Scifi/Horror news

[Brian]

SCI Channel Cancels Painkiller Jane
Source: The Hollywood Reporter August 15, 2007


SCI FI Channel is pulling the plug on "Painkiller Jane," says The Hollywood Reporter.

The action-hero series starring Kristanna Loken is wrapping production on its 22-episode first-season order, which will run as planned. Sixteen episodes have aired so far, with the season/series finale slated for Sept. 21

Based on the comic book of the same name, "Jane" centers on top DEA agent Jane Vasco (Loken), a woman with regenerative powers who joins a covert government agency that hunts down "neuros," people with neurological powers.

[Brian]

A pair of DVD announcements courtesy of Davis DVD.

Warner Home Entertainment made an official announcement on that Poltergeist Special Edition we told you about last month. A 20th anniversary package will arrive on October 9th with a newly remastered 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, a making-of featurette, a gallery, and a two-part documentary called They're Here: The Real World of Poltergeists Revealed (?!).

Further down the ladder, but no less enjoyable, Synapse Films is giving Basket Case 2 some love with an October 30th DVD release. Expect "a brand-new 1.78 anamorphic transfer mastered from a high-definition transfer of the original 35mm camera negative. Bonus materials include 'Beyond The Wicker,' a brand-new making-of featurette, and 'The Man In The Moon Mask' new interview with actor David Emge."

[Brian]

Our last report on Warner Bros.' long-mooted The Lost Boys 2 was a mawkish affair. As it turns out, the on-air wetworks was merely a display of crocodile tears.

ShockTillYouDrop.com has exclusively learned from an anonymous source that the vampire-slayin' Frog Bros. - Feldman and Jamison Newlander - are indeed returning for the next "Lost" adventure...and so is Corey Haim, reprising his role as Sam Emerson.

Lensing begins, with P.J. Pesce (From Dusk Till Dawn 3) at the helm, a week from Monday.

On the newcomer tip, we've also been informed Angus Sutherland - Keifer's half-brother (and son of Donald Sutherland and Francine Racette) - will star as this film's big bad vamp.

Tad Hilgenbrink (next seen in the upcoming Amusement) and Autumn Reeser ("The O.C.") have been cast as the leads.

[Brian]

Roland Emmerich Takes Fantastic Voyage
Source: Variety August 16, 2007


Roland Emmerich will direct a remake of the 1966 sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage for 20th Century Fox. National Treasure screenwriters Marianne and Cormac Wibberley are in talks to pen the script.

"Voyage" is about a scientist who is dying of a blood clot. His only chance for survival is for five scientist colleagues to be miniaturized in a ship, and injected into his bloodstream.

The original, directed by Richard Fleischer, starred Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence.

Emmerich's Centropolis Entertainment partner Michael Wimer will produce with James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.

It is Emmerich's second tour of duty on the project, after being attached a decade ago. The Wibberleys recently took a stab at a draft of "Voyage" that sparked the director's renewed interest in doing the remake.

Emmerich recently completed 10,000 B.C., which will be released March 7 by Warner Bros.

[Brian]

Rosario Dawson Joins Gemini Project
Source: The Hollywood Reporter August 16, 2007


Rosario Dawson is venturing into digital entertainment, partnering with Stan Rogow, Brent Friedman and Jeff Sagansky to produce and star in "The Gemini Division," a live-action/motion-capture animation online sci-fi series, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Dawson also is attached to star in and produce potential TV series, feature film and game versions of "Gemini."

Rogow, Friedman and Sagansky's company, Electric Farm Entertainment, will produce 100 three-minute episodes of "Gemini," which will star Dawson as a New York cop investigating the bizarre murder of her husband and who uncovers a global conspiracy involving the creation of simulated live forms that have assimilated with the unsuspecting public.

[Brian]

Ray Stevenson Talks Punisher
Source: Advanced Dark August 20, 2007


Superhero Hype! message board member 'Advanced Dark' talked to Ray Stevenson via e-mail at Ray-Stevenson.com about playing the new Frank Castle in Lionsgate's The Punisher: Welcome Back Frank, to be directed by Lexi Alexander. Here is what the actor said about taking on the role:

Although i am still very much in the embrionic stages of developing and discovering FRANK CASTLE's character; what i can say about my approach so far is that I dont wish for anyone to walk out of the theatre wanting to 'be' FRANK CASTLE - Let me explain, I would be mortified if, for any reason, some kid at high school wanted to reach out and right the wrongs of bullying or rejection or isolation by deciding to "tool up" and take out the bad guys ! It is my full intention to have FRANK in such a dark place and do such violence on those beyond redemption that you should feel glad that there is someone who lives in the dark so we may live in the light. (and you cant wait to see what hell he brings to those targeted by him) My training program is the most comprehensive i have ever undertaken and hopefully we will bring all his skills to bear - and then some! Sorry it is a bit sketchy at this stage but we are driving forward and will stay true to the essence of THE PUNISHER!

