Sci-Fi Storm

The director’s chair isn’t even broken in for Justin Lin yet, but he has a deadline for the new Star Trek film – Paramount has set the release date to the currently empty weekend of July 8th, 2016. The closest genre competition at this point that I am aware of would be Captain America 3: Civil War, which opens a full 2 months prior.

After the abrupt departure of Roberto Orci as heir-apparent of the Star Trek franchise, the Enterprise has a new skipper at the helm in the form of Justin Lin, who revived the Fast & Furious franchise and directed four of the films.

Lin was in line to direct the next Bourne Legacy installment, but that was temporarily shelved in favor of a returning Matt Damon and another Bourne Identity film, opening up Lin’s schedule.

I only hope that he doesn’t end up continuing the high-speed improbable action sequences…I want a return to thought-provoking Trek.

Deadline reports that Ernie Hudson will guest star in episode 15 of Once Upon A Time.

The former Ghostbuster will play Poseidon, who is know to be the father of Ariel (i.e. “The Little Mermaid”), with JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Reba) reprising her guest role, but apparently we will find out that he is also the father of Ursula, played by Merrin Dungey (Alias), who made a couple appearances so far this season including the mid-season finale.

The second half of the current season appears to be leaving their Frozen mini-sequel behind for a more up front battle with Disney villains, with Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold joining Ursula, Cruella DeVil (Victoria Smurfit) and Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten) in an attempt to find “The Author” and change their story.

Syfy today announced casting of the new acquired scripted series Dark Matter, which will feature Melissa O’Neil (Broadway production of Les Miserables), Marc Bendavid (Bitten), Anthony Lemke (White House Down), Alex Mallari Jr. (Robocop) and Jodelle Ferland (Twilight) with Roger Cross (The Strain) and Zoie Palmer (Lost Girl).

The series begins production in Toronto on January 7.

Created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie (executive producers and writers of the Stargate franchise), and developed with Prodigy Pictures (Lost Girl, XIII), the 13 one-hour episodes are based on the [asin=B00A7H2CHK]graphic novel Dark Matter[/asin] by Mallozzi and Mullie, published by Dark Horse Comics.

Dark Matter will premiere on Syfy in Summer 2015, joining Syfy’s stable of acquired international and domestic co-productions ranging from the hit series Z Nation to popular programs such as Lost Girl, Bitten and Continuum, and the upcoming series Olympus.

Executive producers are Jay Firestone, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie and Vanessa Piazza. The series will be distributed internationally by Endemol Worldwide Distribution.

In Dark Matter, the crew of a derelict spaceship is awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. Facing threats at every turn, they have to work together to survive a voyage charged with vengeance, betrayal and hidden secrets.

Founded in 2006 by Jay Firestone and later joined by executive producer Vanessa Piazza, Prodigy Pictures leads the way in the production of quality television, film, and cross-platform media. Prodigy is responsible for the critically-acclaimed television series Lost Girl, which has electrified viewers around the world and amassed a cult-like following. Lost Girl just wrapped production on its final season. Prodigy’s other credits include indie horror The Dark Stranger and the original television miniseries XIII as well as XIII: The Series.

In our earlier article where we talked with Al Sapienza, who plays Councilman Rose on Ascension, I mentioned that I couldn’t tell you everything that was said, as we had both seen the first night of the show already and the “big reveal” at the end. What follows is the remaining part of that conversation. So if you HAVEN’T SEEN the first night yet, bookmark this article and come back after you have seen it. I REALLY don’t want to spoil it for you.

Really. I mean that. Do not read another word until you’ve seen it.
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Syfy and Universal Cable Productions today announced that Golden Globe nominee Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer) will portray Rupert Boyce, an enigmatic American entrepreneur, in the upcoming six-hour miniseries Childhood’s End.

Adapted for the screen for the first time ever from [asin=0345347951]Arthur C. Clarke’s beloved and influential novel[/asin], Childhood’s End will premiere on Syfy in 2015.

