Sci-fi Newsflash: San Diego Comic Con News, Movie & TV developments, 'Smallville' finds its Doomsday, and Trailers-a-go-go

  Lots of entertaining, interesting and/or exciting things going on so let's just cut to the chase.

• There's been nary a peep about the schedule at San Diego Comic Con, but the website Seat42f has managed to snag a preview for all four days. Per the list, 33 TV shows are scheduled to appear including established favorites Stargate Atlantis, Ghost Hunters, Eureka, Battlestar Galactica, and Supernatural. Chuck will return to the crowds that helped break it while shows like The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Knight Rider make their first appearance along with two little shows called Dollhouse and Fringe. So. Excited. To go. And you'll be able to live vicariously through us as we'll be covering the Con in all it's nerdly glory.
• Speaking of Comic Con, Octagon Global Recruiting will be on hand on a recruitment drive for The Dharma Initiative. Seems they're looking for volunteers for a new research project. *Cue ominous music* Looks like the Lost folks are pulling out all the stops.
• Several sites have reported that the Gears of War movie has found itself a director - Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard). Per IMDB, there's also a couple of actors attached to the project, but you know how that can change suddenly. I'm just glad the project has forward momentum. I've gotten antsy waiting for something, anything to happen with the Halo adaption they've been teasing us with.
• Speaking of movies in development hell, The Hollywood Reports says that Robert Downey, Jr. is currently in negotiations to star in Cowboys & Aliens. The project, about the "Cowboys and Indians" who must join forces to battle invading aliens in the Old West, has been floating around for a couple years now. If Downey signs up, it could be DreamWorks/Universal's tentpole film in 2010.
• If you haven't heard yet, Jake Gyllenhaal has signed up for the lead in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The video game adaption will also star Ben Kingsley (the villian "Nizam"), Gemma Arterton ("Tamina"), and Alfred Molina ("Sheik Amar"). Director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco, Love in the Time of Cholera) is also set to direct the big screen translation of Terry Brooks' fantasy epic The Elfstones of Shannara.
• Tim Minear seems to be following Joss Whedon's lead in making peace with FOX. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Minear has signed a two-year deal which will have him working on an existing series (Dollhouse anyone?) as well as developing new projects, most likely similar genre shows. It must be going well with Whedon since Minear has thrice felt the pain that comes with being associated with FOX - Wonderfalls, Firefly, and Drive. Oh wait. Make that four times - The Inside aired on FOX: Where Good Shows Go To Die as well.
• Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote the screenplays for Return of the Jedi, Empire Strikes Back, Raiders or the Lost Ark, Body Heat, and The Big Chill among others, will be writing the big screen adaption of the anime Robotech. If that doesn't inspire confidence that it won't suck, I don't know what will.
• Masi Oka, everyone's favorite time manipulator, is featured in an article on the LA Times website. He talks about Get Smart and a smidge about Heroes, including the fact that he also was disappointed with Season 2.
• Smallville continues to hurt my feelings with its plans for the next season. They've cast Sam Witwer, aka Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo on Battlestar Galactica, as "Doomsday" (I wish I could put more quotes around it) and Cassidy Freeman will play Tess, who'll be taking care of Lex's interests while he's away. You may recognize Freeman from Razor Sharp, the independent sci-fi short that's won several major convention awards and co-stars Michael T. Weiss (The Pretender).  Look, I don't care that they're creating their own continuity. That's fine. What gets me is that they're taking good characters and doing nothing good with them.

You know what? Just thinking about Smallville has gotten me a little down. So, here's some trailers to cleanse my pallet.

They've put out a full trailer for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. I'm not particularly impressed by it but, hello, it's Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh fighting each other. I'm still going to see it.


Jason Statham + (Mario Kart X Mortal Kombat) = Death Race


I'm not sure what to make of Punisher: War Zone. What do you think?


After months of featurettes and assorted oddness, there's finally a real trailer for Babylon A.D., and it looks kind of rad. Huh.


Behold the wonderful oddness of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.


Speaking of odd, in case you haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer for The X-Files: I Want to Believe. That title is a bit clunky, ain't it?


Here's the teaser for Twilight, based on the popular book. Hope the full trailer packs more punch, though it's nice to see Robert Pattinson (aka Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter films) in a lead role.


I haven't heard a whole lot about it, but City of Ember looks pretty good. I've always had a soft spot for a good family epic.


Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Oooooo...


And finally, the best trailer for the movie you'll never see - Legend of Zelda. It was part of an elaborate April Fool's joke. So very cruel, yet so very awesome.

Comments

Woo-hoo! Sounds like a lot of good stuff will be coming up. I'm most excited about hearing about Chuck's second season (it's been too long without Chuck, Casey and Sarah). Also, I'm looking forward to Whedon's Dollhouse, but I wouldn't be surprised if cancellation rumors start early (see also: Firefly). I'm also hoping that Tim Minear gets a fair chance at Fox, since I'm probably one of 30 people who actually watched Wonderfalls, The Inside and Drive.

I think most everyone was disappointed with the second season of Heroes, but I'm still going to give it a chance this fall. On the other hand, I fear that Smallville will only get worse next season, without Lex Luthor on a regular basis. It's eight seasons later, and Clark Kent is still too immature and whiny to be Superman! If only he hadn't spent eight years pining after the self-centered (and pointless)Lana Lang, he could have been honing his super powers! At least we're supposed to be getting a lot less of Lana this year (probably the best news to come from Smallville in a long time!). :-0

Paige | Jun 23, 2008 8:25:43 AM | #

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wicked trailers! I'm in for Death Race. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button makes me well curious. I like an odd movie. Excuse me I have to go recompose myself after all this nerdgasm goodness...

lostalias | Jun 24, 2008 11:20:35 AM | #

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SMALLVILLE
Speaking of continuity, I realize the Clark Kent disguise is very flimsy..BUT how will Clark Kent exist after he becomes Superman?? With all the mystery already surronding Clark, everyone beleiving he is hiding something. All the strange happenings in Smallville, Clark in the center of it always. When Superman emerges it will take 5 seconds for Lex (or anyone) to realize or figure it out. The show can't continue on much longer, it seems with the "No Tights, No Flight" policy Superman will never be a character in the show. I think the Clark/Superman duality has been very compromised with this series. I have already forgiven the fact that Metropolis is somehow in Kansas instead of the east coast. (like New York) I wont be able to suspend my beleif that no one will realize Clark & Superman are the same!

George S | Jun 26, 2008 1:56:13 PM | #

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George S.

I think characters not realizing Clark and Superman are one in the same in some of the more recent media has to do more with disbelief that someone with all that power was just a reporter coupled with just plain obliviousness on the part of Lois and Jimmy. That doesn't actually hurt Smallville's interpretation because their purpose is to show his journey, not the final results.

Penny | Jun 28, 2008 4:57:01 PM | #

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