Sci-Fi Storm

Ahead of its time in 1982, it now looks dated, but Tron still remains the penultimate cyberspace movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Steven Lisberger, the film’s director and co-writer, is working on a third draft for Tron 2.0, and there are plans for a new PC/Xbox game (due in 2003) and a DVD full of goodies (due Jan 15th, 2002).

According to report on Sci-Fi Wire, The Time Machine may not make its intended Christmas Day debut. Seems that director Simon Wells – granson of author H.G. Wells and director of Casper 2 and The Prince of Egypt – burned out on overwork trying to get it done and dropped out. Gore Verbinski (Mouse Hunt) has picked up the slack.

This is making the rounds on the Web fast…the New York Post had a column reporting that Paramount has given the OK to look at scripts for a fourth installment in the Indiana Jones saga. Of course, they’d want Lucas, Spielberg, and Ford all to work on the film…but they’d all want money off the back end of receipts – leaving virtually nothing for Paramount…especially when it is expected to cost $150 million to produce. Sean Connery has also expressed an interest.

According to DVD News, the Lucasfilm/Ron Howard fantasy Willow, starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer, will be released on a Special Edition DVD on November 27th. Amazon isn’t taking orders yet…

Dark Horizons has a report that brit actor Clive Owen (The Bourne Identity) Is being looked at by director Simon West (Tomb Raider,The General’s Daughter) to star in the planned movie adaptation of the clut favorite series The Prisoner…

Charton Heston is indeed in the Planet of the Apes remake, but this time, he is the one donning the makeup. Heston told Sci-Fi Wire that he plays an “Alpha” ape in the upcoming movie.

Sci-Fi Wire is reporting that Simon West, director of Tomb Raider, is waiting for the final draft of a big-screen version of The Prisoner, the cult-fave from the ’60s starring Patrick McGoohan as a secret agent held prisoner in The Village, where everyone knows your number…he plans to start filming at the end of the year, pending approval.

Hugh Jackman, while attending the premiere of Swordfish,
told Sci-Fi Wire that filming will begin on the X-Men sequel in January or February, 2002.

According to Variety, MGM has agreed to a deal which will bring The Outer Limits to the big screen, with Victor & Grais Productions. They are currently looking for a writer. Question is, will this be like that Twilight Zone movie?

All the trades are reporting that Dreamworks SKG’s Shrek has taken over at the box office, taking in over $40 million and placing second all time for an animated movie weekend opening, behind Toy Story 2, and displacing The Lion King. Not a bad take for an ogre. Is this good news (acceptance of CGI) or bad news (it wasn’t theirs) for Disney/Pixar’s next feature, Monsters, Inc.?