Sci-Fi Storm

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?!?

The BBC is confirming today that there are no plans to film any additional episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures after the sudden passing of its star, Elisabeth Sladen, two weeks ago. However, they will air six episodes that had already been filmed at some point on CBBC, at a date to be determined.

Apparently Brit tabloid The Sun had claimed that production would continue – which would not be unheard of. After all, fans of British SF know that Blake’s 7 went two extra years after the title star left the show. This situation felt different, though.

Now, we don’t know if there is a special 50th anniversary episode/special planned for Doctor Who – it isn’t due for two years – but if you ask current show runner Steven Moffat his reactions do seem to indicate he is thinking about it at least. The hope is something akin to a “The Five Doctors” special, with all the available Doctors appearing.

Christopher Eccleston, who helped revitalize the franchise with his broody portrayal of the Doctor’s ninth incarnation, has definitely been thinking about it – and the answer is a pretty definite “no”. In an interview with Graham Norton on Radio 2, he said specifically, “No, never bathe in the same river twice.”

Now, of course, things could change – but Eccleston has seemed pretty adamant that he has done what he wanted, he’s proud of it, but it’s done and he’s moving on.

We’re a month away from the June 4th debut of the Syfy original movie Red Faction: Origins, starring Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) and Stargate Universe‘s Brian J. Smith, so check out the trailer below along with extended information about the upcoming movie as well as the latest installment in the video game franchise, [asin=B003P9C6QY]Red Faction: Armageddon[/asin], to be released on May 31st.
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Sadly, Stargate Universe ends its run next Monday.

In the sneak peek clip of the Series Finale of Stargate Universe, Eli and Rush think they’ve found a way to control the drones so that the Destiny can navigate to other planets to re-supply and ultimately reach the end of the galaxy. As Eli begins to break down the findings for the Colonel it is revealed that the drones are literally waiting at every gate between their current location and the edge of the galaxy. Basically, Eli thinks they’re screwed. Watch the clip and tune into the finale on Monday at 9/8c only on Syfy to find out if the Destiny can make it through the minefield of drones and find the other end safely.

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In the next sneak peek clip of an all-new episode of Sanctuary, Will and Henry are taking their ladies to a romantic dinner. They’re fantasizing about how delicious their meal will be once they drop off a package and get to the restaurant. During the ride the package starts to emit a gas that causes Abby to pass out. They realize she simply needs some fresh air because she’s allergic to the gas. A far greater scare comes over Henry and Will when they realize the gas is changing from its original state, as a winged creature flies from the box where it was held, into the sky and into the sewage system. Will stays calm but realizes they now have a lot of trouble on their hands. Watch the clip and tune in on Monday at 10/9c on Syfy to find out exactly how the team plans to tame the creature.

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As I mentioned several days ago, I received an interesting package. This was the preview press kit for the upcoming TNT series Falling Skies, from DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg, and stars Noah Wyle (ER, The Librarian).
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First learned this from a tweet from Wende Doohan, Jimmy Doohan’s widow – William Campbell, best known to Star Trek fans for his fanciful Liberace-like performance of Trelane in “The Squire of Gothos” as well as Klingon captain Koloth in “The Trouble With Tribbles” (a role he reprised on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s episode, “Blood Oath”), passed away peacefully yesterday evening after a long illness.

You’ll hear more about Falling Skies by the end of the weekend, but a very interesting package arrived today. Inside was a satchel…and inside that was a newspaper – well, the front page of the “Boston News”, proclaiming that “WE ARE NOT ALONE!” and that massive ships have appeared over major cities. Sounds like the beginning of many movies – but this is just the very beginning for the upcoming Falling Skies series on TNT, from DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg. Also inside was a DVD case that looks like what I’d expect from an “ultimate platinum collector’s edition” DVD release with the pilot and another episode, and even a guide to the characters.

On the satchel was also a placard, which on the back reads, “If you had to start over, what would you bring?”

Falling Skies will air over 8 weeks, starting with the two-hour premiere on June 19th at 9PM ET/PT.

Expect some insight into the series soon…but no spoilers. Update: You can now read our First Look at Falling Skies article.