Syfy and Universal Cable Productions also announced that Daisy Betts (Shutter) has been cast as Ellie, an arts graduate engaged to marry Ricky Stormgren (Mike Vogel), the most influential human in the world.

McMahon and Betts join Emmy Award nominee Charles Dance/Karellen (Game of Thrones) and Mike Vogel/Rick Stormgren (Bates Motel), along with Ashley Zukerman/Jake Greggson (Manhattan), Osy Ikhile/Milo (Clap!) and Yael Stone/Peretta Jones (Orange is the New Black).

Hailed as a revolutionary work of science fiction since its publishing in 1953, Childhood’s End follows the peaceful invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture which may ultimately threaten the very survival of mankind.

Childhood’s End will be filmed in Australia.

Akiva Goldsman (Lone Survivor, A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend), Mike De Luca (Captain Philips, Moneyball, The Social Network) and Alissa Phillips (Moneyball, Mob City) are executive producers. Childhood’s End will be adapted by Matthew Graham (creator of BBC’s Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes). Universal Cable Productions will be the studio.

The miniseries will be directed by Nick Hurran, who received an Emmy Award nomination for Sherlock and a Hugo Award nomination for Doctor Who.

Ascension concludes tonight at 9/8c on Syfy, so here is a little preview, along with interviews with Tricia Helfer, Gil Bellows and Andrea Roth!

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Syfy’s limited event series Ascension soared during its first night premiere, taking 1.8 million viewers aboard ship including 882K Adults 25-54 and 772 Adults 18-49 on Monday, December 15 from 9-10:25PM (ET/PT).

Syfy boasts three of the top 10 ad supported cable scripted series launches among Adults 25-54 this year – Ascension, Dominion and Helix.

Socially, Ascension achieved Syfy’s highest number of tweets for a scripted series premiere behind only the 2013 season one debut of Defiance.

Ascension continues Tuesday, December 16 and Wednesday, December 17, both nights at 9PM (ET/PT).

Ascension is an ambitious original drama following a covert U.S. space mission launched in the 1960s that sent 600 men, women and children on a century-long voyage aboard the starship Ascension to populate a new world. Halfway 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 Denniger, the Captain’s beautiful, manipulative and dangerous wife (who also serves as the ship’s Chief Steward).

Ascension also stars Al Sapienza as Councilman Rose, Tiffany Lonsdale as Chief Astronomer Emily Vanderhaus, Andrea Roth as the ship’s head doctor Juliet Bryce, Jacqueline Byers as her daughter Nora Bryce, PJ Boudousque as Nora’s love interest James Toback, Ryan Robbins as Safety Officer (and Emily’s husband) Duke Vanderhaus and Gil Bellows as Harris Enzmann, the son of the Ascension mission’s founder.

Ascension is created by executive producer and showrunner Philip Levens (Smallville) and executive produced by Jason Blum (The Normal Heart, Stranded, The River, film franchises Paranormal Activity and The Purge) 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.

The droid BB-8 (or as I call him, “soccer ball”) that rolled around in the teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, seemed almost certainly CGI…we’ve never seen anything real like it.

But it turns out, as part of J.J. Abrams return to practical effects and models, this little ball was real – at least in the sense that it was a physical model that actually DID roll around.

According to this article, Mark Hamill saw in it action, and even got to play with it. “And when they were demonstrating how they did this thing, live on set — because it’s not CGI, that’s a live prop — I was just amazed,” he said. “They let me play around with it. I was running it all around at the creature shop up in Pinewood. I’m telling you, it’s an absolute delight.”

And now I will be seriously disappointed if I can’t buy this thing for Christmas next year.

Tonight’s the night! Syfy’s event series starts tonight at 9/8c, with parts 2 and 3 airing tomorrow and Wednesday night!

Keep in mind, the end of tonight’s showing contains a MAJOR SPOILER for those who haven’t yet watched it, like all those on the left coast – so PLEASE be careful on social media!
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