"Twilight" scripter Melissa Rosenberg handed in a draft of "New Moon" the weekend that "Twilight" opened. Hardwicke wanted more time to work on it; Summit announced it was going ahead with "New Moon" on November 22, with no director attached. Negotiations lasted two weeks before Hardwicke formally passed on the film Saturday.

As word spread through Hollywood agencies that the talks might not result in Hardwicke's return, reports surfaced that Summit was checking out other directors for the "Twilight" franchise while they insisted they were still negotiating with Hardwicke, who delivered the biggest opening weekend ever for a woman. (CAA denies that they were soliciting other directors.) The movie is still going strong as the director and cast promote it overseas; it came in second this weekend with $13.2 million, grossing a total $138.6 million.

The problem that stalled negotiations was that Hardwicke had strong opinions about what to do with the next installment, and so did Summit. The debate was how to focus the adaptation of the second book, which deals more with giant werewolves than vampires, as well as the long depression of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), after her vampire lover (Rob Pattinson) leaves her. One issue was how to get more of teen heartthrob Pattinson into the film. (Rosenberg has figured out a device to achieve this.) But Hardwicke, burned out from her "Twilight" labors, simply wasn't willing to jam this movie with a script that still needed months of development.

"I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct 'New Moon,'" said Hardwicke. "Directing 'Twilight' has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel -- it is a great story."

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Twilight Rocks the Box Office , Pattinson Gets a Raise



Twilight rocked the box office this past weekend, bringing in more than $70.6 million. Two sequels to the film has been given the go ahead, and Robert Pattinson is getting a nice raise in salary.

So, not only have deals been cut for a not-unexpected second ''Twilight'' film (based on Meyer's New Moon book), but I've learned a third film is also virtually a done deal, based on Meyer's Eclipse novel -- though that won't be confirmed for some time.

Also, sources say stars Robert Pattinson, 22, and Kristin Stewart, 18, will get huge salary boosts from the $2 million each earned for "Twilight" -- reportedly $10 million more, per film, plus a nice percentage of the future movies' box-office take.

While Pattinson and Stewart are coming back as the romantic vampire Edward Cullen and his young human love Bella Swan, it's not confirmed that director Catherine Hardwicke will be back behind the camera. The director told the AP Sunday, "I want to be sure that [the second film is] going to be done right. I don't want to rush into it. It's not like 'Friday, the 13th' or 'Halloween,' you can't just do it super fast and knock another one out." Hardwicke indicated she wanted to be sure she and the film's producers were on the same page going forward.

Hardwicke's comments are pretty odd. We're thinking that the producers are looking for another director. Fans love Twilight, but critics have been less kind, especially when commenting on the direction.

Posted on November 24, 2008
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Robert Pattinson Talks Twilight

In case you've been in a coma for the past few months, there's a new vampire movie coming out called Twilight, based on the bestselling series by Stephenie Meyers. Robert Pattinson stars as Edward Cullen and his mere appearance at malls has cause riots. Seriously, it has. The hot film is already selling out its first showings in some locations. Here's Pattinson talking about the film.



Posted on November 13, 2008
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Ridley Scott to Direct The Forever War

Ridley Scott has signed on to direct the film version of Joe Haldeman's book, The Forever War.

After the disappointing box office performance of his film Body of Lies last weekend, the director Ridley Scott, below, has added an adaptation of Joe Haldeman's science-fiction novel The Forever War to his roster of projects, Variety reported. Mr. Scott first became interested in making a movie of the novel more than 25 years ago, after coming to prominence with the sci-fi films Alien and Blade Runner. Over the weekend Mr. Scott's Mideast spy thriller, Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, grossed just $13.1 million at its opening, finishing in third place behind Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Quarantine. Mr. Scott’s next directorial effort is expected to be Nottingham, a retelling of the story of Robin Hood, starring Mr. Crowe as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

We certainly hope he has better luck with The Forever War than he did with Body of Lies. To be beaten by Beverly Hills Chihuahua is just humiliating -- and does not bode well for the future of moviemaking.

Posted on October 17, 2008
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Twilight Most Anticipated Fall Film Reports Fandago

MTV reports that a poll on Fandango has found that the most anticipated movie coming out this Fall is the Twilight move based on the popular Stephenie Meyer fantasy novel series.

