03.Jan.09
Posted in News, Press Watch, SG-1 at 6:07 pm by DeeKayP
Stargate SG-1 co-creator Brad Wright answered fan questions in Joseph Mallozzi’s weblog about all things Stargate, including giving us a bit more information about the third SG-1 movie.
Here are some key quotes:
- “We’re making a movie. Carl Binder and I are co-writing the script. Martin [Wood] will direct. If you have a good title, let me know.”
- “We’re making it in the spring.”
- “MGM was talking about more SG-1 movies as soon as the first did well.”
- “The success of the SG-1 movies made an Atlantis movie possible, and all parties decided that was the best way to move forward.”
- “We need to get some deals in place first.” (why the third movie hasn’t been officially announced by MGM yet)
- “The next movie will be much more Jack centric.”
- “MGM owns Stargate, not me. I can’t change studios. The DVD’s came out of a desire to prove we could make movies. I think we surprised the studio with what we could do on a small budget, but not enough to let us make a big Stargate feature.”
- “If I get RDA in a movie, I don’t cut the scenes. If you’re looking for a re-cut movie, watch Children of the Gods when it comes out.”
- “I liked the Aschen story too. Insidious. No plans right now.”
- “I would love to do that [theatrical SG-1 movie with $20-25 million budget]. The reasons we can’t right now are complicated.”
- Concerning RDA’s limited screentime in Stargate Continuum: “That’s all I could get him for. He’ll be much more involved in the next one.”
- “I thought Claudia was terrific in Continuum, but Vala won’t be returning in the third movie.”
To read the full Q&A in which Wright also discusses Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, visit Joseph Mallozzi’s Weblog: Brad Wright Answers Your Questions.
Visit SG-1 Movies Guide in the Stargate Wiki for updates.
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02.Jan.09
Posted in Atlantis at 8:24 am by DeeKayP
Stargate Atlantis returns to the Sci Fi Channel tonight with its penultimate episode, “Vegas”, written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. Set in an alternate reality, viewers get to see some of their favorite Expedition members in different settings and life’s paths. But, Las Vegas is still Las Vegas, all bright and shiny and the place where many people—or a super-intelligent alien—could actually hide in plain sight.
Detective John Sheppard doesn’t know about Wraith, but he’s seen the results of the feeding process on several corpses found in his jurisdiction. To put some wrinkles in his on-going investigation, Sheppard must deal with the press and the federal government.
“Vegas” had a working title of “CSI: Atlantis” and with good reason: the style of presentation is very much like that of the popular CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is also set in Vegas. Cooper stated in an interview, “If you tuned in late, you might think you had turned on the wrong show.”
Although the penultimate episode, “Vegas” was the last episode to be filmed. The location shoot in Vegas itself marked the end of Atlantis as a television series. One top-notch location in the city known for its gambling casinos was Planet Hollywood. Carol Cling of the Vegas Voice blog on the Review Journal website posted that the crew spent two days “in front of the casino, inside the casino — and on the roof, where a stunt player will perform a nine-story fall.”
“Nothing makes an episode feel more realistic than shooting on location,” script coordinator Alex Levine posted in his scifi.com blog. “And nothing else really feels like a Vegas casino.” And a Vegas casino wouldn’t have the right feel if it didn’t have an interesting variety of gamblers. Look for Soprano actors Steve Schirripa and Frank Vincent, MGM’s Charlie Cohen, and real-life poker players Todd Brunson and Roy Winston. The Wraith who joins in on a game might not be as recognizable as actor Neil Jackson, familiar to SG-1 fans as Anubis’s “son” Khalek from Season Nine’s “Prototype”.
“Other supposed ‘Nevada’ locations were actually shot here in British Columbia,” Levine continued. “Even the desert! And no, they’re not VFX; rather they’re a sampling of the incredibly diverse terrain we have up here in the Great White (and not so white) North.” One of these Canadian filming locations made the Penticton Western News with its incredible explosions: “An explosion tears apart a trailer on the outdoor set during Wednesday’s filming of an episode of Stargate Atlantis in a field just east of Oliver. RCMP closed off a section of Camp McKinney Road during the blast which sent flames over 30 metres into the sky.”
You know how that saying starts out with “What happens in Vegas”? Well, when it comes to Stargate Atlantis and sci-fi, we’ll have to find out if it actually finishes with “stays in Vegas” tonight at 9PM ET/PT on the Sci Fi Channel (repeats at 11 PM).
Preview Video - Beware of Spoilers! -
Solutions Coverage -
[Images from MGM.]
