Battlestar_fleming Singer has long been intrigued with "Battlestar Galactica" and flirted with relaunching it into a TV series right after he directed the original "X-Men." Back in 2001 I wrote about his plan, which involved teaming with Tom DeSanto to exec produce the series. Singer planned to direct the pilot of the new version of a series that originally launched on ABC in 1978 and ran two seasons. Here is what he said at the time, comments that certainly proved prescient:

"The lesson I learned on `X-Men' is to have a healthy respect for the fan base of sci-fi fantasy franchises, and I'm confident that the `Galactica' brand is a sleeping giant. It was a show I watched during its initial run, from the pilot to the final episode. The essence and the brand name is quite potent in a climate where there's a great deficit of scifi programming."

It is possible that the timing of the series went awry because of the World Trade Center disaster that occurred later that year. Certainly, it made a series that launched with the attack and destruction of earth unpalatable. The director got busy on other projects. Ronald Moore came on as executive producer and oversaw the 73-episode series relaunch, which had a critically acclaimed run on Syfy.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Moore would be invited to write the screenplay, but it is clear that Singer will put his own creative stamp on the project as the studio indicates that the film will be "a complete re-imagination."

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Ron Livingston Talks Defying Gravity



Ron Livingston talks about Defying Gravity the sexy new science fiction thriller series from ABC. The series involves a group of astronauts on a six month mission to tour the solar system on the spaceship Antares. The future has changed some - Roe v. Wade has been overturned and pregnancy tests have been outlawed. The special effects are very good and the series is intriguing so far. You can still catch the pilot here on Hulu.

Livingston said they wanted the show to have the "right around the corner" feel - not something that is centuries away.



Posted on August 3, 2009
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Colin Ferguson and Salli Richardson-Whitfield Talk Eureka



The Fresno Bee has an interview with Colin Ferguson who plays Sheriff Jack Carter on Syfy's hit show Eureka. Jack Carter is not as smart as the other people in the town packed with geniuses but he is plenty capable and he is learning. Ferguson says the writers actually ran out of ideas a couple times during the first two seasons because the far out plots are difficult to come up with.

"Look, there are only so many ways I can go 'What?!' before people start assuming I don't know anything," Ferguson said during an interview at the Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa in late April. "It was easier to write the character stupid. Over time, they decided to make the character better. In recent seasons they have done a good job of making him smarter. And, he is still learning."

Carter had to learn because his job has been complicated by the science projects of the local residents (everything from the creation of black holes to turning people into gold). The plots are so far out there, the writers actually hit points in the first and second seasons where they ran out of ideas.

If they missed on a couple episodes we sure didn't notice. The show never seems lacking for originality or humor. Eureka star Salli Richardson-Whitfield talks about the show in the clip below. She says they wove her actual pregnancy into the plot last season. She also mentions the alien encounter that may take place this season. Take a look:.



Posted on July 29, 2009
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Video: Kristen Bell Talks Astro Boy and the Veronica Mars Movie

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Kristen Bell and Freddie Highmore about their next film, Astro Boy. Kristen is an old hand at Comic Con, so she talks about cons gone by and the status of the proposed Veronica Mars movie. She says they want to make it, but they have to convince Warner Bros to make the film. Take a look:



Posted on July 24, 2009
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David Leslie Johnson to Pen Bug Thriller

Variety reports that Orphan scribe David Leslie Johnson is going to write the script for a movie called The Colony. The movie is being pitched as The Birds with bugs. That sounds creepy enough.

The thriller is based on a pitch by Stacy Title and Jonathan Penner. It's described as "The Birds" with bugs.

Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison produce along with Steven Schneider.

Producers took the project to Participant, which bought it with the initial intention to develop and finance the film inhouse. Jonathan King and Erin Stam are Participant's execs on the project.

There's not a lot of information about The Colony available yet. ComingSoon.net's listing calls it an eco-horror film.

Posted on July 22, 2009
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Producers Option James Robert Smith's The Flock

Hollywood Reproter writers that Producers Don Murphy and John Wells have optioned James Robert Smith's novel The Flock. The Flock tells the story of a very intelligent flock of prehistoric birds discovered in the Florida Everglades.

Murphy, a producer on "Transformers" with Tom DeSanto and Lorenzo DiBonaventura, discovered Smith and his book by chance. Murphy was on the blog of Eddie Campbell, the artist of "From Hell," an Alan Moore graphic novel whose big-screen translation was produced by Murphy.

Smith was posting comments critical of the film, putting Murphy on the defensive. Eager to find out more about the poster, Murphy discovered Smith had written a book. He quickly ordered it, expecting to hate it and ready to trash it. To his surprise, he fell for it.

It certainly sounds like something that could be made into an exciting action/science fiction movie.