It's not "High School Musical 3." It's not the new James Bond flick, "Quantum of Solace," either. It's certainly no longer "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

When asked the question "If you could choose only one movie to see in the theater in the next four months, which film would be your first choice?" "Twilight," the eagerly anticipated first movie to be adapted from Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster series turned out, in fact, to be the MOST anticipated movie of the fall, according to a recent poll on movie website Fandango.com.

"Twilight" was voted the number one most anticipated film by 34% of nearly 3,500 respondents, handily beating second place finisher "Quantum of Solace" (20%).

"We are surprised by overwhelming buzz for 'Twilight' as the film to beat for the Fall," Rick Butler, Fandango's Chief Operating Officer, told MTV News. "Among all upcoming movies, 'Twilight' has consistently ranked among our top 3 most requested titles [the other two are 'Harry Potter' and 'Watchmen']. Much of the anticipation has to do with the blockbuster novel, and moviegoers looking for a great fantasy in the fall. It appears to have a wide appeal, as parents are also looking for a film they can enjoy along with their teenagers."

The Twilight film comes out on 11-21-08. The Harry Potter film was moved so that gave Twilight an opening. There has been huge buzz for the latest Twilight novel as well. It sold 1.3 million copies shortly after being released. However, some fans were reportedly unhappy about the ending.

Posted on August 28, 2008
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Guillermo del Toro on The Hobbit

Director Guillermo del Toro talks about plans for The Hobbit movie and about working with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson in the video below from ITN. Guillermo del Toro says he is both very nervous and very excited. Guillermo says it is "like being handed the keys to the nuclear button." Guillermo says Jackson knows he cares for the world Jackson created but that he will also have to alter it to make it his own. Let's hope he doesn't change it too much because what Peter Jackson did with Tolkien's novels was wonderful. Please don't nuke The Hobbit Guillermo del Toro!



Posted on August 26, 2008
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The Real Reason Moonlight Was Cancelled

The head programming at CBS reveals why she cancelled Moonlight, which had 8 million viewers and very devoted fans.

At the Television Critics Association event in Beverly Hills, Tassler addressed her decision to ultimately cancel the series. "Well, everybody knows I love vampires, witches, werewolves, warlocks -- I love them all," Tassler said. "The stuff with—the response to Moonlight was actually more actor-centric. So I think it certainly measures our decision on the show, but—right now, like I said, I don't question the choice we made. As I said, I'm not getting as much mail, and most of those comments were actor-centric." She later stated that CBS would love to work with Alex O'Loughlin again.

Tassler had earlier stated that the failure for Jericho to perform when it was brought back did affect how CBS would assess fan support in the future. But, here she stated " I think you're gonna have to look at each as a case-by-case scenario," she says. "And let's not forget that all of that, the e-mails, the barrage of the peanuts and the letters and everything, you've got people that are passionate and at no point are you going to say 'We don't want that.'"

What a load of nonsense. Eight million viewers that could have been parlayed into more with a bit of marketing. Tassler exhibited very poor judgment here.

Posted on August 14, 2008
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George Lucas Talks Indiana Jones 5

George Lucas told MTV that Indiana Jones 5 won't center on Shia LaBeouf's character, Mutt Williams. He says that Indy is Harrison Ford, and that's what the movies are about.

Asked whether he still considered Mutt Williams a strong enough character to drive an "Indiana Jones" film, Lucas was adamant that Indy just isn't Indy without Indy. Or, to put it another way: No. "Indiana Jones is Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones," Lucas said, dismissively adding about a character he helped create that, "If it was Mutt Williams it would be 'Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis' or something."

*****

Of course, talk of an eventual Indiana Jones V is something of a giant hypothetical anyway, even as Lucas continued to stroke the fire of anticipation at his Big Rock Ranch near San Francisco, insisting that work IS being done to find a suitable object for another installment. "We ARE looking for something for him to go after," Lucas said. "They are very hard to find. It's like archeology. It takes a huge amount of research to come up with something that will fit."

Previously, Lucas had said the next film would center on Mutt Williams. Is it because of Shia's continuing run-ins with the law? His most recent DUI and unfortunate car accident that is holding up filming on Transformers 2? It's just not clear.

Posted on August 6, 2008
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Prince of Persia Release Delayed to 2010

The bigscreen and big budget version of the Ubisoft videogame Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is being pushed back to 2010 to allow more time to work on the cgi. Or to keep from competing with Transformers 2, depending on who you believe.

