Sci-Fi Storm

Ascension, Syfy’s upcoming event series, will air on three consecutive nights in December, starting on Monday, December 15th, at 9/8c.

Created and written by executive producer and showrunner Philip Levens (Smallville), Ascension is an ambitious original drama following a covert U.S. space mission launched in the 1960’s that sent hundreds of men, women and children on a century-long voyage aboard the starship Ascension to populate a new world. Half way into their journey, as they approach the point of no return, the mysterious murder of a young woman causes the ship’s population to question the true nature of their mission.

The series stars Brandon P. Bell (Hollywood Heights) as the confident and capable First Officer Aaron Gault, Brian Van Holt (Cougar Town, The Bridge) as the eponymous ship’s Captain William Denninger, and Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Viondra Denninger, the captain’s beautiful, manipulative and dangerous wife (who also serves as the ship’s Chief Steward).

Joining Bell, Van Holt and Helfer are Tiffany Lonsdale as Chief Astronomer Emily Vanderhaus, Andrea Roth as the ship’s head doctor Juliet Bryce, Jacqueline Byers as her daughter, Nora Bryce, and P.J. Boudousqué as Nora’s love interest, James Toback.

Ascension is produced by Lionsgate Television and Sea to Sky Studios in association with Blumhouse Productions. Jason Blum (Stranded, The River, film franchises Paranormal Activity and The Purge) is an executive producer on the project along with Ivan Fecan, Tim Gamble and Brett Burlock on behalf of Sea to Sky Studios. The event series will be co-financed and distributed by Universal Cable Productions and Lionsgate Television.

Syfy announced today it is partnering with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Films and CBS Television Studios to develop Incorporated, a futuristic espionage thriller set in a world where corporations have seemingly unlimited power. This will be the story of one man’s efforts to beat the system.

David and Alex Pastor (Selfless, The Last Days) will write the pilot. Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife) will serve as executive producer/showrunner, with Damon, Affleck and Jennifer Todd also executive producing. Pearl Street Film’s Margaret Chernin will serve as associate producer.
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Excited for tonight? Get a taste with the first four minutes of tonight’s premiere episode right here! The Walking Dead returns to AMC tonight at 9/8c!
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If at first you don’t succeed…producer Kevin Burns has been trying to reboot the various worlds of Irwin Allen for some time through his Synthesis Entertainment company. Two previous attempts to bring back Lost In Space were made, the first in the early 2000’s with the original cast but was shelved with the death of Jonathan Harris, and the second a 2004 backdoor pilot for a reboot that never aired. In addition, a pilot was shot for a new version of The Time Tunnel in 2006 but was not picked up.

Now it seems that Legendary TV really, really wants to get the Jupiter 2 off the ground – literally. They have teamed up with Kevin Burns to put the show back in development, and have set Dracula Untold scribes Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless to write the pilot. Burns and Legendary TV EVP Peter Johnson will join Sazama and Sharpless as executive producers.

In the first-part of tomorrow night’s episode new episode of Haven, Vince and Dave head to North Carolina to investigate Dave’s past, but a body-switching trouble hits Haven. Check out the sneak peek below, and don’t forget that it airs at 7:00pm ET! And also check out Part 2 of Haven: Origins!
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Star Wars Rebels did gangbusters in its debut on Disney Channel, with the special movie, “Spark of Rebellion” taking in 6.5 million viewers…but that’s not enough, apparently, as the broadcast arm of Disney, ABC, will re-air the special on Sunday, October 26th at 7pm ET (hmm…the traditional time slot of The Wonderful World of Disney?)

But to make it a bit suped-up, ABC is getting a bonus: an added scene not only featuring the franchise’s iconic Bad Guy – Darth Vader – but he will be voiced by none other than the voice of Vader, James Earl Jones!!!

Don’t get too excited, though – this is currently just a cameo appearance and there are currently no plans to make him appear again.

Universal Cable Productions (UCP) continues to gain momentum adding star power to a growing roster of A-list producing talent. The studio has signed a first-look deal with Chris Bender, JC Spink and Jake Weiner’s BenderSpink (The Hangover, We’re The Millers, The Ring). As part of the deal, BenderSpink will develop and produce scripted programming with UCP for NBCUniversal and external networks.

“BenderSpink has not only great comedic taste, but also a keen eye for the kind of genre that audiences crave,” said Dawn Olmstead, Executive Vice President of Development, UCP. “We’re excited to bring their vision to life and have a laugh while rolling up our sleeves.”

BenderSpink will expand UCP’s comedy and science fiction footprint by developing scripted content that leverages Chris Bender, JC Spink and Jake Weiner’s successful feature film hallmark. Among their first collaborations already in development at Syfy is the Kickstarter-funded sensation Five Ghosts by Frank Barbiere and Chris Mooneyham. This stylish, pulpy adventure tells the story of a 1930s-era treasure hunter possessed by five literary ghosts (Merlin, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Musashi, and Dracula) whose unique abilities he can draw on during his adventures. Evan Daugherty (Snow White and the Huntsmen), BenderSpink (The Hangover), Jake Wagner, Matt Pizzolo and Brett Gurewitz have signed on to produce.

“We’ve been anxious to build our television business and form the kind of successful partnership we have in features with New Line Cinema,” said Chris Bender, Co-Founder of BenderSpink. “We really clicked with the gang at UCP and their sensibility and are excited to have the opportunity to make great television together.”

BenderSpink joins UCP’s leading producer line-up, including Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment, Doug Liman’s Hypnotic, Jessica Biel’s Iron Ocean Films and Steve Carell’s Carousel Television.

About BenderSpink

BenderSpink was established by partners Chris Bender and J.C. Spink in November of 1998 with American Pie in post-production and 14 writer clients signed to their management company. Jake Weiner joined the company in 2001 as head of production and became a partner in 2006. The film production arm of BenderSpink has had a successful first look deal with New Line Cinema for over 15 years, and they recently signed a first look deal in television with Universal Cable Productions. Jake Wagner, Ryan Revel, and Daniel Vang round out the management arm. BenderSpink has developed or produced projects that have grown into seven franchises in various genres, which include Final Destination, American Pie, The Ring, Cats & Dogs, The Butterfly Effect, The Hangover, and Ride Along. The company most recently produced the comedies The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, We’re The Millers, and Horrible Bosses 2, and are currently in production on Vacation and Criminal.

It seems that Sony is fed up waiting for a Ghostbusters 3 (not that the death of Harold Ramis earlier this year helped.) Sony is pushing forward with a new director Paul Feig (The Heat), and now has a writer, The Heat‘s Katie Dippold.

The film will now be an entire reboot of the franchise, with reportedly no ties to the original team or movies. And this time, it will be a female buddy comedy, with a whole new team of female leads.

I’m all for it, but it’s going to be hard not to think back to Venkman, Spengler, Zantz and Zeddemore.