Posted on July 13, 2009
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The Mystery of Warehouse 13

We watched the premiere of Syfy's Warehouse 13 and found it mildly enjoyable, although it was a bit of a bumpy start. It's sort of like a cross between Friday the 13th and The X-Files, which generally would be a good thing. But something was off: the timing, the writing, something. We also didn't like the mix of old technology with new (the ridiculous two-way communicating devices, the warehouse curator's ancient typwriter keyboard interface to the highly advanced computer system, etc.) If the artifacts are all ancient, then the technology at least needs to be modern or futuristic. It gave off a strange Wild, Wild West vibe which wasn't working. And we still don't understand what Lucretia Borgia's jeweled hair ornament was trying to do. Take over the world? Really? A hair ornament trying to take over the world?

The show was co-written by the amazingly talented Jane Espenson and so we'll tune in for episode two to see if they can get the kinks worked out. In this video clip Eddie McClintock talks about the show and next week's guest appearance by Tricia Helfer. Take a look:



Posted on July 9, 2009
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SyFy to Remake Alien Nation

Variety reports that SyFy wants to redo the 1989 tv show, Alien Nation. Angel screenwriter Tim Minear is writing the pilot.

"Angel" alum Tim Minear -- no stranger to sci-fi tales, having worked on "The X-Files," "Firefly" and "Strange World" -- is penning the fresh take on the franchise. Fox 21, the alternative production arm of 20th Century Fox TV, will produce.

"Alien Nation" centers on the partnership between a veteran cop and his alien detective partner, set against the larger tale of alien "newcomers" who move to Earth and attempt to assimilate into society.

Fox 21 topper Chris Carlisle said he believed "Alien Nation" could rep the next franchise revival for Sci Fi, which found huge success in dusting off "Battlestar Galactica" and reworking it for today's auds. Carlisle said "Alien Nation" works both as a sci-fi piece and a procedural drama.

Variety says the show will take place in the 2020s. It's been 20 years since the Alien ship crashlanded on Earth and the alien population has grown to a few million.

Posted on July 6, 2009
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Another Transformers 2 Trailer

As the U.S. premiere date of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen approaches, the studio is releasing more trailers. Here's the latest one. The film opens in wide release on June 24. Take a look:



Posted on June 15, 2009
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Finding the Easter Eggs in the Star Trek Movie

Trekmovie.com has compiled a list of all the inside jokes, Easter eggs and other references in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie. R2D2 even made an appearance in the film -- which we totally missed.

R2-D2 LOCATION ANSWER (**SPOILER ALERT**)

During the Drill Machine sequence as the Enterprise comes out of its barrel role amidst destruction of the other Federation ships above Vulcan, we cut to an interior Enterprise bridge over the shoulder of Kirk that is looking out through the front viewscreen. In space, R2-D2 is floating in the debris from about the top middle of the screen to the bottom right.

See the rest of the list here. We did catch most of those, but not all.

Posted on June 11, 2009
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Brief Sneak Look at The Prisoner

We loved Patrick McGoohan in The Prisoner and were a bit worried about what they would do to the remake. But this very, very short clip from reboot starring Ian McKellan (as Number 2) and Jim Caveziel (as the imprisoned Number 6) already has us convinced. We'll be tuning in. Take a look:



You can watch a digitally remastered version of the entire series at AMC.com.

Posted on June 3, 2009
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Leaked Avatar Concept Art



Above is some leaked concept art for James Cameron's 3-D adventure Avatar. It is impressive looking. If you look closer at the art on Marketsaw - which warns of spoilers - you can see a man inside the huge robotic exoskeleton (power suit).

(via Vulture)

Posted on May 31, 2009
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Sleestaks: Mysterious Race in Land of the Lost



The Sleestaks make in apperance in the upcoming film, Land of the Lost that is based on the 1970s tv series. Here's how Will Ferrell's character Dr. Rick Marshall describes the creatures in a postcard from Land of the Lost.

"Sleestaks! We finally encountered the mysterious race. They look like lizards, have big, black eyes and a horn atop their head and, most importantly, like Sean Penn, they don't appreciate being photographed!"

They look pretty similar to the Sleestaks from the tv show.



Posted on May 27, 2009
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Trailer for V

V is returning to television as a series on ABC. And this time, Morena Baccarin is the beautiful face of the aliens who call themselves the Visitors and claim to be a peaceful that only wants to help mankind. Ha! They're clearly up to no good. The show stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry, Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie Stevens, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker. Here's the trailer:



Posted on May 20, 2009
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Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus Trailer



This is one of the most over-the-top monster movies ever. In Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, the California coast is terrorized by two enormous prehistoric sea creatures as they battle each other for supremacy of the sea. The film's unlikely stars include Debbie Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas. More information about the film can be found here on Asylum's website. Here's the trailer.



Posted on May 12, 2009
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