The new movie is scheduled for a 2008 release.

[Brian]

What exists of Dean Koontz's successful "Frankenstein" trilogy is being carried over to another medium for a comic book adaptation.

Les and Ernst Dabel, the duo behind Marvel's "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" and 2003's adaptation of George R. R. Martin's "The Hedge Knight", are flying on their own these days and have made "Frankenstein" their priority number one.

Currently, only two books exist for adaptation: "Prodigal Son" and "City of Night," a third is on the way.

Here's the publisher's breakdown of Koontz's story: Every city has secrets. But none as terrible as this. His name is Deucalion (previously known as Frankenstein's monster), a tattooed man of mysterious origin, a sleight-of-reality artist who's traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death. He arrives in New Orleans as a serial killer stalks the streets, a killer who carefully selects his victims for the humanity that is missing in himself. Detective Carson O'Connor is cool, cynical, and every bit as tough as she looks. Her partner Michael Maddison would back her up all the way to Hell itself—and that just may be where this case ends up. For the no-nonsense O'Connor is suddenly talking about an ages-old conspiracy, a near immortal race of beings, and killers that are more—and less—than human. Soon it will be clear that as crazy as she sounds, the truth is even more ominous. For their quarry isn't merely a homicidal maniac—but his deranged maker, Dr. Frankenstein—now known as Victor Helios.

Sound familiar? It might. Koontz's premise was worked into a made-for-TV movie, starring Parker Posey, that was supposed to be a diving board for an original series. Due to creative issues, Koontz backed away from the project yet allowed USA to use his name. "Prodigy" hit shelves shortly after the broadcast.

"I'm delighted that Frankenstein will come to life in comic book form," says Koontz in a press release. "And that the project is being guided by such capable hands as those of the Dabel Brothers. I usually don't say things like 'they rock,' but it's inescapable: 'they rock.'"

The first issue of the monthly comic book adaptation is set to arrive on shelves in February, 2008. No contributing artists have been named.

[Brian]

Conan Film Rights Go to Millennium
Source: Variety August 12, 2007


Millennium Films has acquired the rights to make a new series of films based on Robert E. Howard's mythical conqueror Conan the Barbarian.

Paradox Entertainment president-CEO Fredrik Malmberg chose Millennium after extricating the rights from Warner Bros. last spring and putting them on the market with strict progress-to-production provisions in mid-June.

Malmberg will produce with Millennium's Avi Lerner, Boaz Davidson, Joe Gatta and George Furla. Millennium either will fully finance or partner with a distributor, with discussions to begin this week.

The company's aim is to start production by next spring.

The franchise that launched the film career of Arnold Schwarzenegger in its first big screen go-round.

Millennium is in production on the Al Pacino-Robert De Niro starrer Righteous Kill and the Sylvester Stallone starrer John Rambo, but the Conan movie will be the most ambitious project it has mounted.

The new version will be more faithful to Howard's original creation than were the Schwarzenegger films.

[Brian]

Andrew Currie Pilots Space Invader
Source: The Hollywood Reporter August 10, 2007


Andrew Currie (Fido) will direct Space Invader, the Fox Atomic comedy that will star Will Arnett. Arnett also will produce the film along with Peter Principato and Paul Young.

"Space" centers on Doug Huggins, the son of a NASA legend, who is terrified of flying. When Huggins learns that his girlfriend, a rising aeronautic star, has been chosen to fly to the International Space Station with Stamp, a spaceman who is God's gift to space travel, he must overcome his fears and travel to space to win her back.

Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger wrote the script. Robbie Brenner and John Davis are executive producing.

[Brian]

Three More Join Lost
Source: TV Guide, E! Online August 23, 2007


Two separate outlets have revealed new cast members for ABC's "Lost". First up, TV Guide says Lance Reddick will play Arthur Stevens:

Sources confirm that The Wire's Lance Reddick has been cast in the recurring role of Arthur Stevens, the intimidating corporate-recruiter character I first told you about in last week's Ask Ausiello. Reddick also had a lengthy arc on HBO's Oz, where he starred opposite returning Lostie Harold Perrineau.

