Sci-Fi Storm

A new seven minute trailer for X-Men: The Last Stand will go live tonight at midnight EDT (04:00 GMT) over at Dell. Also there is a chance to win a special “XPS X-Men: The Last Stand Collector?s Edition computer system” worth about $10k, for the hardcore extreme gamer. Sweepstakes entries can be made thourggh June 18th.

Want more Stargate? Brad Wright is confident there will be plenty more, considering it is MGM’s second biggest brand, behind James Bond. Wright says that a third series, an MMORPG, and a movie are all in the works, but no details as to how far…

Thinking they can do better than previous attempts at bringing a sword-and-sorcery game to the big screen, Legendary Pictures (part of Warner Brothers) obtained the rights to the massively-multiplayer adventure game World of Warcraft, and will produce it in conjuction with Blizzard Entertainment. So, how long before Sony announces a fast-tracked Everquest movie to beat them to the punch?

The 2005 Nebula Awards have been given in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday. The winners: Camouflage (hardcover / paperback) by Joe Haldeman for Best Novel; “Magic for Beginners” hardcover / paperback) by Kelly Link for Best Novella; “The Faery Handbag” by Kelly Link for Best Novelette; “I Live With You” by Carol Emshwiller for Best Short Story; and Serenity by Joss Whedon for Best Script. Also given were the Andre Norton Award to Holly Black for Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie (hardcover / paperback); Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award to Harlan Ellison; and William F. Nolan (Logan’s Run) was named Author Emeritus.

Although things were moving forward, director Jon Favreau’s John Carter of Mars project has been put on the back burner by the studio. Paramount is already putting out Favreau’s Iron Man adaptation, and is also pushing ahead with the J.J. Abrahms-led Star Trek XI, along with some other SF related properties, “and they don’t think the timing is right,” according for Favreau. “And, hopefully, by continuing my relationship with them, by doing this Iron Man film, I’ll leave the door wide open for Carter, which is a much more challenging property.”

We haven’t heard much since November, but today Sky One gave more information on the remake of the cult classic The Prisoner. Not much to go on really, but it is to be six parts, written by Bill Gallagher (British TV series Conviction and Clocking Off) and could star former Doctor Christopher Eccleston.

Despite previous words from George Lucas, the original, untweaked versions of the first three Star Wars films will now be released on DVD. They probably won’t go through the whole THX process so they won’t look as good, and they will include a second disk with the updated version as well. They are slated to go on sale September 12th, and I’ve heard conflicting info – the CNN article says they will only be sold through Dec. 31st, but I’ve heard that it is only for the individual movies, and a box set will stay on sale. Maybe I can finally get rid of my tempermental laserdisc player – I had both versions on it.

Are they not listening? This time New Line is planning to repackage the classic Jules Verne story 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, based on a pitch from Craig Titley (Scooby-Doo, Cheaper by the Dozen) and produced under the Buckaroo banner of Sam Raimi (the Spider-Man movies) and Josh Donnen (The Quick and the Dead). It already has the classic 1954 version staring James Mason, Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre, and had two competing TV versions in 1997.

Does this mean science fiction really is impinging on the mainstream audience? The SCI FI Channel announced that the Today Show anchor Matt Lauer will co-host (fellow NBC News member Natalie Morales) two Declassified specials which will attempt to separate fact from fiction regarding two well known SF themes – a catastrophe causing mass extinction, and the lost city of Atlantis. They are apparently produced in partnership with NBC News Productions, hence the heavyweight names. It wasn’t long ago that some news organizations were frowning on their talent being involved in reality programming (i.e. ABC, Anderson Cooper and The Mole – which I liked, actually), but perhaps if there is a fictional element…[Updated: Flogging myself for getting Anderson Cooper’s name wrong]