[T]he move takes "Prince of Persia" out of the path of "Transformers 2," which DreamWorks and Paramount open on June 26, 2009. Filmmaker Mike Newell began lensing the pic last week in Morocco and will remain there until the production moves to London.

Decision to delay the release by a year caught some by surprise, although the calendar could continue to see major reshufflings because of the ongoing labor strife in Hollywood. Studios may want to allow for extra cushion in case of any production delays.

Bruckheimer and Disney don't want to take any chances with "Prince of Persia," which they are hoping turns into a mega-franchise, along the lines of "Pirates of the Caribbean," that can feed the entire Disney empire, from sequels to potential TV or direct-to-DVD spinoffs, merchandise and Disney theme-park attractions.

Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina are starring in the film which will now open one week after Shrek Goes Fourth.

Posted on July 31, 2008
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New Trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out: it looks amazing. Tom Riddle (the young Voldemort) is played by Ralph Fiennes' nephew, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. Take a look:



Posted on July 30, 2008
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Hercules Returns to the Silver Screen

Hercules is coming back to the big screen, but the title role won't be filled by Kevin Sorbo the star of the popular television series.

"Hancock" director Peter Berg is spearheading a fresh take on Hercules for Universal. Berg will produce and will develop to direct "Hercules: The Thracian Wars," a co-production of Spyglass Entertainment, Berg's Film 44 and Radical Pictures. Spyglass and Universal will co-finance the film.

Ryan Condal will write the script, based on a five-issue comicbook series by Steve Moore that debuted in May through Radical Publishing. Spyglass' Jonathan Glickman, Roger Birnbaum and Gary Barber will produce with Berg and his Film 44 partner Sarah Aubrey, with Barry Levine producing for Radical. Jesse Berger will exec produce. Levine said the creative partners came together because Glickman, Berg and Aubrey wanted to develop a film that stayed true to the comicbook.

"What resonated for them was that this was character driven, about a character who's more man than god, with conflicts and redemption," Levine said.

Who will be the new Hercules? You can find information about some of the many actors who played Hercules in previous films here.

Posted on July 23, 2008
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Hellboy Talks to James Lipton

Hellboy sits down with James Lipton and answers some typical "Inside the Actors' Studio" type questions. It's quite heartwarming, really.



Posted on July 4, 2008
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Ed Norton is Emotional Over the Hulk

Ed Norton did a hilarious video for Jimmy Kimmel. In it he channels his inner Incredible Hulk. Well, sort of. Take a look:



Posted on June 16, 2008
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Prince Caspian Stars Visit Wall Street

Prince Caspian, the second film in the Narnia series, is expected to be one of this summer's blockbusters. This video from MarketWatch shows actors from the film being interviewed in an unexpected place - the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It may be unusual but it is appropriate - movies are all about making money after all. Richard Cook, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios, even explains why he thinks people will flock to the theatres despite economic concerns like rising gas prices. Cook also plugs Wall-E, a Pixar film coming out later this summer.



Posted on May 25, 2008
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Moonlight Fans Hold Blood Drive



Fans of the show Moonlight are absolutely determined that the show be renewed for a second season. Towards that end, they're launching a blood drive to get publicity for the show. (It's a vampire show, for the uninitiated, hence the blood.)Star Alex O'Loughin will also donate for the cause.

We love Moonlight and hope it returns for another season. You can find out more about the drive or get involved here.

Posted on April 7, 2008
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Heroes and Chuck to Air in Uninterrupted Blocks

Heroes, Medium and Chuck will be returning in lengthy blocks in the fall, according to NBC.

NBC's returning genre shows -- Heroes, Chuck and -- will each air a full complement of original episodes next season, in contrast to this year's strike-truncated season, with Heroes and Chuck set to air without repeats through December. The announcements came at the network's presentation to advertisers in New York on April 2.

"We not only have the biggest star of TV, we have movie stars on NBC," Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, said during the presentation. "The talent on NBC are the breakout talent and the cultural, relevant, leading icons of all of television. It's a hallmark of what we do, and as you'll see, ... all of your favorites are coming back."

Heroes will return to the schedule on Sept. 15 with an hourlong clip show premiering at 8 p.m. ET/PT and a two-hour season premiere airing at 9 p.m., its regular timeslot. Chuck, meanwhile, will debut in the fall in its regular Monday 8 p.m. timeslot. Rounding out a night of genre fare, newcomer My Own Worst Enemy--starring Christian Slater as a man with a Mr. Hyde-like alter ego--will air at 10 p.m.

