Sci-Fi Storm

Apparently Robert Duncan MacNeil (Lt. Paris on Star Trek: Voyager) spilled some of the beans to Cinescape, and revealed that no one will die in the final episode, at least not any of the regular crew. Surprise.

According to Variety, A&E will produce a new television version of Ursula K. LeGuin’s novel, The Lathe of Heaven. Scheduled to start in it are James Caan (the original Rollerball), Lukas Haas (Mars Attacks) and Lisa Bonet (The Cosby Show). It is scheduled for a mid-2002 release. It was originally a low-budget PBS movie in 1980.

The Test Pattern magazine at Coming Attractions is reporting from various sources that Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace might be a DVD as soon as the Fall. It is rumored to contain two DVDs with three versions of the film, 30 minutes of deleted material, all the usual bells and whistles, and a look at Episode II Production. Mind you, it’s all a rumor…

Update 3/19: The rumors continue…Ain’t It Cool News is reporting the release date will be October 16th, 2001, along with DVDs of the first 3 movies appearing in the 4th quarter of 2002 (Star Wars), 2003 (The Empire Strikes Back), and 2004 (Return of the Jedi).

Updated 3/23: Aldera.net is reporting that someone may have gotten fired for leaking the memo about the DVD, which lends authenticity to the rumor (if this rumor is true…)

OK, I’m hitting random stuff on IMDb, and managed to stumble across a number of things from my childhood. Anyone remember these?

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rinkjustice writes “Electronic Arts has an innovative new multiplayer game called Majestic, which utilizes your browser, fax, instant messenger and even cell phone. Players apparantly weave their way through the internet, scouring for clues on real and bogus websites while computer-controlled characters message death threats! This seems to be pushing the boundaries most traditional games have obediently adhered to. Is this a foreshadowing of what gaming will be like in the future? What other pc games (proprietary or open source) utilize many different mediums and have a truly original concept?” Only mildly Sci-Fi-ish if at all, but I want to encourage submissions…

Caught this one on The Official Red Dwarf Website: Hattie Hayridge (female Holly) and Craig Charles (Lister) from Red Dwarf will appear in an episode of Lexx next season (they call it the 4th series, including the original series of movies). The article is a bit confusing, but as near as I can tell, in the episode “P3X” Craig is a prison warden, and Hattie is his Texan wife and sub-warden.

Update: I have found evidence in a few locations that Lexx has been picked up for a full 24-episode run, and will air on the Sci-Fi Channel. Oddly, Series 3 lasted only 13 episodes. No idea of the plotline for Series 4, but given the end of Series 3, it should prove interesting…

CNN.com is reporting, according to Variety, that the Sci-Fi Channel will be getting the 4-hour Firestarter: The Next Chapter from Stephen King, following the main character from Firestarter 20 years later; Saint Sinner from Clive Barker, a TV movie about a 19th-century monk in modern-day Los Angeles hunting down two “buxom” female demons; and Taken, a 20-hour miniseries from Stephen Spielberg about three extended families over the course of 50 years after an alien abduction.

At the same time, it seems the Monday Prime lineup will move to Saturdays, with The Invisible Man moving back to Friday Prime to join Farscape and The Outer Limits, while Black Scorpion and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne will try to find much-needed ratings on Saturday.

This just in from Sci-Fi Wire – JMS is working on Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, a new TV movie to air later this year on the Sci-Fi Channel. According to the report, “The film will take up the story of the legendary Ranger fleet as it attempts to restore order to hundreds of civilizations devastated by the Shadow War.” It will also serve as a pilot for a new series.

Update: According to JMS, the above title is the heading for the movie and series. The title for the movie specifically is To Live and Die in Starlight. Read More for JMS’s announcement.

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JMS announced in rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated that the Sci-Fi Channel will air all the Crusade episodes in a new order, as determined by JMS. Basically, the episodes shot first will be shown first. Read More for more details.

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The Sci-Fi Channel’s mini-series version of Frank Herbert’s Dune is now available on DVD ([asin=B000059H6K]Order from Amazon.com for $17.49[/asin]). Anamorphic widescreen, all the typical goodies – but only Dolby 2.0 audio. Catch a review at ignDVD.