Sci-Fi Storm

Galactica is coming back to the big screen – but the question is which Galactica? Universal has confirmed the treatment and that Brian Singer will produce and direct, with original show producer Glen Larson also producing. But it won’t have anything to do with the recent series, but be another re-imagining of the original concept created by Larson.

The 16-minute extended trailer for James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar will be released on August 21st – and you might get a chance to see it in IMAX for free. Starting this Monday, free tickets will be distributed for select IMAX theaters via the official movie site. The showings will generally take place before and after separate-admission screenings of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Avatar opens on December 18th.

It’s been been planned before and then killed much to the chagrin of the Master Chief fans, but Halo could finally take off under the leadership of Steven Spielberg this time. Spielberg is apparently impressed with the Stuart Beattie (G.I. Joe – The Rise Of Cobra) penned script, called “HALO THE FALL OF REACH”.

Ridley Scott is lined up to produce and direct and Farhad Safinia (Apocalypto) to write a big screen adaptation of Aldus Huxley’s famous dystopian novel Brave New World. Leonardo DiCaprio is involved as well, although it is uncertain if he is just collaborating with Scott as a producer or may actually star in the film.

Disney released a trailer for the upcoming Tron Legacy at Comic-Con…but it looked awfully familiar – for anyone who was at SDCC last year, isn’t this just the same trailer that they showed last year?

Some interesting tidbits were released yesterday at Comic-Con…Star Wars In Concert will begin touring October 1st (tickets on sale August 1st) and will be narrated in person by Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), although it looks like dates only through Oct. 21st are known so far, on the west coast and OK; lots of info at the Lucasfilm booth about the upcoming games Star Wars: The Old Republic (a new MMO where you can be on the Republic or Sith Empire sides), The Cone Wars: Republic Heroes, available for PC and all consoles on either September 15th or October 6th (information conflicts right now); and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – Ultimate Sith Edition out in time for the holidays. Also, Novermber 3rd should see the release of the Season 1 Box Set of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

A director has been assigned for the upcoming feature film version of UFO. Visual effects supervisor Matthew Gratzner, who’s work includes Hancock and Iron Man, will get his first look in the director’s chair for the remake of the Gerry Anderson classic. No casting news has been mentioned, but there is already a script and some pre-production activity is already under way.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince conjured $79.5 million in its first weekend, and bringing its total up to $159.7m since its Wednesday opening, making it the biggest opening in the franchise to date. I don’t have a full review ready, but I thought the movie was good, but lacking in something. It just didn’t feel as intense as I was expecting. Of course large portions of the book needed to be left out, but they also added at least one scene that wasn’t in the book, and modified an important scene slightly but in a way that seemed to really change the possible actions of a character…