Sci-Fi Squad Sci-Fi Movies, News, Trailers, DVDs and More

I have a love/hate relationship with the Syfy channel. I enjoy awful Z-grade movies and Twilight Zone reruns as much as the next guy, but after they had the nerve to produce the incredible Battlestar Galactica, I feel like giving the network a big slap on the face and shout "See what you did there? Why can't you do more things like that?" They also changed their name from Sci-Fi, which accurately describes their content, to Syfy, which sounds like 18th century slang for what happens when a sailor isn't careful while in port. I really have to wonder who is running the show over there.

That guy is apparently Mark Stern, who has greenlit a new pilot called Three Inches for the network. The show "...centers on an underachiever who gains the power to move any object using his mind, but only for a distance of three inches. He recruits a team of fellow heroes, each with their own less-than-spectacular abilities." Sounds like either an intentionally comedic Heroes or a TV version of the flawed-yet-fun-and-forgotten Mystery Men. Says Stern: "It's a very postmodern approach, with a really wonderful, tongue-in-cheek script."

A postmodern, tongue-in-cheek superhero series? Consider me there for the pilot, at the very least. The 90-minute pilot will premiere at a time and date that has not been announced yet. What do those sci-fi dreamers/afflicted colonial merchant marines have up their sleeves? More as it happens.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Just when you thought it was safe to take a break from Conan news...

Variety reports Marcus Nispel and crew began filming two days ago in Bulgaria. Strange how they neglected to tell us that Rose McGowan had joined the cast. I last saw Ms. Gowan a'splodin' zombies with her machine gun leg in the Robert Rodriguez portion of Grindhouse, so we know she's up for just about anything. What will she be doing in Conan?

"McGowan is to play an evil half-human/half-witch."

I've put my analytical mind to task and have attempted to dissect this phrase and pull as many tidbits forth as possible. Here is what I discovered through my painstaking art of deduction: McGowan will play an evil half-human/half-witch. Sorry. Spoiler alert.

In all seriousness, this is quite the kooky cast. Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Ron Perlman, Rose McGowan. No one A-list, but some top shelf B-listers for sure. Fingers crossed that Nispel has learned how to shoot an action scene.

Will my endless whining about the never-shooting, never-starting, all-talk-no-play Hobbit movies finally come to a dramatic end? Maybe!

That endless source of all things movie news called Ian McKellen's official website is now reading that the two Hobbit movies will commence shooting in June of this year, not June of 2018, as previously assumed. Why take it from me when you can take it from Sir Ian (or his website editor) himself:

"The Hobbit's, two films, start shooting in New Zealand in June. Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angels, New York City and London has started. The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth."

Old and new friends? Talk about upping the ante!

There you have it. The year-long shoot commences this summer. The script is still being worked on. Ian McKellen is back. There will be a quest in Middle Earth. Now we just need to hear some other minor details, you know, like who is playing Bilbo. You know. Little things like that.

Thanks to Coming Soon for finding this little nugget.

Remember how Marvel was supposed to have locked down its new Captain America by early March? Remember how John Krasinski was all but confirmed for the role? Remember when Marvel seemed to suddenly cool on him and go back to looking at a few previous contenders? Remember how Chris Evans suddenly made his way onto the list of potentials?

This epic tale of casting misadventure continues with the news that Ryan Phillipe and Channing Tatum have been shuffled into the mix.

What does this mean? I don't know. I'm ready to throw my hands in the air and scream "Just figure it out already!" concerning this whole Captain America thing. Marvel's casting track record has been pretty darn solid so far, all things considered, so it's possible they're just trying to make sure they have the right guy. Or they're indecisive and terrified of getting this wrong.

My hands are in the air: "Just figure it out already!"

What of Phillipe and Tatum?

Personally, I like Phillipe just fine as an actor and he's played soldiers before in Stop-Loss and Flags of Our Fathers, but at 35, he seems a little too old and a little too well known considering that Marvel have explicitly stated that they're looking for a somewhat unknown actor in his 20s. I also don't see him as Captain America, but there are worse choices out there.

