Sci-Fi Storm

With Blade Runner: The Final Cut due out on December 18th, Warner Home Video has opened the official site, where there is a contest to win a $1,000 home theater package – just given them something inspired by Blade Runner: a video, music, a fashion design, a piece of art – or even a poem. Read More for the full press release.

(continue reading…)

Paul McGillion has apparently lost out on a chance to become part of another franchise. Instead, casting for the upcoming Trek movie has gone with Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) in the role of Scotty and John Cho (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) as Sulu. Given all the roles they filled, who else could they cast? Nurse Chapel? Yeoman Rand? How about the usually-speechless Lieutenant Leslie? After all, he appeared in more episodes than either Sulu or Chekov.

TheThunderChild writes “Michael Sinclair, known as the Commodore because of the railroad gear he usually wore, was very active in fandom in the 1970s and 80s (attending conventions in cities such as Chattanooga, Bowling Green,and so on) and is sharing his recollections with The Thunder Child. In addition to his anecdotes about RiverCon, Chattacon, and so on, we’ve got pages featuring his collection of badges and program booklets. You can check out his stories at:
http://thethunderchild.com/Conventions/CommodoresR amblings/
Also at The Thunder Child, a couple of pages in our When Worlds Collide (1951) sourcebook, featuring a biography of star Richard Derr and some behind the scenes photos. Check that out at:
http://thethunderchild.com/Movies/1951/WhenWorldsCollide/“

N.E. Lilly writes “SpaceWesterns.com is officially opening to poetry submissions. To celebrate we’re holding a Space Western Limerick Contest! And to top it off it will be judged by three celebrity judges: Gary Trainer (song-writer), Keith R.A. DeCandido (author), and Jane Espenson (screen-writer).

Jane Espenson is a former writer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has written episodes for shows including: Angel, Firefly, Gilmore Girls, Ellen, The O.C., Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Dinosaurs, Andy Barker PI and others. She is currently under a development deal with NBC/Universal television while working as Co-Executive Producer on Battlestar Galactica.

Keith R.A. DeCandido has written several billion novels, short stories, eBooks, essays, and comic books in a huge variety of media universes, as well as editing anthologies, playing percussion, and generally making trouble.

Gary Trainer is currently a songwriter, producer, and bass player for The Atomic Swindlers . Trainer began as a main songwriter and founding member of New Math and Jet Black Berries. In 1987 Gary Trainer attended the summer creative writing program at Naropa University’s, Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics . There he studied with Allen Ginsburg and William Burroughs, whose beat writing styles continue to influence his writing and art to this day.

All limericks must be submitted by November 10th for judging. The winners will be announced November 25th on SpaceWesterns.com.

Visit http://www.spacewesterns.com/contest/ for more information.”

TrekMovie.com has an interview with Roberto Orci, who is working on the script for the upcoming eleventh movie installment of Star Trek. He gives details on the characters, some casting, and more. It looks like it focuses on the Big Three of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy (with Spock being a focal point of the story), but Chekov and Uhura have been cast as well, with Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) and Zoe Saldana (Premium) respectively. It does seem that they are squeezing a few too many of the original characters in…and I head rumors of former Stargate Atlantis regular Paul McGillion may be up for the role of Scotty. Unlike the late James Doohan, he was actually born in Scotland, although he moved to Canada when he was 2, so he also puts on the accent when needed. Update 10/10: The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Chris Pine (Smokin’ Aces) is in talks to take the role of Kirk, and Eric Bana (The Hulk) has already signed as the villain, Nero.

SCI FI Wire is reporting that Disney’s Pixar unit will produce the John Carter of Mars series. They cite ERBzine.com, a site devoted to Edgar Rice Burroughs, but I didn’t see a definitive announcement. I did find a reference to the production being a mix of live action and CGI. What is definite is that Disney did option the franchise.

Comments from Jane Trantor, Controller of Fiction at the BBC, has apparently fueled rumors that a feature film of Doctor Who may be in the works. Rumors apparently started because of the “gap year” between airing the fourth and fifth series, with the fifth not airing until 2010. The article also mentions speculation (which I heard months ago direct from England, bad me for not posting it) that Jasmes Nesbitt (Jekyll) might be gearing up to replace David Tennant as the Doctor, although it isn’t certain that Tennant is planning to leave the role. And there is even speculation that Billie Piper might be involved as well.

TheThunderChild writes “The new contest at The Thunder Child has cash prizes ($25, $15, $5) and NO entry fee, so that should make our readers happy! All you have to do is write a 100-word Drabble. No more, no less than 100 words. Evoking a scene or an entire science fiction or fantasy movie. Entries will be put online immediately, our readers will vote for their favorite drabbles and the votes will be tallied on the page and viewable immediately! For more details see: http://thethunderchild.com/Triskelion/SciFiDrabbles.html“

IESB.net is running an article about computers and other sensitive material about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull having been stolen from Steven Spielberg’s office at Universal Studios, possibly including the script. Apparently someone then began contacting various news outlets, including TMZ.com, offering the materials for sale. TMZ apparently even obtained some of the material and was promoting a story on it, until Paramount’s Army of Lawyers stepped in. Apparently a sting was set up and a suspect was apprehended.

In case you think you’ve seen that article title before, you did. But apparently The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising didn’t sit right with someone, so now it is being billed as just The Seeker. And apparently there are a lot of changes from the book as well. Christopher Eccleston has mentioned the “americanization” of the story, with the protagonist an American thirteen year old living in Northern England, instead of an 11 year old British boy. And the old man named Walker is 25 years old (played by Jonathan Jackson, Tuck Everlasting) and had his own storyline.