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01.Jan.09
Posted in Atlantis, News at 9:03 am by DeeKayP
In preparation for the final two episodes of Stargate Atlantis, the Sci Fi Channel has slated multiple all-day marathons. Fans can catch rebroadcasts of episodes from Season One through Three, as well as the current Season Five (Season Four is in syndication elsewhere), from Friday, January 2, through Friday, January 9. These two Fridays also mark the premieres of the final two episodes: “Vegas” and “Enemy at the Gate”.
From Sci Fi’s Schedulebot (subject to change; all times Eastern; all caps = Season Five episode):
Friday, January 2:
- 8 AM - Hot Zone
- 9 AM - Sanctuary
- 10 AM - Before I Sleep
- 11 AM - The Brotherhood
- 12 PM - Letters From Pegasus
- 1 PM - The Gift
- 2 PM - The Siege Part 1
- 3 PM - The Siege Part 2
- 4 PM - The Siege Part 3
- 5 PM - The Intruder
- 6 PM - Runner
- 7 PM - Duet
- 8 PM - IDENTITY
- 9 PM - VEGAS (Premiere)
- 11 PM - VEGAS
Saturday, January 3:
- 1 AM - Rising Part 1
- 2 AM - Rising Part 2
Monday, January 5:
- 8 AM - Condemned
- 9 AM -Trinity
- 10 AM - Instinct
- 11 AM - Conversion
- 12 PM - Aurora
- 1 PM - The Lost Boys Part 1
- 2 PM - The Hive Part 2
- 3 PM - Epiphany
- 4 PM - Critical Mass
Tuesday, January 6:
- 8 AM - Grace Under Pressure
- 9 AM - The Tower
- 10 AM - The Long Goodbye
- 11 AM - Coup D’Etat
- 12 PM - Michael
- 1 PM - Inferno
- 2 PM - Allies Part 1
- 3 PM - No Man’s Land Part 2
- 4 PM - Misbegotten
- 5 PM - Irresistible
- 6 PM - Sateda
Wednesday, January 7:
- 8 AM - Progeny
- 9 AM - The Real World
- 10 AM - Common Ground
- 11 AM - McKay and Mrs. Miller
- 12 PM - Phantoms
- 1 PM - The Return Part 1
- 2 PM - The Return Part 2
- 3 PM - Echoes
- 4 PM - Irresponsible
- 5 PM - Tao of Rodney
- 6 PM - The Game
Thursday, January 8:
- 8 AM - The Ark
- 9 AM - Sunday
- 10 AM - Submersion
- 11 AM - Vengeance
- 12 PM - First Strike Part 1
- 1 PM - SEARCH AND RESCUE PART 2
- 2 PM - THE SEED
- 3 PM - BROKEN TIES
- 4 PM - THE DAEDALUS VARIATIONS
- 5 PM - GHOST IN THE MACHINE
- 6 PM - THE SHRINE
Friday, January 9:
- 8 AM - WHISPERS
- 9 AM - THE QUEEN
- 10 AM - TRACKER
- 11 AM - FIRST CONTACT PART 1
- 12 PM - THE LOST TRIBE PART 2
- 1 PM - OUTSIDERS
- 2 PM - INQUISITION
- 3 PM - THE PRODIGAL
- 4 PM - REMNANTS
- 5 PM - BRAIN STORM
- 6 PM - INFECTION
- 7 PM - IDENTITY
- 8 PM - VEGAS
- 9 PM - ENEMY AT THE GATE (Premiere)
- 11 PM - ENEMY AT THE GATE
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31.Dec.08
Posted in Press Watch, Universe at 12:42 pm by DeeKayP
Robert Carlyle with fans/press July 2008
Stargate’s newest star, Robert Carlyle, who’ll be one of the leads in the upcoming Stargate Universe television show, has been tapped to portray Scottish psychiatrist Dr. Ronald David Laing (1927-1989) in a partially biographical film, according to the UK’s Times Online.
The movie revolves around the LSD-prescribing psychiatrist who convinced even James Bond actor Sean Connery to take the hallucinogenic drug to alleviate stress. According to the Times article, “Most of the film will be set between 1967 and 1970 at Kingsley Hall” in east London, where “Laing lived with his patients at a psychiatric community project.”
“For the past 10 years I have wanted to play Laing in a film,” Carlyle said in the article. Both Laing and the actor were born in Glasgow, and Carlyle also brings important life experiences to the part, having lived in hippie communes with his father while growing up.
“Robert had read some of RD Laing’s books, and indeed mentioned that just a few days previously he had seen some of them in a Glasgow bookshop and felt destined to play him,” said Bob Mullan, Laing’s biographer who is also the film’s producer. “As an actor, he has that same mixture of charm, sharp intelligence, sexiness, vulnerability and utter malevolence that is suited to the role. Indeed, depending on your point of view, Ronnie Laing was either a seductive saint or the devil.”
