Sci-Fi Storm

With this early morning’s successful launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to make the first private space flight delivery to the International Space Station to demonstrate the Dragon capsule, but there was a second container in the second stage – a Celestis canister which contained the ashes of 308 individuals, including Star Trek actor James Doohan and Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper.

This is the third time the ashes of Doohan and Cooper have been launched towards space. The first time was a suborbital flight in 2007, and then SpaceX attempted in 2008 to reach orbit aboard a Falcon 1, but it failed after launch.

The ashes expect to remain in orbit about a year before being incinerated during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who stole the TV screen for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC’s modern retelling Sherlock, and will be the voice of the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit and the unconfirmed-but-everyone-is-pretty-certain-who-it-is villain in the sequel to Star Trek, appeared on VH1’s Big Morning Buzz, and discussed a bit about his Sherlock role and how he auditioned for the role on Star Trek via iPhone…check the excerpt below.

The second series of Sherlock will air on local PBS stations this weekend under Masterpiece Mystery!.
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You may have heard about an unproduced script for the original Star Trek from writer Norman Spinrad, who also wrote “The Doomsday Machine”. It had been rediscovered, and Spinrad began selling digital copies and was going to direct the episode for Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II, the fan-led continuation of the original series. That was, until CBS decided they couldn’t.

CBS owns all the TV rights, including any scripts produced and paid for of the original series, whether they were filmed or not. They haven’t really interfered with STNV, and in fact have a good relationship, especially since STNV hasn’t really profited on it’s production. And they didn’t seem to care when an unproduced script from Star Trek: The Next Generation by David Gerrold got the STNV treatment. But apparently CBS thought this was different, serving a cease-and-desist notice to STNV to stop production and to Spinrad to stop selling.

Both appear to have happily complied, although Spinrad’s own response on the matter (the date on it is confusing – he updated the original post, and it retains the original date) is a bit more lawyer-ish, and as part of the settlement, he apparently cannot comment further on it.

So it appears that the project is dead, at least for now, until CBS changes their mind.

Actor Warren Stevens, who made many, many guest appearances on television in the 60s and 70s, and can best be remembered by SF fans as Doc in Forbidden Planet as well as Rojan, the Kelvan Empire commander who tries to take the Enterprise to the Andromeda galaxy in the original Star Trek episode “By Any Other Name”, passed away at the age of 92.

Wacky crossovers between franchises have existed for many, many years…mostly in the area of fan fiction. But now it seems there could be an official crossover between two major franchises – Doctor Who (in the form of current Doctor Matt Smith, plus Amy and Rory) and Star Trek (in the form of The Next Generation crew). But before you get too excited, it’s not like it will be an episode of either. Instead it will take place as a comic series published by IDW, and apparently with the blessings of both rights holders.

More details are expected to be revealed at Gallifrey One next week.

Hot on the heels of the earlier announcement, another British actor is scored for Star Trek 2: Benedict Cumberbatch, who’s been pretty hot lately. After starring in the British mini-series Sherlock (with more episodes currently airing in the UK), he scored roles in The War Horse and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and is playing two rules in the upcoming The Hobbit films – the voice of the Necromancer and Smaug the Dragon.

Deadline reports that Cumberbatch will be playing a lead role, but nothing more. Could he be a villain? Khan?

In a cross-franchise, cross-ocean move, Noel Clarke, who played the recurring role of Rose Tyler’s boyfriend Mickey Smith on Doctor Who, is joining the cast of Star Trek 2 in an unnamed role, but the character is described as “a family man with a wife and young daughter.”

Clarke joins fellow British actors Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League) and Simon Pegg (returning as Scotty).

Star Trek 2 is scheduled for release on May 17th, 2013.

Meant to mention this yesterday…Variety reports that J.J. Abrams is now eying Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez (Carlos) to replace Benicio Del Toro for the lead villain role in Star Trek 2 that Abrams still won’t tell us is Khan. Abrams is believed to be looking to make a decision quick in order to get production moving forward, after negotiations with Del Toro fell apart.

Columbiana star Jordi Mollà is also reportedly up for the role.

Apparently the hot rumors that Benicio Del Toro (The Wolfman) would play the bad guy in Star Trek 2 – rumored to be Khan himself – aren’t true. Vulture reports that negotiations fell apart last week for him to take the role. But is the role to be Khan, played both in the original series and again in the second original timeline movie by the late Ricardo Montalban? Vulture reports that their insiders say it is true – but in reading last Friday’s report from Hitfix saying Del Toro was out, I’m also reading another possibility. Hitfix says when asked about the report that Del Toro was signed to play Khan, J.J. Abrams only response was, “Not true.” Which isn’t true? That Del Toro was signed, or that the role isn’t Khan? It does seem likely that Khan is the villain, but who knows.

I’m sure there will be a few more rumors to go before we get the real lowdown.

Paramount has slated the long-awaited Star Trek sequel for a May 17th, 2013 release date, according to Deadline. The sequel, currently being co-written by directory J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, will also be made in 3D.

Earlier today, J.J. confirmed that he was looking for Benicio del Toro to have a role as a villain. Nothing has been revealed about what the role is, but speculation among the fanbase is that it could be Khan Noonian Singh.