Sci-Fi Storm

OK, this is a bit scary. Think Aragorn and Arwen doing a love duet, Frodo and Sam a deep dirge, and Gimli a drinking song. It could happen in London. Kevin Wallace, former collaborator with Andrew Lloyd Webber, is among the producers of what could be the most expensive musical ever produced, and itself rival the movies at three and a half hours long. Perhaps we’ll see Tom Bombadil this time around…

Nick Pollotta writes “GIANT CALAMARI (squid) RECIPES
by Nick Pollotta
(permission to reprint is hereby granted)

Step One: First, kill the colossal, rampaging, squid. This is accomplished by (read the Fantasy/Humor novel, “That Darn Squid God!” by Nick Pollotta and James Clay.)
“ And what follows is a humorous recipe in case you ever find youself stuck with a few tons of rather large squid carcass…

(continue reading…)

Although sometime options amount to hot air, Red Eagle Entertainment has bought the rights to Robert Jordan’s entire The Wheel of Time fantasy series for feature films. After Lord of the Rings, I see a lot of studios trying to take advantage of the fantasy theme, but I fear too many will do a poor job and burn out the genre…

Actor Paul Winfield, who made numerous appearances and roles in genre movies and series such as Star Trek and Babylon 5, won an Emmy for his guest appearance on Picket Fences, and was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Sounder, died Sunday of a heart attack.

tchansen writes “According to the BBC News website, the DVD release of the theatrical version of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King will be at the end of May, not in August. The extended edition, which will make the extended trilogy over eleven hours long, will still be released towards the end of the year.” Cool…I may by the theatrical edition to tide me over, but since this is from the BBC, this may apply only to Region 2….whups…just caught on the SCI FI Wire sidebar that Variety is saying the same thing, so rejoice, for the King has returned!

Lending more credence to what we’ve discussed earlier, Peter Jackson discussed planning to film The Hobbit, but New Line and MGM must duke it out with lawyers over their split rights – somehow New Line has production rights and MGM has distribution rights – and I’m sure neither is willing to give up much of that lucrative pie. Having read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales and working on other books, I’m wondering if an enterprising screenwriter could develop stories based in Middle-Earth with the humongous backstory Tolkien developed. Middle-Earth is literally a complete mythology – I wish he could have fleshed out more epic stories…(and yes, I stole the topic image from Slashdot)

Busy-body Bryan Singer (X-Men) will direct the remake of William F. Nolan’s Logan’s Run, originally rendered onto film in 1976 starring Michael York. Singer will also share screenplay duties with Ethan Gross (Klepto) and Paul Todisco (Revolver), and Joel Silver (The Matrix) is producing. This version will go back to the original “death day” as the 21st birthday, whereas the 1976 version used 30 years.

MGM has made available some excerpts of the Stargate SG-1: Season 6 Box Set special features over at iFilm. The DVD set came out Tuesday…what are you waiting for? 🙂

The cast for Stargate SG-1‘s spin-off series, Stargate: Atlantis, has finally been announced. Heading up the cast is Joe Flanigan (guest appearances on The Profiler and Tru Calling) will play Maj. John Sheppard, with Torri Higginson (Beth Kittridge in the TekWar movies and series) as Dr. Elizabeth Weir as the mission leader. Also announced are David Hewlett, reprising his role as the annoying astrophysicist and Carter adversary Dr. Rodney McKay, Rainbow Sun Francks (host of Electric Circus) as Lt. Aiden Ford, and Rachel Luttrell (Lisette in Anne Rice’s Feast of All Saints) is Teyla, a young leader of a primitive civilization. Also, Robert Patrick of Terminator 2 and X-Files fame will guest as Col. Marshall Sumner in the two-hour premiere in July.

The SCI FI Channel’s new CGI-animated series Tripping the Rift premieres tonight at 10:30pm EST, so fire up your TiVos. And (I hate to give press to something like this, but I’m being complete 🙂 Mad, Mad House premieres at 9pm, and Scare Tactics returns at 10pm. All part of “Sci Fi Thursday”.