We like the fact that they will air in blocks: when they chop up the shows into four weeks on, three weeks off, it just ruins the continuity. Who remembers what happened weeks ago? We barely remember what happened yesterday.

Posted on April 5, 2008
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Star Wars Universe Returns to Film, TV



The picture above shows Anakin Skywalker and his new padawan learner Ahoska from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Star Wars: The Clone Wars will premiere as a feature film in August. This will be followed by the debut of the television series on the Cartoon Network in the fall. You can see a sneak peak of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars here (via Fantasy SF Blog).

"I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell," said George Lucas. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward."

Lucasfilm says Star Wars: The Clone Wars showcases an entirely new look and feel to the Star Wars universe. Old favorites like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala will appear alongside new heroes like Anakin's padawan learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains include Palpatine, Count Dooku and General Grievous.

"Nothing like this has ever been produced for television," said Stuart Snyder, President/COO Turner Animation,Young Adults & Kids Media. "For 30 years, Star Wars has shown that it appeals to a huge breadth of fans. The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network will be appointment television for everyone in the family. We're thrilled to be working with Lucasfilm again and very excited to be playing a role in bringing this remarkable adventure to viewers."

Posted on February 19, 2008
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The Sarah Connor Chronicles Starts Tonight

The Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles debuts on Fox tonight and tomorrow night in a two part premiere. Each part is one hour long. The series takes place after the events in the Terminator 2: Judgment Day movie. Sarah Connor and her 15-year-old son John Connor are trying to avoid the FBI while they try to destroy the Skynet computer network and prevent Armageddon.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles reveals what happens when Sarah (Lena Headey) stops running and goes on the offensive against an ever-evolving technological enemy bent on destroying her life, and perhaps the world. Her son, 15-year-old John Connor (Thomas Dekker), knows that he may be the future savior of mankind, but is not yet ready to take on the mantle of leadership that he's told is his destiny. John finds himself inextricably drawn to Cameron (Summer Glau), an enigmatic and otherworldly student at his high school, who soon proves to be much more than his confidante - she assumes the role of Sarah and John's fearless protector. On their trail are not only threats from the future, but an intelligent and tough FBI agent, James Ellison (Richard T.Jones), who soon becomes a powerful ally.

Fox has put together an ambitious website to promote the show here. They might as well since they are running out of original content to show viewers thanks to the ongoing writer's strike.

Posted on January 13, 2008
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Lost Has a New Timeslot, The 4400 and The Dead Zone Canceled

Lost is moving to Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. The move is part of ABC's shuffling of its schedule in response to the ongoing writers' strike.

For those of you who will be looking for Lost next year, you won't find it in the usual spot. Staring down the dimly lit hatch of a spring with no new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters or Desperate Housewives, ABC has opted to move the Emmy-winning Lost to Thursdays at 9 p.m., the time slot that in prestrike days would have played host to the weekly Grey's-CSI battle.

But the scribes are at a standstill, and it's Lost that will be getting the primo prime-time real estate as part of ABC's attempt to make its strike-impacted schedule look as attractive as possible in the absence of the rest of its scripted heavy hitters. Not that Lost's reemergence won't bring along its own set of issues-the castaway drama is still one of myriad series that has only half of its preordered episodes in the can thanks to the writers' strike.

Fox, for instance, opted to postpone the seventh season of 24 indefinitely until it could air an uninterrupted "full day." But apparently ABC has figured that some Lost-eight consecutive new episodes instead of 16-is better than none at all, considering how none too pleased audiences were when the series' third season was interrupted by a three-month hiatus. So, Lost's fourth season will premiere Jan. 31 at 9 p.m., where it will serve as lead-in to the new drama Eli Stone.

In other tv news, USA Network has abruptly canceled The 4400 and The Dead Zone and the word is that there will be no series finale aired. We are not happy about this at all.

Posted on December 20, 2007
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The Hobbit is Back On and Peter Jackson is On Board

It's official-- Peter Jackson has settled his lawsuit with New Line, has sung Kum Ba Yah with former arch-enemy Bob Shaye of New Line so that The Hobbit films can go forward. Yes, that's right, LOTR fans -- the Hobbit is On. Jackson will executive produce the first film, and maybe direct it if he can find the time. He is more likely to direct the second film. A fairly giddy MGM CEO Harry Sloan talked about the deal in an interview:

Can you tease us with who might be in line to direct? Guillermo Del Toro, Sam Raimi...

