Sci-Fi Storm

David Twohy, who wrote and directed The Chronicles of Riddick which opens this week, is also writing a spinoff TV movie for the SCI FI Channel focusing on the character of Kyra, who also appeared in the first film, Pitch Black – the girl who masqueraded as a boy. This movie would fill in the 5 years between the theatrical films. The Kyra spinoff would also serve as a pilot for a potential series.

As the third movie installment in the strong Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has to overcome several things: the fact that it is a sequel, a new director, an older cast, and a darker story. It succeeded admirably.

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This ls late, since I did get to see it on opening weekend. If you are one of the three people who haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? This is one of the few cases where a sequel can actually be as good as the original…

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Seems that the screenwriter for I, Robot is at it again. This time, Jeff Vintar is working on adapting Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy of stories into a couple of films. The big problem? the fact that the stories take place over 500 years, and involve separate characters. “How can I create something which is still recognizably Foundation, and yet give us a narrative that has the requirements of a film?” Ironic, given reaction to his last adaptation.

According to a news report on CBS Marketwatch, Disney CEO Michael Eisner told Merrill Lynch analysts that Disney is working on sequels to the Disney/Pixar sensations Monsters, Inc. and A Bug’s Life, despite the contentious split between the partners. Certainly the success of sequels of Toy Story and Shrek, and the general success of of CGI films in general, show that it makes financial sense. I believe that Pixar gets first refusal rights to the production as well.

John Hudgens, who has produced the music videos for conventions that JMS shows, has put together an excellent video tribute to the late Richard Biggs.

Ricky Claydon writes “Check out the latest issue of dreamwatch magazine: ALIEN VS PREDATOR director Paul W.S. Anderson offers dreamwatch an exclusive preview of the action-packed sci-fi crossover movie!

All this and much, much more in dreamwatch Issue #118!
ON SALE 27 MAY (UK) 15 JUNE (US)” I’d like some feedback on these – are these useful to people? I’m leery about just becoming a free advertisement service…

Ricky Claydon writes “ANGEL: JEFFREY BELL, DAVID FURY, DAVID BOREANAZ & SERIES FINALE SET VISIT!
Star David Boreanaz chats to Dreamwatch about the end of the heroic vampire?s crusade against evil, while executive producers Jeffrey Bell and David Fury reveal the truth behind the show?s controversial finale. Plus, dreamwatch visits the Angel set during the making of the show?s last-ever episode, Not Fade Away!

All this and much, much more in dreamwatch Issue #118!
ON SALE 27 MAY (UK) 15 JUNE (US)”

Two more actors for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire have been announced – Brendan Gleeson (Troy, The Village) will play Mad-Eye Moody, and Frances de la Tour (’70s British sitcom Rising Damp) will play Madame Maxine, the headmistress of the rival Beauxbatons school. Update: Bad cut-and-paste – corrected above – Brendan Gleeson is the actor – David Heyman is the producer.

As we all know, Shrek 2 is consuming the box office like swamp rat stew, so much so that even retailers are blaming slumping sales on the green guy. Even I got a chance to see it opening weekend (go see it!), and now Dreamworks has announced that they will move forward on two new Shrek films.