Tatum has also played soldiers before, in Dear John and G.I. Joe, and he has the natural build of a superhero. He also has that "hot, young rising star" thing going for him. However, muscular builds and a few previous lead roles do mean he has the ability to move his face or avoid being a black hole of anti-charisma. This is a bad choice, Marvel.

That's enough fanboy whining from me! Hopefully we'll get something concrete soon. Hopefully the final name will start with a John and end with a Krasinski.

(Via Hitfix and Deadline)

Last month, we heard the news that Angelina Jolie was looking to star in Gravity, a science fiction film to be directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Only a few days later, it was revealed that Jolie had passed on the project so she can adopt more third world children, leaving the film star-less and possibly in trouble.

Well...Iron Man to the rescue!

Deadline is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to headline this nifty-sounding movie, which will, of course, by in "Eye-Popping, Mind-Belting, Ball-Busting 3D!" Before you think they're pulling a reverse Flightplan and rewriting the role that was offered to Jolie, hear this:

"[Downey] will play the leader of a team posted at a remote space station. While he and a female colleague are traveling outside the space station, the other team members are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite."

Interesting. The previous reports had suggested that this movie was a real one-woman show, think Moon with a sexy star instead of a disheveled Sam Rockwell, so it's interesting to know that while "much of the film is devoted to her struggle to get back to Earth and her daughter," there will be a male counterpart and/or foil to bounce off. In my previous report on this project, I commented that Jolie needed to get back into the A-Game and find roles that justify her fame and popularity. I honestly think an intimate but exciting 3D science fiction adventure opposite the genuinely beloved Robert Downey Jr. would have been the way to go.

News on Marcus Nispel's soon-to-be-filming Conan has been flying pretty fast and furious as of late, with Avatar's Stephen Lang and GI Joe's Rachel Nichols joining the cast as the titular warrior's nemesis and love interest. You can guess who will play which. The latest casting casting information to hit these here internets is that Mickey Rourke, who had previously been cast as Conan's father, is out of the film. His replacement?

Ron Motherf*cking Perlman. Yes. That is his real middle name.

Most audiences will remember Perlman as the heroic monster-hunting, world-saving demon in Guillermo Del Toro's excellent and waaay under-appreciated Hellboy films. Like Stephen Lang, he's one of those "Guys." You know, the guys who pop up in movies all the time and never give a bad performance but rarely, if ever, get the spotlight. Perlman's massive resume shifts rapidly between major studio films and direct-to-video junk and about 96.7% of his roles take full advantage of his terrifying physical presence and his trademark growling voice. Few actors look as prepared to kick your butt and abuse your arteries with sharp metal as Ron Perlman.

Are you like me and are way too cool to be in Austin, Texas, attending this year's SXSW? I mean, who wants to spend a week in the city with the best movie theaters and BBQ in the country and attend a festival filled to the brim with amazing movies? Who wants to be there in person as Robert Rodriguez and Nimrod Antal premiere footage from the upcoming Predators?

Pssh. Certainly not this guy.

Because you and me are too cool to be blowing the roof off SXSW 2010, we get to stay at home and visit the brand-spankin' new Predators website and partake in a two-minute sneak peek, read an official synopsis and take a look at some concept art for a nasty looking "Predator Hound." The site is pretty bare bones right now, but the little details in the sound and imagery are going to send chills down the spines of any card-carrying members of the Official Predator Fan Club. You are a member, right?

Of course, the highlight is the sneak peek, which, for a minor promotional piece with very little footage, manages to deliver in spades. We get Rodriguez talking about this and that, we get some behind-the-scenes stuff, we get some gorgeous and atmospheric footage of Adrien Brody and company looking concerned in the jungle, we get some running, we get a two second of shot of- OH MY GOD IT'S A PREDATOR!