Well, those are the names that have been mentioned and they're both top directors, excellent directors. It's Peter's project. Peter and Bob Shaye are going to oversee it creatively but in the end ... our choice had always been Peter. But if after he and Fran [Walsh, Jackson's wife] and whoever they work with develop the script, if Peter feels comfortable and Bob feels comfortable with another director, then there will be another director.

Is there any chance that Peter could direct the Hobbit sequel?

Well, he could direct either of them.

He's been busy with The Lovely Bones, so has it been a scheduling thing?

Well, he's got Lovely Bones, he's got Tin Tin, he's got two or three projects, but it is the right time for him to devote his intentions to developing the property and the script with himself and Fran and maybe other writers as well. And once the property is developed and there's a picture that's ready to go, he may consider directing it -- although the second film might be more likely due to scheduling.

Does Peter have the right to refuse a director for this one, or script approval?

Neither us nor New Line would want to hire a director that Peter was not completely comfortable with. Remember it's Peter's project, he's overseeing it. So I don't want to tell you what's legally in the contract.... But we wouldn't do that.

We think Peter should drop everything to write and direct both films. But, alas, he hasn't asked our opinion about what he should do.

Posted on December 18, 2007
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I Am Legend Breaks Box Office Records

Will Smith stole the box office this past weekend: his SF film I Am Legend made a whopping $76.5 million. That is a new box officer record for December that was previously held by Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which opened with $72.6 million in 2003.

In second place was the poorly-reviewed Alvin and the Chipmunks which made $45 million. The Golden Compass hung on for third place, making $9 million. In fourth place was Enchanted which made another $6 million. In fifth place was No Country for Old Men, which made $3 million.

Posted on December 17, 2007
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Enchanted Tops the Box Office

Disney's new film Enchanted laid a spell on moviegoers over the holiday weekend. It topped the box office for the three day weekend, making $35,332,000. The film made $50,048,000 over the five day weekend. In second place was This Christmas which made $18,600,000. In third place was Beowulf, which made $16,240,000. That brings its take so far to $56,361,000.

In fourth place was Fox's Hitman which shook off its terrible reviews to make $13,035,000. In fifth place was Bee Movie, which made another $12,010,000. That brings its total take to date to $112,069,000. Clearly, moviegoers are in a family-friendly frame of mind when it comes to filmgoing.

Posted on November 25, 2007
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Beowulf Slays Box Office Rivals

Beowulf topped the box office this past weekend, in what was a lackluster performance for movies overall. The remaking of the epic poem took in $27,515,871, which will surely build based on the excellent reviews and breathtaking imagery. In second place was Bee Movie, which took in another $14,008,444, bringing its cumulative to date to $93,570,695. In third place was American Gangster which made $12,875,250. That brings its box office total to date to $100,650,615.

In fourth place was Fred Claus which made $11,914,323. In a dismal fifth place was Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium which elicited $9,630,085 in its opening weekend. Another dud that opened this past weekend was Love in the Time of Cholera, which made only $1,924,860. Even an Oprah assist couldn't save that one.

Posted on November 20, 2007
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Angels & Demons Pushed to 2009

The film version of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons has been put on hold because of the writers' strike. Here's the official word from Sony via Nikki Finke.

"With the strike nearing its third week, Columbia Pictures has postponed production of Angels & Demons. While the filmmakers and the studio feel the screenplay is very strong, we do not believe it is the fully-realized production draft required of this ambitious project. At this time, there is no new start date for Angels & Demons, but we are setting a release date of May 15, 2009 and are hopeful to deliver the movie worldwide to theaters on that date. We do not expect any other film on our 2008 slate to be affected."

This is just the beginning. It's looking like the worst year in movie history is about to land in 2008. Guess we'll all be spending more time outside next summer. Or reading a lot more. Or surfing the Net. Or gaming. Or catching up on any rentals we've missed.

Posted on November 16, 2007
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Heroes: Origins Cancelled

The planned Heroes spinoff mini-series called Origins has been shelved.

