Sci-Fi Storm

It’s official – John Cleese is the new Q of the Bond franchise. Cleese, in an interview for the Calgary Sun, said “I am Q now–I actually have a name.” Cleese debuted as “R”, Q’s assistant in The World is Not Enough, in 1999 when the ailing Desmond Llelewyn still had his long-standing role. But with Desmond’s passing that same year, there were some big (and booby-trapped) shoes to fill.

Proving that in sci-fi no one is ever permanently dead, it seems that there is a possibility that Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison), who was turned into a mutant and then a puddle of liquid, may make an appearance in the sequel X2. Not a whole lot of details, so as usual take with a grain of quadro-triticale.

We knew about the cast changes in store for Children of Dune – now we find out Susan Sarandon has signed on to play new character Wensicia, described as a “ruthless princess eager to restore her deposed family to the throne.” This lends a big name back to the production. Among the replacement cast: Alice Krige (the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact) will play Lady Jessica, and Edward Atterton (Arthur in Mists of Avalon) will play Duncan Idaho.

Looks like James Cameron is looking to update the classic Fantastic Voyage. In an interview with SCI FI Wire, Dean Devlin (Independence Day) said he and partner Roland Emmerich, at one time involved in the project, said they no longer are, but that Cameron had it now.

David Fincher, pegged to be the the director of the Rendesvous With Rama feature film spearheaded by Morgan Freeman we reported on over a year ago, gave an interview with Cinescape Online in which it is mentioned. They are still working on a script, and (surprise) it will take a lot of digital effects. Sounds like not a lot has actually progressed with it.

In a break with tradition, the trailer for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones will not appear in theaters first – instead, it will debut on the Fox network between Malcolm in the Middle and The X-Files on March 10th. It will then be attached to Fox’s CGI movie Ice Age starting on March 15th.

The Beeb hasn’t even said they are doing this, but British newspaper The Guardian is reporting that brit comedian Ken Dodd (Alice in Wonderland) is the latest rumor to play the Doctor in a BBC-produced film. Neither the BBC or the actor have confirmed this.

Update:: Gallifrey One is stating plainly that this rumor is false. It was, after all, just a rumor .

Lucasfilm has announced an advanced screening of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones on May 12th in 11 U.S. and Canadian cities, with portions of the proceeds to benefit a local children’s charity. Cities include Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Toronto, Ont.; and Washington, DC.

John Travolta says there is a sequel to Battlefield Earth in the works – why I don’t know. But star Barry Pepper (Jonnie Goodboy Tyler) doesn’t think it will happen, and isn’t interested in it if it is.

The Flimjerk website has what they claim are two pages of dialog from a scene from Terminator 3. It involves John Connor and another character named Susan whom he’s apparently kidnapped for her own good.