Sci-Fi Storm

Hollywood Treasure returns on Wednesday, June 1st, at 10pm ET/9PM CT…and this episode should be interesting to science fiction fans – because it features Robby The Robot from Forbidden Planet, who also made various cameo appearances on many shows and movies.

Does he still work? Check out the preview below!
(continue reading…)

This past weekend was not only the opening of Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but also the grand re-opening of the Star Tours attraction, which now takes guests to 6 different planets and offers 54 variations of the ride. So there were all sort of extra things going on, including a dedication ceremony featuring the Master Jedi himself, George Lucas along with Anthony Daniels.

If you want to check out photos, videos, etc. of the event, I recommend heading over to Inside the Magic’s Star Tours coverage page, which has excellent videos and even an exclusive interview with Anthony Daniels, and then check out the video of this year’s Hyperspace Hoopla (unless you are going to an upcoming weekend, which in that case I don’t want to spoil the surprises…)

Interesting news from Peter Jackson a short time ago – Actor/Comedian Stephen Fry (Kingdom) has joined the cast of The Hobbit, playing the Master of Laketown (Esgaroth).

Also joining are Ryan Gage (Hamlet) as Alfrid, the Master’s civil cervant, apparently an invented role for the movie, and Conan Stevens (True Legend) as the Orc Azog.

This isn’t your typical boxing movie. I’m sure it will get lots of comparisons – Rocky meets Terminator, or Karate Kid meets Rock’em Sock’em Robots, or something like that. But just seeing the trailer, Real Steel looks good…

That ambitious project of Ron Howard’s to turn Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series into a combinations of films and TV series might have been a bit too ambitious – at least for Universal, who is concerned about the budget. As a result, the staff working on it have been placed on hiatus while Howard’s Imagine Entertainment and writer/producer Akiva Goldsman discuss the budget with the studio.

Could Universal be getting a bit skittish at big budget risks? They did balk at the $150 million budget Guillermo del Toro’s At The Mountains of Madness – but del Toro wanted to release with an R-rating as well, perhaps limiting the audience. But how can you do a PG-13 Lovecraft story?!?

Well, the long simmering rumors that David Tennant will join the cast of The hobbit have taken a hit again, with Peter Jackson announcing on Facebook that Lee Pace (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn) will take the role of King Thranduil. Simultaneously he announced that Kiwi actor Dean O’Gorman (Young Hercules) will take over the role of Fili after Rob Kazinsky dropped out of the role.

Mind you, they still haven’t said Tennant hasn’t been given a different role, so I’m sure rumors will still run…

Looks like [asin=0812550706]Ender’s Game[/asin], the short story that became a novel that became a series by Orson Scott Card, last seen at Warner Bros. as a potential movie, is now headed to Summit Entertainment and appears to be on the fast track to begin production early next year. Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is set to direct, with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (via their K/O Paper Products company) and Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough (Odd Lot), along with Card and Lynn Hendee (The Tempest) as producers.

It appears that they are eying this to be the next Harry Potter-esque franchise with an epic story aimed at the younger audience.

Dimension Films has preemptively purchased a spec script entitled The Greys from writer Adam Cohen and from producing partners Sean and Bryan Furst (Daybreakers) , and F. Javier Gutierrez (Before The Fall) is attached to direct. It is being billed as a SF thriller – but the plot is being kept as mysterious as the Greys themselves so far.

Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company (TWC), made the announcement. “We are thrilled to be collaborating on this exciting script with Adam Cohen, Radar Pictures and The Fursts,” said Weinstein. “As a fan, I have wanted to work with F. Javier Gutierrez for some time and am happy to join forces on his English language directorial debut.”

Sean and Bryan Furst are producing in partnership with Radar Pictures’ Ted Field and Mike Weber. Overseeing for Dimension Films are SVP of Production, Matthew Stein and VP of Production and Creative Affairs, Matthew Signer.

“We’re energized by the incredible level of passion Bob Weinstein and Dimension have shown for Adam Cohen’s thrilling script and for the talented F. Javier Gutierrez, and we all feel it’s that kind of passion that makes for an ideal filmmaking partner,” said the producers.

Peter Jackson posted on Facebook:

I am sad to report that Rob Kazinsky, who was cast in the role of Fili, is having to leave The Hobbit and return home, for personal reasons.  Rob has been terrific to work with and his enthusiasm and infectious sense of humour will be missed by all of us. I should say that Rob’s departure will not affect ongoing filming of The Hobbit, nor will it impact work done to date, as we had yet to film much of Fili’s storyline. At the moment we are shooting scenes featuring Bilbo without the Dwarves, which will give us time to find a new Fili. I’ll keep everyone posted with updates as they come.

Cheers,

Peter J

So although it is a shame to lose Kazinsky, it sounds like it really won’t affect the production schedule.

Someone just told me about this – remember that awesome Volkswagen advertisement during the Super Bowl called “The Force”? It has been spoofed before…but this one is an actual advertisement for the upcoming Thor movie…

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