Sci-Fi Storm

We’ve had David Lynch’s flamboyant Dune. More recently, we’ve had the SCI FI Channel’s truer but duller Dune (and a sequel). Now, we might see another version. No real details, other than the Herbert family is in talks with someone at a studio, who “wants Dune reallllly bad.” Sucker for punishment, or perhaps a visionary?

TheThunderChild writes “http://thethunderchild.com/Triskelion/50sFilmReena ctment.html is the URL for our Triskelion (or contest, to you Earthlings.) If you’re an artist or filmmaker, and a fan of 1950s sci fi films, enter this contest to re-create any moment of your choice from one of those great films. From a 2-5 minute film to a series of artworks to whatever creativity you can come up with. Readers of The Thunder Child will vote on the entries, and three monetary prizes will be awarded. See the page for complete details. And let’s have some fun!”

N.E. Lilly writes “The Browncoat Ball is a annual roaming gathering of fans of the science fiction space western series “Firefly” and major motion picture “Serenity” created by Joss Whedon. This year the Browncoat Ball is being held in historic Philadelphia on the weekend of September 28th, but registration closes on September 15th and there will be no registration at the door.

The weekend will feature four different day-tours of the city, as well as the ball itself and other events. The primary objective of the Browncoat Ball is to get to know fellow Firefly/Serenity fans (otherwise known as Browncoats). Firefly/Serenity Fans will becoming to Philadelphia from across Pennsylvania, the United States, and around the World to attend this event.

More information can be found at http://www.browncoatball.com/“

Actress Susan Sarandon (Children of Dune), who plays the mother in the upcoming live action Speed Racer, gave some details of the Wachowski Brothers unique production, which was supposed to use some new filming technique. Now we know – filming will have all elements of a scene – foreground and background – in focus at all times, and have highly saturated color – similar to a cartoon. I’m very interested in seeing how this comes out.

Twentieth Century Fox has found a star for its remake of the classic The Day The Earth Stood Still in Keanu Reeves. Keanu will play Klaatu, a humanoid who arrives on Earth with a giant robot, warning humans that they will face destruction if they don’t change. Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) will direct.

The third season of Stargate: Atlantis will be released on DVD on September 18th, right before the Season 4 premiere on the SCI FI Channel. Read More for the an abbreviated press release. Don’t have the original Stargate SG-1 series on DVD yet? You can now get all 10 seasons on DVD.

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TheThunderChild writes “A few weeks ago The Thunder Child reviewed Rosenthal’s latest sf/fantasy novel The Heart of Mars, and now we’ve interviewed about his writing of that book, as well as its predecessor My Mistress, Humanity. The interview is augmented by video clips of interviews by a couple of filmmakers doing a documentary on Rosenthal, and, as a teacher of creative writing, he also gives tips on storytelling. http://thethunderchild.com is the URL for our home page, where you’ll find a link to that interview, as well as new reviews of Jim Butcher’s Storm Front (The Dresden Files) audio cds, book reviews of Faeries of Dreamdark: Darkbringer, Warrior and Witch, and Earrings of Ixtumea and movie reviews of Stardust, The Last Mimzy and Gamebox 1.0.”

The first season of NBC’s hit series Heroes comes out on DVD next Tuesday. Read More for a review of the DVD package, and in the meantime take the Heroes Challenge!

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We haven’t heard anything for 3 and a half years (I really need to start a page to track these things), but Morgan Freeman says it is still on track – and David Fincher (Fight Club) still attached to direct. The problem, Freeman says, is “It?s a very intellectual science fiction film, a very difficult book to translate cinematically.? Although I thought that Freeman’s adaptation may have been aimed more at Rama II (or possibly a hybrid story) to shoot for a possible franchise-making story, he mentions specifically that he’d be the captain of the Endeavor, which was the ship specifically in the original book. Doesn’t mean they won’t hybridize the story later, but for those that haven’t read all the books the three later books (written with Gentry Lee) form a more cohesive trilogy, where the first book (written by Clarke alone) really is a standalone story.

Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and screenwriter Josh Olson (Masters of Science Fiction “The Discarded”) have had an idea to revisit the land of Oz – now Warner Brothers is making it possible. WB has purchased the rights to all 15 of the Oz books (14 by L. Frank Baum, and 1 by another author), stocking up for a possible franchise. McFarlane and Olsen have slightly different ideas on the tone of the movie – McFarlane wants a darker, PG-13 film, whereas Olsen is thinking PG.