-for-video
title that continues the storyline of Babylon 5, one of the most
successful science fiction series of all time," said Jeff Brown, WHV,
Senior Vice President and General Manager, TV, Animation and
Family. "Although the show has been off the air for a few years, it
continues to have a fervent fan base that is eager for this new
installment."

Marketing Support
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales will be supported by extensive national
media campaign including TV and Online advertising. Marketing support
will also include significant presence at the San Diego ComicCon.
Online podcasts and a completely new redesigned website will also
deliver significant awareness.

BASICS
  Street Date: July 31, 2007
Languages: English
Audio: 5.1
Rating: NR
Price: $24.98 SRP / No MAP
DVD catalog: #1129844

About Warner Home Video
With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a
Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution
infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's
film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new
and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures,
Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and
New Line Home Entertainment. About Warner Bros. Television. Warner
Bros. Television (WBTV) is one of the entertainment industry's most
respected providers of original content, producing award-winning
drama and comedy series, made-for- television movies and miniseries
for both network and cable television. Having produced 28 series for
the 2006-2007 seasons, WBTV is the industry's number one supplier of
primetime television programming, with multiple shows on each of the
five broadcast networks, as well as numerous cable networks.

Pre-Order at Amazon
You can pre-order the DVD through Amazon.com. Click on this link to
go directly to the site. <http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-5-The-Lost-
Tales/dp/B000PHX8RA>. You can save a few dollars from the original
price by ordering now.

For more details, stay tuned to http://www.isnnews.net.

Take care,
Sandy

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