Sci-Fi Storm

Galactica is coming back to the big screen – but the question is which Galactica? Universal has confirmed the treatment and that Brian Singer will produce and direct, with original show producer Glen Larson also producing. But it won’t have anything to do with the recent series, but be another re-imagining of the original concept created by Larson.

The 16-minute extended trailer for James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar will be released on August 21st – and you might get a chance to see it in IMAX for free. Starting this Monday, free tickets will be distributed for select IMAX theaters via the official movie site. The showings will generally take place before and after separate-admission screenings of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Avatar opens on December 18th.

Executive Producer/Writer Robert C. Cooper spoke with Sci-Fi Wire about the Stargate franchise, and mentioned that scripts have been completed for a third Stargate SG-1 feature along with one for Stargate Atlantis, but production is on hold pending the economy. “We want to be successful with it,” he said. “The studio wants to be successful, and we really don’t want to proceed with something in the wrong climate, which I think financially it is right now.” Fortunately, they have no tie in to Stargate Universe, which debuts October 2nd.

Actor Ernie Hudson, perhaps best know for his role of Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters movies, will join the cast of Heroes this coming season as Baltimore detective Lubbock.

It’s been been planned before and then killed much to the chagrin of the Master Chief fans, but Halo could finally take off under the leadership of Steven Spielberg this time. Spielberg is apparently impressed with the Stuart Beattie (G.I. Joe – The Rise Of Cobra) penned script, called “HALO THE FALL OF REACH”.

This year’s Hugo Awards were handed out at Anticipation in Montreal, the 67th World Science Fiction Convention. Read More for a complete list.

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Ridley Scott is lined up to produce and direct and Farhad Safinia (Apocalypto) to write a big screen adaptation of Aldus Huxley’s famous dystopian novel Brave New World. Leonardo DiCaprio is involved as well, although it is uncertain if he is just collaborating with Scott as a producer or may actually star in the film.

Section 8, about a team of ordinary citizens who possess hyperdeveloped neurological abilities and had been shopped around for a while until landing at ABC when the writer’s strike killed pre-production and then ABC got skittish, now has a green light from Syfy with the new name Alphas. The reworked show comes from Zak Penn (X2, X-Men – The Last Stand, Fantastic Four) and Michael Karnow (various TV episodes), and produced by BermanBraun Television.

Could Supes live beyond the ninth and reportedly last season of Smallville? The president of entertainment of The CW, Dawn Ostroff, thinks it is a possibility. The record for CW/WB/UPN programming is 11 years with 7th Heaven – perhaps only Superman can leap that tall building…