Sci-Fi Storm

Peter Jackson posted on Facebook:

I am sad to report that Rob Kazinsky, who was cast in the role of Fili, is having to leave The Hobbit and return home, for personal reasons.  Rob has been terrific to work with and his enthusiasm and infectious sense of humour will be missed by all of us. I should say that Rob’s departure will not affect ongoing filming of The Hobbit, nor will it impact work done to date, as we had yet to film much of Fili’s storyline. At the moment we are shooting scenes featuring Bilbo without the Dwarves, which will give us time to find a new Fili. I’ll keep everyone posted with updates as they come.

Cheers,

Peter J

So although it is a shame to lose Kazinsky, it sounds like it really won’t affect the production schedule.

Another reminder that Sanctuary has moved to Mondays starting April 25th at 10pm ET, with the next episode, “One Night”:

In the next sneak peek clip of an all-new episode of Sanctuary, Will is on a date and strolling through an alley until he and his lady are stopped and surrounded at gunpoint. They assume all their perpetrators want is money. They take their wallets and then cover their heads with burlap sacks and throw them into their vehicle. When they finally arrive at their destination, Will claims they have the wrong people and they don’t want to kidnap them. Talking doesn’t seem to do the trick as he is given an ultimatum. Either he uses his medical skills to save a life, or both he and his date will die. Watch the clip and tune in to an all-new episode on an all-new night, Monday at 10/9c on Syfy.

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Just a programming reminder: Sanctuary will move after tonight’s broadcast to Mondays, beginning next Monday (April 25th), at 10PM.

Someone just told me about this – remember that awesome Volkswagen advertisement during the Super Bowl called “The Force”? It has been spoofed before…but this one is an actual advertisement for the upcoming Thor movie…

In the next sneak peek clip of the all-new episode of Stargate Universe, part of the team is sent to the planet in what looks like a snow storm, only to find out that it’s falling ash. The city center is completely abandoned, but they are now looking for an underground fall-out shelter where others may be huddled together. The problem is that the doors are sealed and pretty thick. After debate about the danger of firing at the doors from the Destiny, Eli says it’s worth a shot. In anticipation of the uncertainty the shot will actually hit and provide an entry way, the Destiny fires and allows the team a passage to the shelter. Watch the clip and tune in on Monday at 9/8c on Syfy to find out what the team finds.

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I received notification from Universal Studios Home Entertainment that the release of [sfs=1125]Eureka Season 4.0[/sfs] has apparently been pushed back to July 5th (Amazon still says June 21st). Also on that date, [sfs=1128]Season One[/sfs] and [sfs=1129]Season Two[/sfs] will be re-released in new slim packaging.

In addition, three more classic Doctor Who serials are being released:

• [sfs=1130]”The Gunfighters”[/sfs] Episode 25 – Season 3 – William Hartnell (July 12th)
• [sfs=1131]”The Awakening”[/sfs] Episode 132 – Season 21 – Peter Davison (July 12th)
• [sfs=1132]”Paradise Towers”[/sfs] Episode 148 – Season 24 – Sylvester McCoy (August 9th)

Check out the Doctor Who section of our Sci-Fi TV Store for all the classic episodes available.

The shocking news took over Twitter but it appears to have been confirmed now by the BBC: Actress Elisabeth Sladen, who was best known for the role of Sarah Jane Smith on Doctor Who opposite two Doctors and not one but two spin-offs, has passed away today at the age of 63. The cause has not been confirmed yet, but reports suggest that she had been battling cancer. Our thoughts are with her husband Brian and daughter Sadie.

It remains to be seen what the BBC does about Sarah Jane Adventures, which I believe was already in production on a 5th series.

Russell T Davies added (via BBC reporter Lizo Mzimba): “I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful…The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith; the world was lucky to have Lis.”

Sarah Jane occupied most of my memories of Doctor Who when I was a kid. I first discovered the show early in Tom Baker’s run but I also saw a number of the Jon Pertwee episodes as well. She will be sorely missed.

The BBC has now released a full statement, with some nice words from those who worked with her.

I may continue updating this article as more information or more thoughts arrive.

The new series Urban Legends debuts tonight on Syfy, right after Stargate Universe (see a sneak peek). To give you an idea about the new series, here is a sneak peek…

In the Syfy series, underscoring the art of storytelling, Urban Legends asks its viewers to decipher fact from fiction. Three tall tales are dramatically recreated and the audience must decide which is real from these stories of astronomical proportion. In the sneak peek clip of the Season Premiere of Urban Legends, a man is held at gunpoint on his own living room floor by men that look to be on the SWAT team based on their gear and clothes. The man being held against his will can’t figure out the reasoning for the invasion in his own home, and soon realizes his two dogs have been killed and his mother-in-law has been thrown to the ground. He sees police standing outside of his house and realizes this is no ordinary invasion while trying to reason with the masked men in telling them he hasn’t done anything wrong and that he’s the mayor. The masked men think he must be crazy for claiming such a thing, and it all leads to an unmarked box. What’s inside? You will have to watch the clip and tune in on Monday at 10/9c on Syfy to find out!

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Actor John de Lancie, best known for is role as the antagonistic alien Q in the Star Trek franchise, has signed on to a guest role in the upcoming Torchwood: Miracle Day, according to a tweet from writer Jane Espenson:

I just this minute got permission to tell about the Torchwood guest star I was tweeting about. Two great Sci Fi fandoms collide…

He’s de licious. He’s de lightful. He’s de lovely…

Yes. Our friend Q from Star Trek: TNG, John De Lancie, is part of the #Torchwood family!

Breaking news from Vancouver: Information is coming from a variety of source via Twitter, but it is official – there will be no Stargate Universe movie, and even the written SG-1 and Atlantis movies (as they are now) won’t happen, according to Brad Wright (and confirmed by SGU actor Brian J. Smith), who is moving on to other projects. The franchise is still in MGM’s hands, and there seems to be plenty of hope that the franchise will live on…

A good summary of what is known so far can be found at the Stargate Solutions Blog.