Will this be the return to form that so many fans are hoping for following the disastrous Alien Vs. Predator motion picture nightmares? It's too early to tell, but the fact that I'm seeing a lot more of Nimrod Antal's claustrophobic and intense style in the snippets of footage rather than Rodriguez's overly digital and silly style makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Meanwhile, Cinematical was on hand for the trailer footage from SXSW and they have a full report right here. Click on over there to check 'em out.

The full trailer for Predators will be online on March 18 and the movie will be in theaters this July.

With cameras just about ready to roll, Green Lantern has added two more names to the ever-expanding cast list. Taika Waititi and Temuera Morrison are those names. And they're both from New Zealand. COINCIDENCE?

Maybe. Sure. I don't know. Neither are huge names, but I can guarantee that you're at least somewhat familiar with Morrison since he played the destined-to-be-headless plot device/pointless piece of fan service named Jango Fett in the Star Wars prequels. Waititi has acted in a bunch of stuff I've never heard of, but he gets props for working as a writer and director on the late Flight of the Conchords.

Waititi will play the best friend of our hero, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). I have nothing else to comment. Anyone know this guy?

Morrison will be playing a role that is vital to the Green Lantern mythos: Abin Sur. Even a Green Lantern novice like me knows the importance of this character, since he is one who gives Jordan his power ring in the first place. I know I derided Morrison above since he's spent the past decade waist-deep in Star Wars video game voice overs, but anyone who has seen Once Were Warriors can attest that this guy is a powerhouse actor. I don't think that Green Lantern will give him a chance to give those acting chops a good work-out, but considering how good he can be, his casting intrigues me.

Green Lantern is probably shooting right now. It'll be in theaters next summer.

(Via Coming Soon)

That image above is the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle, home to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. One of these days, I need to head up there.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame has announced this year's inductees and it's a nice blend of well-known and eclectic. Well, "well-known" in the "more science fiction fans have heard of this guy than others" sense of the word.

The 2010 inductees, who will be given an honorary ceremony at the Science Fiction Museum on June 26th, include Hugo and Nebula award winning authors Octavia E. Butler and Roger Zelazny, filmmaker and special effects artist Douglas Trumbull and Twilight Zone and I Am Legend writer Richard Matheson.

I'm firmly in the Trumbull and Matheson fan clubs. Trumbull's visual effects work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner remain some of the best ever put to screen (and his most famous directorial effort, Silent Running, will be the subject of a future "Where Everyone Has Gone Before" column). Matheson was responsible for many of the best Twilight Zone episodes, including the Shatner-iffic "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and the brilliant dark comedy, "The Invaders." Most will know him for writing the original novel of I Am Legend, but his bibliography of novels and short stories is approximately 27 miles long.

I'm not as familiar with Butler and Zelazny, but Butler's "Parable of the Sower" has been on my "list of shame" for some time. Any Roger Zelazny fans out there want to tell me a little more about him?

To take a look at past inductees and read up on the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, click on over to their website.

(Via Sci-Fi Wire)

A few days ago, we brought you the Cimmerian-ific news that Avatar's Stephen Lang was being offered the role of the main villain, Khalar Singh, in the upcoming Conan. You may remember how I waxed poetic about the potential cinematic beauty of Lang wreaking havoc across ancient lands and hoped this would come to pass.

Short answer: It did. MTV has confirmed that Latino Review scoop.

By the way...have I mentioned how much I love Lang? Because you will too after you hear him talk about preparing for the role:

"I have no idea how I'm going to do it...First I'm going to find out how I'm going to sound. I'm going to get back on a Mongolian pony and ride like the wind. I'm going to flash my scimitar. I'm going to cut the nuts off Conan and his father."

Follow the link above to see Lang actually say this out loud. You hear that sound? That's the sound of me developing a total man crush.

Lang is too good of an actor to get typecast as the villain in big Hollywood productions, but the guy seems to have a good sense of humor about all of this and looks ready to embrace the fact that he is capable of chewing scenery with the best of them.

Khalar Singh will cut the nuts off Conan and his father in 2011.