NBC has shelved plans for Heroes: Origins, a spinoff series of its hit show, and the possibility of a writers' strike contributed to the decision, Variety reported. Production has been halted indefinitely on the planned six-episode spinoff. It had attracted such talent as feature directors Eli Roth and Kevin Smith and writer Michael Dougherty (Superman Returns). NBC had planned to debut the show while Heroes was on hiatus.

Heroes also has been facing sophomore growing pains, losing some key staff members, the trade paper reported. Insiders told Variety that Heroes: Origins isn't completely dead and could very well be revived at a later date, perhaps as soon as next season.

The Writers Guild is meeting tonight to decide whether to call a strike. Heroes: Origins is just the first casualty in what could be a protracted war between the WGA and the producers.

Posted on November 1, 2007
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It's Not Your Mother's Witch Mountain

The Rock is headed to Witch Mountain, along with AnnaSophia Robb.

AnnaSophia Robb (The Bridge to Terabithia, The Reaping) will play the lead female role in Disney's new version of Witch Mountain. The Andy Fickman-directed fantasy adventure also stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Moviesblog.MTV.com reported Robb's casting and also spoke with the film's director. Fickman told MTV that while his Witch Mountain will not be a remake, it will definitely stay more faithful to the Alexander Key novel than the 1975 film did.

"The original book is a very cool dark thriller. We're pulling elements from that," Fickman told MTV. "It's a much darker movie than in the 70s when they did Escape to Witch Mountain." The helmer added, "It's going to be a pretty bad-ass ride." The latest draft of the Witch Mountain script was penned by Matt Lopez for production company Gunn Films.

Witch Mountain is going to be a "pretty bad-ass ride"? That's absolutely hilarious. Kick the tire and light the fires, we're going to Witch Mountain! Or something like that.

Posted on September 29, 2007
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Keanu Reeves Signed For The Day the Earth Stood Still Remake

Keanu Reeves has signed to play the human-appearing alien Klaatu in a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Twentieth Century Fox has set Keanu Reeves to star in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," its re-imagining of the 1951 Robert Wise-directed sci-fi classic. Reeves committed over the weekend to play 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.

Erwin Stoff is producing, with Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose") directing from a script by David Scarpa. Reeves' commitment puts the picture on track for a late fall or early 2008 production start. Studio sees it as a tentpole. The Klaatu role was originated by Michael Rennie. The 1951 film's premise, a response to the rise of the Cold War after WWII, is being updated, and the film will use advances in visual effects.

Rumors have Angelina Jolie being offered the female lead in the film, but no one has been signed yet.

Posted on August 27, 2007
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Kristen Bell Moves to Heroes

Now that Veronica Mars is defunct, star Kristen Bell has a new gig: she's moving to Heroes.

Erstwhile small-screen sleuth Kristen Bell is joining the cast of the hit NBC drama for a multiepisode arc, the network announced Monday.

Bell is on track to make her Heroes debut in October. Producers aren't tipping their hands to the exact nature of her character, but, per NBC, she'll play "a sexy, intriguing, mysterious young lady" named Elle, with ties to Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), Claire (Hayden Panettiere) and Claire's father, aka HRG (Jack Coleman). While Elle makes the scene with a bang-committing a "terrible crime"-it will be unclear whether she's really good or possibly the next Sylar.

"This was not easy to pull off," Heroes' mastermind Tim Kring said in a statement. "But since we're an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in [Bell's] schedule. "I pitched her the idea we have for the character, which she loved, and we're off and running."

The next Sylar?? That should certainly be interesting. We'd love to watch Kristen be a bad, bad girl.

Posted on August 21, 2007
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Writers Write, Inc. Launches Blog Covering Fantasy and Science Fiction

Writers Write, Inc. has added a new blog to its blog network called FantasySFBlog.com. Fantasy/SF Blog is a daily blog covering what's new and interesting in the worlds of fantasy, SF, and horror, including books, movies, TV and gaming.

Recent posts include:

Lost: The Orchid Orientation Video

Is Peter Jackson Back on Board for The Hobbit?

Finalists Announced For British Fantasy Awards

Saw IV Coming in October

Will Tom Cruise Join the Star Trek Cast?

The Dresden Files Is Cancelled

ABC Offers Masters of Science Fiction

The Beowulf Trailer is Here

Johnny Depp Is Barnabas Collins

RSS subscription informaton for the Fantasy/SF Blog can be found here.

Posted on August 15, 2007
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