Latest rumours emerging suggest that a deal with Benico Del Toro to appear in the upcoming Star Trek film is now dead in the water.

Previously, rumours claimed that Del Toro had been approached to be cast as the next villain – speculated to be Khan.

However, news has now surfaced that although Khan is going to be the next villain, Del Toro will not be the man for the job.

The plot thickens. For more details, head over to FilmSchoolRejects.

International Rescue - but will they look like this when we see them next?

The Guardian reported today that Gerry Anderson is preparing to bring Thunderbirds back to our screens some time in the future.

For those not in the know, Thunderbirds followed the adventures of International Rescue, a family of heroes who rescue people, er, internationally.  The stories were fairly standard stuff for the 60s, but it was the show’s medium that really grabbed the attention of its audience. Like most of Gerry Anderson’s shows, the cast was composed entirely of puppets. No attempt was made to conceal this; many of the strings were on show, adding to the charm.  Today Thunderbirds holds a very special place in the hearts of many people of all ages, despite an iffy recent attempt at big screen live-action success.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, the Thunderbirds creator confirmed that a deal has been reached with ITV, who own the rights to the show, to produce an all-new season of the nation’s favourite puppet show.  He’s not at liberty to go into too many details due to signing a non-disclosure agreement, but he did offer the following tantalising tidbits:

“It will certainly be modernised. It will be a brand new show, keeping all the main characters, all the machines and all the locations. Everything will be changed, updated, with all the mod cons … It will have all the elements that made Thunderbirds popular in the first place but will be made with today’s technology and today’s thinking and today’s pace.”  (Source: BBC Radio 5 Live).

He also said that he wasn’t fond of working with the puppets as they “can’t do anything.”

Now I don’t know about you, but this puts me in mind of the CGI Captain Scarlett series of a few years ago.  That was … rather less than good, if we’re honest. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the new series takes that exact route rather than, say, investing in developing better puppets. Hey, I like puppets. If the makers of Mongrels can craft puppets that are effective and make you care about the characters, then surely it’s worth a try for a project this close to the hearts of its fandom?

Thoughts? Opinions?

CSI creator Anthony Zuiker is launching the second part of his book trilogy. The novel is titled Dark Prophecy. Released on October 14th, we’ve attached a rather spiffy looking trailer for it.

The guys over at the SGU trailer editing department really do deserve an Oscar. Another top quality promo.

Very psyched for the new season, now.

Ask me a year ago, and I’d have argued that the chances of Rhydian appearing in the War of the Worlds live musical were a million to one.

Okay, excuse the pun, but it appears that Justin Hayward and Jeff Wayne will be being joined at the O2 in London on the 12th December by a rather unusual bunch of co-stars.
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds – Alive on Stage! stars Jason Donovan, Atomic Kitten’s Liz McClarnon and X Factor’s Rhydian.

Quite how strong a vocal performance that’ll be, we’ll have to wait and see.

Viral marketing has begun, however, as you can see below.

I did have the pleasure of seeing this show in Belfast a few years ago, and it is rather excellent – if only for the spectacle.

I instantly expected this to be in Nevada, for some reason, but no! It’s coming from the Netherlands.

The opera is written entirely in Klingon, and features an array of very suspect looking plastic forehead extensions.

For further details and video, click here to access the BBC!

About twelve months ago, with ill-deserved confidence, I foretold the early and untimely demise of Stargate Universe as a result of creative failings and writing ineptitude. The article certainly got people’s attentions, with Universe producer Joe Mallozzi declaring himself “alarmed”, but considered the article merely my “thoughtful, nicely presented opinion, but an opinion no weightier than yours or mine or those who thought SG-1 wouldn’t last or those who predicted Atlantis would crash and burn.” Good on Joe, who approached the dilemma with a calm and assured rationality. I, on the other hand, leapt wrongly on the negativity bandwagon.

Of course, Joe gets the last laugh here. Sod’s law. While Stargate Universe has certainly not been without criticisms, and its ratings have barely risen above the concerningly lacklustre, the show has surprised me creatively. I’ve been widely impressed by the acting, the production and even the storylines. Yes, the show may lack the quirky humour of SG-1, but after fifteen seasons of SG-1 and Atlantis milking the same cash-cow, I don’t believe that’s a bad thing. Robert Carlyle and Louis Ferreira have evolved as effective leads as Rush and Young respectively, and the supporting cast have been strongly developed over the course of the first season to form a genuine and effective ensemble. Good stuff!