E! Online, meanwhile, added two more names:

We're hearing that creepmaster Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan) is doing eight eps of Lost this season, and one Rebecca Mader will have a major recurring role as well...perhaps as the much discussed Charlotte?

[Brian]

The Earth Stands Still for Keanu
Source: Variety August 27, 2007


Variety reports that actor Keanu Reeves has signed onto Twentieth Century Fox's remake of the 1951 science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, to be directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) from a script by David Scarpa.

Reeves will be playing the part of Klaatu, a humanoid alien who arrives on Earth accompanied by an indestructible, heavily armed robot and a warning to world leaders that their continued aggression will lead to annihilation by species watching from afar.

The production is looking at a late fall or early 2008 start as a planned tentpole for the studio.

Returning Reeves to the world of science fiction for the first time since "The Matrix" trilogy, plans are to update the original 1951 movie, which was directed by Robert Wise, using the advances in visual effects. The role of Klaatu in the original movie was played by Michael Rennie.

[Brian]

Fourth Horseman Rides Into Intrepid
Source: Variety August 28, 2007


Intrepid Pictures has acquired supernatural thriller The Fourth Horseman, written by Marshall Uzzle and Perry Fair, and set it up with Intrepid partners Marc D. Evans and Trevor Macy along with Mike Karz.

The writing team of F. Paul Benz and Steve Tomlin (Snow Blind) has been brought in to rewrite.

"Horseman" centers on a young priest's battle to thwart the rise of the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, when three of the horsemen -- War, Pestilence and Famine -- await the birth of their fourth brother so they can fulfill their destiny and bring about the end of times.

Intrepid's upcoming releases include Balls of Fury, opening Wednesday, and The Strangers, to be released by Rogue in early 2008. The company is also producing Doomsday with Crystal Sky and Couriers with Jason Netter of Kickstart Comic Art Studios and executive producer Ken Levin.

[Brian]

Zombie Signs Two-Pic Deal at Dimension
Source: Variety August 28, 2007


Dimension Films has signed a two-picture deal with writer-director Rob Zombie, reports Variety. Andy Gould, Zombie's longtime manager and producing partner, has boarded both projects as producer.

The deal comes as Dimension and distribution partner MGM prepare to release Zombie's Halloween nationwide this weekend.

Per the terms of the two-pic deal, Zombie will write and direct both titles, although Dimension didn't release any further details about the projects, including whether they would be horror films.

"We are excited about his fresh take on 'Halloween' and are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with him on future projects," Dimension topper Bob Weinstein said. "We admire Rob for all the roles he plays, both as a director and writer."

Zombie said the two-picture deal with Dimension is a "natural step in the evolution of my film career."

[Brian]

Goyer on Magneto and Super Max
Source: Wizard August 29, 2007


Wizard caught up with David Goyer at Wizard World Chicago and asked him about Magneto, the "X-Men" spinoff he's writing and directing:

"We're scouting and budgeting now. It's the origins of the X-Men with Magneto and Charles Xavier. We've done some scouts and it mostly takes place in Europe and Argentina. We're doing budgets and we're sort of halfway crewed up, and so that'll be the big question: whether we can bring it in for a price. But that's all I can say."

He also talked a bit more about Super Max, which he is producing. Justing Marks is writing the film about Green Arrow, who is being wrongly imprisoned in a jail for supervillains:

"We haven't even officially turned in a script for that yet. The idea is that they're mostly sort of third-tier DC villains, but that was part of the fun, that they're relatively obscure. But Icicle is in it from JSA—from my days on writing that. I mean, people will recognize most of them. What we did was present to DC a list of people we wanted, and then they went through it on a case-by-case basis and told us whether we could have them or not."

[Brian]

Tron Director to Helm Soul Code
Source: Variety September 5, 2007


Tron writer/director Steven Lisberger has sold Soul Code, a futuristic tale he wrote, to Reliant Pictures.

Lisberger will direct the story of a tech pioneer who has perfected a way to download and transfer a person's memory. The script examines what happens when her memory is placed into a much younger woman's body.

"The same way 'Tron' was ahead of its time, this is way ahead of its time," said Reliant's Thom Mount.

After 1982's Tron, Lisberger directed Hot Pursuit, starring John Cusack, and Slipstream, with Mark Hamill, before retrenching to focus on his writing. He wrote a Tron sequel several years ago but the movie stalled amid Disney regime changes.