Sci-Fi Storm

SCI FI Wire is reporting that Disney’s Pixar unit will produce the John Carter of Mars series. They cite ERBzine.com, a site devoted to Edgar Rice Burroughs, but I didn’t see a definitive announcement. I did find a reference to the production being a mix of live action and CGI. What is definite is that Disney did option the franchise.

IESB.net is running an article about computers and other sensitive material about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull having been stolen from Steven Spielberg’s office at Universal Studios, possibly including the script. Apparently someone then began contacting various news outlets, including TMZ.com, offering the materials for sale. TMZ apparently even obtained some of the material and was promoting a story on it, until Paramount’s Army of Lawyers stepped in. Apparently a sting was set up and a suspect was apprehended.

In case you think you’ve seen that article title before, you did. But apparently The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising didn’t sit right with someone, so now it is being billed as just The Seeker. And apparently there are a lot of changes from the book as well. Christopher Eccleston has mentioned the “americanization” of the story, with the protagonist an American thirteen year old living in Northern England, instead of an 11 year old British boy. And the old man named Walker is 25 years old (played by Jonathan Jackson, Tuck Everlasting) and had his own storyline.

George Lucas, as part of an interview for TV Guide, mentions that Sean Connery will not return as Indiana Jones father in the new movie – and it’s a good thing. “No, in the end, it turned out better. In the beginning, he was just in a little bit of it, and I think with the strength of Sean Connery, people would’ve wanted him to go all the way through the whole thing, and the story really didn’t work that way. And so I think there would’ve been some disappointment that [his character] dropped out partway through the movie.” Instead, the part was transferred to a new character, which I presume is the role to be played by Jim Broadbent (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe).

It’s been long rumored, but maybe it will finally happen. Joseph Kosinski, who has already been attached to the Logan’s Run remake, is now also looking at a sequel to the hit cyberspace movie Tron, to be produced by Sean Bailey (The Core) and original Tron writer/director Steven Lisberger. The script is being worked on by Lost writers Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

If you weren’t lulled into sleep by Britney Spears’ performance, you might have caught Shia LeBeouf on the MTV Video Music Awards last night. Shia, who is co-starring in the upcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie, let slip the title of the new movie: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It remains to be seen if Lucasfilm will confirm it. Update: Thanks to seelo for pointing out that the official web site has the same title, releasing the name yesterday (but with less fanfare…)

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire may prefer the mask of a giant robot – he and Warner Brothers are teaming up to produce a live action version of Robotech, and he may star as well, with the intention of creating a new franchise. WB has purchased the rights already and will work with Harmony Gold, the overall rights holder. Although Robotech was actually three very different anime series edited and dubbed to make it seem like it was a single epic story, it will be interesting to see how that plays out in this situation. Most likely they will focus on the Macross Saga – the first part of the series.

We’ve had David Lynch’s flamboyant Dune. More recently, we’ve had the SCI FI Channel’s truer but duller Dune (and a sequel). Now, we might see another version. No real details, other than the Herbert family is in talks with someone at a studio, who “wants Dune reallllly bad.” Sucker for punishment, or perhaps a visionary?

Actress Susan Sarandon (Children of Dune), who plays the mother in the upcoming live action Speed Racer, gave some details of the Wachowski Brothers unique production, which was supposed to use some new filming technique. Now we know – filming will have all elements of a scene – foreground and background – in focus at all times, and have highly saturated color – similar to a cartoon. I’m very interested in seeing how this comes out.

Twentieth Century Fox has found a star for its remake of the classic The Day The Earth Stood Still in Keanu Reeves. Keanu will play Klaatu, a humanoid who arrives on Earth with a giant robot, warning humans that they will face destruction if they don’t change. Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) will direct.