Sci-Fi Storm

The networks have announced some more SF show pickups – SCI FI Wire has a good summary. Some I’ve mentioned previously (Bionic Woman, Sarah Connor Chronicles and the two CBS shows mentioned Monday), some I swear I’ve posted on before but can’t find (Life on Mars, Journeyman), and the rest are news to me…speaking of Sarah Connor, what happened to the Red Mars miniseries for the SCI FI Channel that Terminator producer Gale Anne Hurd was supposed to produce? That news came out back in 2003. Must be right next to the Ringworld project and half the other projects we’ve mentioned in 2004.

Scott writes “At AbeBooks we just opened two new rooms for science fiction and fantasy readers. There?s interviews with authors and experts, book picks, feature articles, a forum, event lists and a preview on Orwell’s new book 1985: Things are looking up. Take a look and tell us what you think.

http://www.abebooks.com/docs/ScienceFiction/

Or on our blog…

http://abebooks.wordpress.com/2007/01/30/check-out -our-new-science-fiction-and-fantasy-rooms/“

CBS has picked up two SF pilots: Babylon Fields, an hour-long zombie “comedy-drama” (isn’t that called a “dramedy” now?) from 20th Century Fox with Michael Cuesta (Dexter) producing, and Twilight, a drama about a “vampire/private eye who’s dealing with the fallout from being immortal, his foes in the vampire world and a budding love for a mortal,” coming from Joel Silver and Warner Brothers TV.

Leonard Nimoy will host a new special to air on The History Channel on Feb. 19th called “Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier”, looking at 40 years of the franchise. Interviews with all the captains, except William Shatner, are expected. No idea if Shatner will appear at all.

TheThunderChild writes “http://thethunderchild.com/Art/Sprayman.html is the URL for an interview with “Sprayman” – Mr. Janez Jevnikar.

I belong to a mailing list of fantasy and science fiction artists – artists who create everything from spacescapes to astronauts and alien creatures. I assumed they all did their work in water-colors or oils, etc. Little did I realize that there’s a technique out there called Aerosolgrafia (well, to give it its Slovenian name!) where artists create glorious spacescapes, in less than 20 minutes, using quick drying spray paint. I interviewed a Slovenian artist whose work sells throughout the world. He’s a ‘performance artist’ – an audience watches him while he works. These performances are available to view on the web and are fascinating to watch.”

contact@audioflik.com writes: “AudioFlik.com has launched! Along with the site, you can find the first production now available, ARCTIC INVASION. Check out the home-page for a 30 second sound bite, or here for the free first full chapter: ** www.audioflik.com/arcticinvasion_free.html. ** AudioFlik produces original entertainment that can best be described as an audio adventure. Combine an audiobook, radio drama, and film soundtrack, and you’re beginning to get the idea. Best of all, we’ve ditch special audio players and unique applications for the most ubiquitous digital delivery service on the planet, Email! AudioFlik was created to provide the growing community of over 300 million MP3 players with real, story-based entertainment set to arrive each and every week directly to your digital doorstep. Simple, easy, and entertaining. AudioFlik – It’s yours to explore!”

This week Christopher Eccleston joined as one of the Heroes. Now, Eric Roberts, who played The Master in the 1996 Doctor Who movie, joins the cast on the other side – as an associate of Claire’s father (commonly known as “Horn-Rimmed Glasses”).

Monday marks the return of Heroes. It also marks the return of Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who) to U.S. TV, as he makes his first of several appearances on Heroes as an invisible man named Claude (after the star of The Invisible Man, Claude Rains) who becomes a mentor to Peter.

Remember the John Carter of Mars project being developed by Jon Favreau for Paramount? Well, after the studio shelved it and put Favreau on Iron Man instead, they let the option expire and Disney has now optioned it instead, hoping to turn out a new family-friendly franchise. Speaking of Favreau and the Ferrous One, Gwyneth Paltrow will join Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man as Virginia “Pepper” Pots, Tony Stark’s personal assistant. This one is getting some star power, and is due in May 2008.

Be among the first to view the trailer right here for the upcoming SF movie Sunshine, due to be released this Spring. Click on Read More to see the trailer. Sunshine is directed by Danny Boyle and produced by Andrew MacDonald (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) and written by Alex Garland (28 Days Later) and features Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Chris Evans, Troy Garity, Cillian Murphy, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, and Michelle Yeoh. “Fifty years from now, the sun is dying, and mankind is dying with it. Our last hope: a spaceship and a crew of eight men and women. They carry a device which will breathe new life into the star. But deep into their voyage, out of radio contact with Earth, their mission is starting to unravel. There is an accident, a fatal mistake, and a distress beacon from a spaceship that disappeared seven years earlier. Soon the crew is fighting not only for their lives, but their sanity.”

(continue reading…)