I find myself even eagerly anticipating the second series. The final shot of season one of Young and co. being forced to their knees for execution makes me tingle in anticipation, although I realise they’re not all going to be shot. The second season could still disappoint, a la Earth: Final Conflict, but I don’t imagine it’ll be a train wreck by any stretch of the imagination. The foundations and groundwork is there to craft a strong series of television. I look forward to uncovering new parts of Destiny, new characters and new intrigues and revelations.

All I hope that more people will open their minds in the same way I have been forced to by the quality of the show, and stop clinging to the hope that Richard Dean Anderson return full-time. The show doesn’t need it. Heck, it doesn’t suit it. And Universe is more than capable of standing on its own to feet with Robert Carlyle carrying the torch for the franchise.

Breaking News!

Following an announcement at the Edinburgh International Television Festival by benevolent Who overlord Steven Moffat, the BBC have issued a press release confirming that season 6 of Doctor Who will be split into two parts, with the first part to air in Spring and the second to air in Autumn.

This is at the request of Moffat himself, who states that this move will allow him to craft a story arc that allows for more “event stories” and a potentially-massive mid-season cliffhanger.

On the one hand, this is an intriguing move as it spreads Who out over the year, seemingly giving us more to look forward to. On the other hand, waiting from Christmas until Spring for more Who only to have to wait a few months again after a handful of episodes might prove disappointing. Is it perhaps being spread a little too thin?

As a Steven Moffat fanboy, I have confidence that this move will work out in the end.  Here’s hoping that the mid-season cliffhanger dispels all doubts when it rolls around!

Sources: BBC Press Release

Gallifrey News Base

Is it possible when The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was created, that they had Doc Savage in mind? Let’s look at the characters selected as they appeared in the movie.

Allan Quartermain is a man who enjoys solitude even among a roomful of people. (Sound familiar?) He is a born leader; a man of adventure and the outdoors.

Although Doc is often mired in the “concrete jungle,” he often goes swinging or climbing into action. He was a spider man without the radio-active bite!

The Invisible Man relies on the bending of light to vanish. This is a field that Long Tom would know much about.

Perhaps the Invisible Man also acts out Long Tom’s fantasy when he pinches Nina Harker? Perhaps Long Tom doesn’t dislike women as much as it’s implied?

Nina Harker and Pat Savage are both strong, determined women. They both know how to handle various weapons. While Nina can put the actual bit on someone, Pat tries to stick to Doc like a vampire on its victim. (Smile.)

Dorian Gray and Ham Brooks are both vain about their garments and appearances. Both are expert swordsmen. A sword fight between the two would likely end in a draw.

Dr. Jeckel / Mr. Hyde would undoubtedly meet his match against Monk Mayfair. Both being chemists, both having vast strength, would be equals.

Captain Nemo had helped design and create his submarine as well as other machinery. Renny Renwick has been known to help create various devices as well as design buildings.

Last, but not least, Tom Sawyer. He is a scrapper, loves the outdoors, and is game to make new discoveries. Johnny Littlejohn fits that description as well. Plus Johnny is eager to pick up helpful tips from Doc, as Sawyer is from Quartermain.

So what do you think? Of course I realize Dorian Gray was a villain in the movie, and that wouldn’t be the case with Ham. Otherwise there are lots of parallels.

Norton No Longer To Play The Hulk in Avengers Movie

In a bold move that has got tongues wagging all across the internet, it appears that the iconic role of The Hulk/Bruce Banner will no longer be played by Edward Norton in Joss Whedon’s Avengers movie.

According to entertainment news site Hitfix, Marvel issued the following statement:

“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.” – Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President of Production.

In response to this rather harshly-worded statement, Edward Norton’s agent issued a rather lengthy retaliation, claiming that Norton was excited about the project and cast, had attended a successful initial meeting with director Joss Whedon and that financial negotiations had been entered into prior to  Marvel’s announcement of their intention to replace him.

Perhaps Edward Norton was getting asked a lot of questions about this, as he put up the following image over at his official Facebook page:

Edward Norton's quiet and dignified statement

Whether the motivation for this is financial or due to creative differences, one thing is clear – fans have not been pleased by this turn of events. The ongoing filmic saga of the formation of the Avengers has been fascinating to watch, and swapping actors in such a vital role at this juncture will be absolutely fatal to the suspension-of-disbelief  factor.  It looked like it was all dove-tailing together quite nicely; now it seems the transition from many films to one will be more jarring than expected.

So now the hunt is on for a new actor to fill Bruce Banner’s easily-shreddable shoes.  Already a casting rumour has surfaced – could Joaquin Phoenix be the next in what seems to be becoming a long line of one-hit Hulks? Who do you think should play The Hulk?

Sources: Hitfix: Marvel Statement

Hitfix: Norton’s Agent’s Statement

Edward Norton’s Facebook Page