Sci-Fi Storm

Here is a neat article from Moviefone that shows some screen tests for some famous roles – some of which got the part (Henry Thomas had the role of E.T. before it was over), a couple who didn’t (I’ve mentioned before that Han Solo could have been played by Kurt Russell instead of Harrison Ford).

Here is a quick sneak peek (as long as they keep the video up) at next week’s season finale of Warehouse 13, “Reset”, airing September 21st at 9pm ET on Syfy: After the events at Warehouse 2, a new and bigger threat emerges.

Update: …and the video is no longer available since the episode has aired.

The upcoming DVD release of [sfs=1060]Caprica Season 1.0[/sfs] will have a bunch of special features – including a special never-before-seen sneak peek at the upcoming Season 1.5.
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SyFy unveiled a list of upcoming guest stars on Stargate Universe (which starts again on Sept. 28th), and one character that fans have been clamoring for – Dr. Rodney McKay – will finally make an appearance, with David Hewlitt reprising his Stargate Atlantis role. Also announced are Victor Garber (Alias), as an alien ambassador; Robert Picardo reprises his role as Richard Woolsey, who last was head of the Atlantis expedition; Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13) as Senator Michaels, who replaces the deceased Senator Armstrong as the head of the off-world spending committee; French Stewart (3rd Rock From The Sun) as Dr. Andrew Covel, head of research at the SGC (and the original Lt. Ferretti in the Stargate movie); and Robert Knepper (Heroes) and Julie McNiven (Supernatural) in multiple episodes as Lucian Alliance members.

Blastr has a good list of series, minis and movies that are likely to appear in the midseason – 68 in all. Some things I wasn’t aware of – Warehouse 13 hasn’t been renewed yet, although it is likely; miniseries remakes of Coma and Ben-Hur and a series adaptation of Teen Wolf. Update 9/17: Warehouse 13 finally received a renewal confirmation…

For the video effects fans out there, Encore will be presenting a new documentary about Industrial Light and Magic, the visual effects company founded by George Lucas. “Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible” is directed by Leslie Iwerks (The Pixar Story and The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story, about her grandfather and Disney legend) and narrated by Tom Cruise, and will air November 14th, at 8pm ET. See the full press release below.
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Can’t wait for the return of Caprica, even though it has been moved up several months? Well, here are a few videos that might tide you over. Then again, it might make you more desperate… 🙂
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Another movie released last Tuesday as part of Warner Bros. big Blu-ray release was [asin=B003M8NGQM]A Scanner Darkly[/asin], based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Philip K. Dick. A relatively low-budget film, it is animated in an unusual computerized rotoscope method done over live action filming, so the characters resemble their real-life actors.
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In what may be the most ambitious Hollywood plans ever, Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment are planning to make Stephen King’s massive The Dark Tower saga into a series of three movies – and a TV series as well. Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of the series, with Akiva Goldsman writing and Brian Grazer producing.

Why are they trying to tap both formats at the same time? Howard told Deadline, “With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television.”

Heads up – SyFy has shifted the return of Caprica up several months, and the second half of Season 1 now returns on October 5th. I have also updated the Event Calendar to include several season debuts, in case you were wondering when each will start up again. I suppose this means the “second half of Season 1” makes more sense when it isn’t shown a full year later than the first half…
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