Sci-Fi Storm

I hope everyone enjoyed Halloween! Some quick tidbits as I attempt to get caught up on all the great programs I’m trying to follow these days…

Timeless is one of the shows I am enjoying so far, although the implications of the show are mind-boggling…but the show will get a little extra time to play out, with an additional three episodes ordered by NBC for a total of 16. It also seems that NBC is calling this a “full season” order now, compared with the typical 22-26. I’m not sure what a “season” really means any more…

Now while Marvel appears to rule the roads of cinema release schedules, DC still seems to be having trouble getting off the starting line. Last year, the Wonder Woman movie had a false start when director Michelle MacLaren departed the project over creative differences, and now the feature version of The Flash is seeing the same thing happening. Director Rick Famuyiwa is walking away for “creative differences” as well, and this time the project’s start date is in jeopardy. And this isn’t the first time for this film. Original director Seth Grahame-Smith left the film earlier this year over – you guessed it – “creative differences”.

Lastly, the Seth MacFarlane sci-fi dramedy set up at Fox still doesn’t have a name, but it does have some more cast members. In addition to MacFarlane and previously announced members Adrianne Palicki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Grimes (ER, Party of Five), Peter Macon (Friendship!) and J Lee (Family Guy), Halston Sage (Crisis, Goosebumps) and Penny Johnson Jerald (Castle, 24) have now signed on as regulars. Still no idea what any of the characters are yet though…

After the surprise that was Edge Of Tomorrow (we ended up enjoying the film, aside from some confusing twists), it’s no surprise that a sequel is in the works. And in an interview with Collider, Director/Producer Doug Liman gave a few clues as to where the sequel is heading.

In the original, a cowardly public affairs officer (Tom Cruise) is busted in rank and sent to the front lines in a war against aliens called Mimics where the humans have been losing badly – and is promptly killed. But he immediately wakes up, back on the base – on the day he arrived, and lives out the same sequence again, always returning when he dies. In a SF military version of Groundhog Day, he learns to survive a little longer, and convinces Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) of what is happening. She trains him more and more until he knows what to do to kill the “alpha” Mimic.

“That is the only sequel that I’m considering doing, and it’s because first of all the story is so amazing—much better than the original film,”, said Liman, “and I loved and loved the original film—and second of all, it’s a sequel that’s a prequel.”

We’re not entirely sure what that means yet…will it start post-war and then loop back to the beginning? Whatever it is, Liman appears to want to “reinvent” the sequel.

“I’ve had some radical ideas about how to make a sequel that would interest me, in the same way that I had ideas of how you make an independent film and then Swingers came along and it was like ‘Aha, that’s the perfect movie for me to test these ideas out on.’ I had these intellectual ideas on how you should make a sequel that are unlike how anybody else makes a sequel, and this script and this idea fit perfectly into that idea. So it’s gonna revolutionize how people make sequels. And again that’s why I try to do things like Invisible that are just, the revolution’s sort of built into the idea. It’s more heresy in the film world for me to pitch things that are sort of unheard of.”

A script has already been written Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse (Race), although no plans for when filming will begin have been made yet.

Peter Jackson has mentioned in the past that he’s wanted to develop a film based on author Philip Reeve’s novel series [asin=140713499X]Mortal Engines[/asin]. Today he announced on Facebook that it’s their next film project:

Hi Folks,

It’s been a quiet few months, but I’m very happy to tell you that our next project is now underway.

WingNut Films be producing a feature film based on Philip Reeve’s book Mortal Engines, to be directed by Christian Rivers. The script has been written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and myself.

Some of you may recall that Christian was going to direct the Dambusters a few years back. Since then he’s kept himself busy, making short films, and directing Second Units on The Hobbit and Pete’s Dragon.

Our involvement in Mortal Engines actually pre-dates Dambusters (which is still happening) – Christian actually worked on Mortal Engines previs way back in 2009. It’s very exciting to finally get it underway!

We’ve had the rights to Philip’s book series for several years, but have had to wait for the right time to make it.

If you haven’t read the books, you should. They present a stunning look into the future, when all of Earth’s major cities are now mounted on wheels, roaming across the landscape as massive “Traction Cities”. Our society has build itself on the principals of Municipal Darwinism – this basically involves the bigger cities hunting down, and consuming, the smaller ones. And that’s only the backdrop to an original and emotional personal story.

Philip Reeve has created a range of intriguing characters, following their adventures in our strange future world through four books – “Mortal Engines”, “Predator’s Gold”, “Infernal Devices” and “A Darkling Plain”.

The moment we read these novels, we knew what exciting movies they’d make. I literally can’t wait to see them!

The movie will be financed by MRC and Universal, and shooting will get underway next March, in New Zealand. Producers Zane Weiner and Amanda Walker, who both worked on the Hobbit, will be spearheading the NZ based team, along with Deborah Forte in the US.

No casting to announce yet, but Weta Workshop and Weta Digital are both onboard.

With the wheels now rolling on Mortal Engines, I’ll bring you a lot of news and sneak peeks at what we’re doing over the coming months.

Cheers,

Peter J

I’m not familiar with the novels, but they certainly sound interesting. And given that it is a series of books, we expect that we will likely see more than one movie…

The official Star Wars site confirmed today after months of speculation that the younger version of the smooth operator of Cloud City will indeed be played by actor, writer and Grammy-nominated artist Donald Glover, announced today by Lucasfilm. He joins Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo in the upcoming standalone anthology film, to be released in 2018.

“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us,” said directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. “These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever.”

Logan’s seems to finally be aging in the latest standalone Wolverine movie, Logan…but he hasn’t lost his stuff…opens March 3rd, 2017

Director James Gunn knows we are jonesing for some Star-Lord, Gamora and Baby Groot, so he’s released a sneak peek of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! And he promises a full trailer soon…

Too bad we have to wait until next May!

A while back I came across this fan theory that Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in fact Mace Windu, the former Jedi Master who fought the soon-to-be-Emperor and lost, being flung Palaptine’s office window in a high tower on Coruscant. But we didn’t see him die – it is only implied, and if anything is true in science fiction (or Hollywood), if you didn’t seem them die, they can always come back – and sometimes, even if you did…and Samuel L. Jackson believes he’s still alive.

Now, this fan theory seems to stretch quite far on a number of things – I don’t believe the Finn is related theory at all – but it does raise some interesting points. But there’s one in particular that I want to debunk…that of the lightsaber color.
(continue reading…)

It keeps getting better…

I can’t wait to see all the amazing visuals on the big screen – but this little screen will have to do – until November 4th, that is!

In theaters November 18th!