Sci-Fi Storm

It appears that Warner Bros would like to revive The Matrix as a franchise – but they are still trying to figure out how.

Deadline reports that Warner Bros is interested in revisiting the franchise in some form, and may form a team of writers to investigate the possible ways to do so.

The original trilogy consisted of three rather different films. The first, The Matrix, established the two worlds – the real dystopian world and the virtual “normal” world, and grossed nearly half a billion dollars globally. The sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, worked to attempt an explanation for the Matrix itself, but got a little weird at the end – but some spectacular scenes helped and it grossed $742 million. The final movie, The Matrix Revolutions, was a pure action flick (so…many…bullets…) and failed to live up to its predecessor, yet still added another $427 million. There was also the direct-to-video The Animatrix, a collection of anime-style stories that were set in the Matrix worlds, and the game Enter The Matrix.

We’re guarded about a return to the franchise, as this appears to be very early on. And as such, there is no rumblings if this would be for the original cast or something all new.

I think I spied a classic – and I mean classic – Cyberman in there…coming April 15th!

Just some catch-up stuff before the weekend…

The CW has completed their full house of returning shows, ordering a fifth season of The 100, so all its returning scripted shows that weren’t previously announced as ending have received early renewals for an additional season. Among it’s freshman series, however, the story is less rosy – Riverdale did get a second season, but No Tomorrow and Frequency seem unlikely.

Also, on the less rosy side, remember that little heard of movie Avatar? And the multiple sequels that were supposed to be out by now? Well, they are delayed again. Although James Cameron now says there are no less than FOUR sequels planned, Avatar 2 isn’t even going to make it’s latest planned date of December 2018. Cameron told the Toronto Star, “2018 is not happening,” mainly because they are making four movies, not one. But, “We’re full tilt boogie right now. This is my day job and pretty soon we’ll be 24-7.” I think it is safe to say Cameron is all-in on this, and it will be released when it is ready.

Lastly, we’ll be back in Westoros on July 16th…HBO finally announced that Season 7 will start on that date. If you are like me and HBO is the only channel you don’t get, expect a Season 6 marathon that weekend with a free preview… 🙂

The Starship Discovery has found its captain…Jason Isaacs, who recently appeared in the Netflix thriller series The OA and played Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, will play Captain Lorca in the upcoming CBS All Access series, which began production a month ago. Although he is the captain, the series will focus on his “Number One” played by Sonequa Martin-Green.

CBS President Les Moonves is hopeful that the series will debut on the broadcast network this Fall, with it continuing on the streaming network afterwards.

To no one’s surprise, Disney XD has ordered up another season of adventures of the crew of the Ghost in Star Wars Rebels. The next season will air in the Fall, and production is already underway.

Set between the events of Episodes III and IV, the show follows the crew of the Ghost who have been fighting against the growing Empire. Season 3 saw increasing tie-ins to the live action movies, such as the appearance of a younger Saw Gerrera from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and a cameo appearance of the Ghost itself in that movie.

My top question still remains though…does Ahsoka live?

It’s pilot happy season, and there have been some casting announcements:

Syfy has added Patrick Fischler (Lost, Once Upon A Time), Zabryna Guevara (Gotham, The Get Down) and Ritchie Coster (The Dark Knight, Blackhat) to the pilot for Happy!, based on the graphic novel from Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson. The show follows Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: SVU), an intoxicated, corrupt ex-cop turned hit man, who is adrift in a world of casual murder, soulless sex and betrayal. After a hit gone wrong, his inebriated life is forever changed by a tiny, relentlessly positive, imaginary blue winged horse.

Fischler will play Smoothie, a well-dressed mob enforcer and sardonic soulless torturer who claims to take a ‘New Age’ approach to his work.

Guevara is playing Amanda Hansen, a single mom facing every mother’s worst nightmare; the disappearance of her young daughter.

Coster is Mr. Blue/Leonardo Scaramucci, the lead villain whose wealth and status as a legitimate businessman in the wine import trade support an increasingly profitable and highly illegal sideline.

In another Marvel pilot, but for Fox, one of our favorites, Amy Acker, fresh off the final season of Person of Interest, will star in the unnamed X-Men-based show written by Matt Nix (Burn Notice) and directed by Bryan Singer. The show focuses on a family of human parents with mutant children, on the run from a mutant-hostile government. Acker will play mother Kate, who is struggling to deal with her separation from her husband Reed (Stephen Moyer, True Blood) and her increasingly challenging teenage children.
(continue reading…)

It’s a gun thing…

Opens May 5th!