Sci-Fi Storm

It appears to be the end of the road for Ash Williams after three movies (and a cameo in the 2013 soft remake/continuation, plus a prototype film), comics, video games and now three seasons on TV. Starz has elected not to renew Ash vs. Evil Dead, and as such the third season finale on April 29th will serve as the series finale.

The gory horror-comedy franchise was created by Sam Raimi, with longtime partner Rob Tapert producing. It follows Ash (played like no one else could by Bruce Campbell) as he encounters the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, a Sumerian book which unleashes the undead upon the inhabitants of a cabin in the woods, and later transports him to middle-ages England to fight the forces of the dead again.

Campbell tweeted:

Ash Vs Evil Dead has been the ride of a lifetime. Ash Williams was the role of a lifetime.

I will always be grateful to Starz, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and our tireless fans for the opportunity to revisit the franchise that launched our careers. Thank you! 😎 pic.twitter.com/oNmTopS1Ab

— Bruce Campbell (@GroovyBruce) April 20, 2018

In a bit of a surprise announcement, SpikeTV announced today that they will be taking on the second season of The Shannara Chronicles which will air this Fall.

The first season of the original scripted drama, based on the best-selling fantasy book series by Terry Brooks, debuted on MTV in 2016.

Filmed on location in New Zealand, the new season will consist of 10 one-hour episodes. Details of the premiere date and time for season two will be announced in the coming weeks.

Spike will introduce its viewers to the critically-acclaimed series this summer as it will encore season one beginning on Thursday, June 29 at 11:00pm ET/PT, directly following the Spike original series, The Mist.

The Shannara Chronicles stars Austin Butler (Wil), Ivana Baquero (Eretria), Manu Bennett (Allanon), Aaron Jakubenko (Ander) and Marcus Vanco (Bandon) along with new cast members Vanessa Morgan (Lyria), Malese Jow (Mareth), Gentry White (Garet), Caroline Chikezie (Queen Tamlin), and Desmond Chiam (General Riga).

Season two takes place one year after the events of last season. The Four Lands are in chaos. The re-emergence of magic has the populace terrified, and an organization called The Crimson is hunting down magic users, using fear and intimidation to sow discord among the races. Wil, scarred by the loss of Amberle and his separation from Eretria, has turned his back on his magical destiny to become a healer. But when a mysterious woman named Mareth saves Wil from a Crimson attack, he is forced to rejoin the fight.

The Shannara Chronicles is created by Al Gough and Miles Millar based on the Shannara series of books written by Terry Brooks. The series is executive produced by Gough & Millar, Brooks, Jon Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, and Dan Farah. The series is produced and distributed worldwide by Sonar Entertainment in association with Millar/Gough Ink and Farah Films.

In less surprising news, Starz has renewed American Gods for a second season after just two episodes. The show, based on the novel of the same name by author Neil Gaiman, follows Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle, The 100) after he is released from prison and recruited by the mysterious Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) into what appears to be a supernatural war between the gods of the Old World, brought to America by the immigrants, and the “new” gods, led by Technical Boy (Bruce Langley, Deadly Waters) and Media (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files – who appears in the form of Lucille Ball/Lucy Ricardo). The show is produced by FremantleMedia North America, with Bryan Fuller and Michael Green serving as executive producers/showrunners and also writing for the show.

Genesis Rodriguez (Big Hero 6, Identity Thief) has been cast as the female lead in the upcoming Starz series pilot Time After Time. Rodriguez will play Jane Walker, the museum curator who catches H.G. Wells’ eye in modern-day New York City. Wells is being played by Freddie Stroma.

Starz has finally set the premiere date of the eagerly anticipated TV adaption of Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling book series being executive produced by Ron Moore (Helix, Battlestar Galactica). The 16-episode first season will premiere on August 9th at 9/8c.

The story follows Claire Randall (Super 8), a combat nurse in 1945, who while on holiday attempting to repair a strained relationship with her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies, Casino Royale), suddenly finds herself in 1743 Scotland and striking up a relationship with Scottish rebel Jamie (Sam Heughan, A Princess for Christmas).

J. Michael Straczynski has been teasing about some announcement Saturday at his spotlight session at SDCC on his Facebook page – he’s calling it a “meeting of the clans”, referring to the fans of his rather diverse work, from comics to Babylon 5 to movies, and this might not be what he is alluding to (will I have any spies at SDCC? Alas, I can’t attend yet again 🙁 ), but STARZ announced a couple of series in development, one of which he is involved with. [Edit: See the next article]

The first project, titled Incursion, comes from Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight and is described as “an epic science fiction action-thriller that follows a squad of soldiers caught in a war against a hostile alien race. Each season the battle will be fought on a new, exotic planet as humanity punches deeper into enemy territory. Grittily realistic combat, darkly complex characters and intrigue on a cosmic scale will permeate the tale of fighting men and women facing the pressures of war and an enemy unlike any ever seen.”

In the second, JMS is teaming with horror master Roy Lee (The Ring, The Strangers, The Woman in Black) and producer Rob Tapert (Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess, Evil Dead) to develop Vlad Dracula, a unique spin of the classic tale, blending the historical facts of the 15th century Prince of Wallachia, with the fictional Dracula whose story is known around the world and continues to fascinate audiences. “Vlad Dracula” traces his evolution from a revered ruler to the world’s most feared vampire, and his slow downfall as he struggles desperately to hang on to his humanity, his wife and his kingdom.

Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director of STARZ, called all 4 of them “legendary talents, having created some of the most groundbreaking and iconic television series with incredibly passionate fan bases the world over.”

STARZ announced today the upcoming season of the international hit series “Spartacus” will be the conclusion of the saga. With a visual style completely unique to television, the franchise has amassed both critical and popular acclaim to become the most successful on the network and one of the highest rated programs in all of cable television. More than six million weekly viewers watched last season, “Spartacus: Vengeance,” which has amassed more than 2.5 million Facebook fans. Globally, the series airs in 150 countries in more than 15 languages.

“The fans have been tremendously supportive of our show,” says creator and executive producer, Steven S. DeKnight. “We did not come to this decision lightly. It was an extremely difficult and emotional decision for my partners and I. Yet, in the end, the story was best served by rolling all of the remaining action and drama of Spartacus’ journey into one stunningly epic season that will be extremely satisfying for everyone who’s been along for the ride.”
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