Laing’s son Adrian, 50, a London-based lawyer, commented on Carlyle’s casting, “He has that Celtic fury about him that captures what my father was about. Whenever people have asked me over the years who would be my first choice to play my father, I have always said Robert Carlyle. I have always been very impressed with his work, and he has that Scottish intensity you would need to play the role.”
According to the Times, the film will be made by Gizmo Film Productions and run by Mullan, who is currently securing financing. If all goes as planned, they will start shooting the “part-fictional story” in Glasgow next year.
To read the complete article, visit “Times Online: Robert Carlyle goes from psycho to psychiatrist: The trainspotting star is to play maverick Scottish doctor RD Laing who extolled the benefits of LSD and became a 1960s hero. To find out more about RD Laing, visit University of Penn Review of ‘THE WING OF MADNESS: The Life and Work of R. D. Laing’.
Carlyle is due to arrive in Vancouver soon to begin production on Stargate Universe, which will start principal photography February 4 and make its premiere in July on the Sci Fi Channel.
[Image from IMDb.]
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24.Dec.08
Posted in Press Watch at 8:23 am by DeeKayP
Stargate star Rachel Luttrell just completed shooting in the Cuba Gooding, Jr. film Hardwired, according to Luttrell herself in a December 23 entry at her official website: “I just finished work on a film entitled Hardwired with Cuba Gooding Jr.. It was a fun experience.”
Other actors who appear in this direct-to-video movie include Val Kilmer, Tatiana Maslany, and Ali Liebert. The film is described by Glen Schaefer in a short article about five projects shooting around British Columbia: “A quick shoot is scheduled for this direct-to-video action movie starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and guest-starring Val Kilmer. It wraps in mid-December, at Maple Ridge locations.” According to the British Columbia Film Commission’s website, shooting was completed December 19. No information concerning the video’s release is currently available.
As for additional projects, Luttrell promised, “I will be sure to keep you posted on the new adventures taking place in my world through the New Year.”
[Image from official website; photo by Jane Weitzel.]
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23.Dec.08
Posted in Press Watch at 8:43 am by DeeKayP
Stargate star Christopher Judge is among other sci-fi stars—many with Stargate connections—involved in Paradox, the first of five Arcana Studios projects based off of Arcana Comic Book titles, according to the Comic Book Resources (CBR) website:
Paradox, which was written by Christos Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage, based on the comic series by Christos Gage, is being directed by Brenton Spencer (a top sci-fi film and TV director, perhaps best known for his work on Stargate: Atlantis and Earth: Final Conflict). The incredible ensemble cast features a host of sci-fi stars, lead by Kevin Sorbo (Andromeda, Hercules); Steph Song (jPod, and co-star with Val Kilmer in the upcoming The Thaw); Christopher Judge (Stargate); Alan C. Peterson (Shooter, Narc, Beautiful Joe); Alisen Down (Battlestar Galactica); and Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary).
Paradox introduces homicide detective Sean Nault, a cop on a parallel Earth who is investigating a baffling series of murders committed by a means his Earth has never seen before: the power of science. Sean uncovers an apocalyptic plot that will lead him to another dimension and the realization that, unless he prevents it, both earths could well be destroyed.
Production is currently ongoing in British Columbia. The CBR article states, “Other comic-to-film slate projects include; Chopper, a horror/thriller based on a Martin Shapiro comic going to camera end of January 2009; and Sundown, a western/vampire thriller based on the comic by Jay Busbee, scheduling for April/May 2009. Future slate projects will be announced in the coming months.”
Paradox and the other titles “are being sold internationally by Myriad Pictures who will be working alongside Arcana [Studios], Legacy [Filmworks], and Bron [Management] to brand these comic-to-film ‘genre’ films.” To read more about the project, visit Comic Book Resources: Arcana Studios announces film deal for “Paradox”.
Judge reportedly started work on the project after his appearance at the Lightspeed Charity Event held December 6 and 7 in California. As far as other upcoming projects are concerned, Michael Shanks, who also appeared at the Charity Event, stated that Judge’s movie script Rage of Angels, in which both men will star, will be shot in the summer as a backdoor pilot.
[Image by Michelle in Solutions Gallery.]
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22.Dec.08
Posted in Atlantis, News at 7:59 am by DeeKayP
Long-time Stargate director Andy Mikita has been slated to direct the first Stargate Atlantis movie, according to executive producer and writer Joseph Mallozzi in his weblog.
Mallozzi and production and writing partner Paul Mullie are writing the script for the first movie that is to pick up where the series finale “Enemy at the Gate” leaves off. Currently, the script is in the outline stage, with both writers making notes on each other’s work. The story includes a “mess” that the Expedition will have to get out of. Mallozzi promised, “Lots of fun cameos and a major contribution from one recurring player in particular that is certain to have at least one fandom faction in a frenzy. Still in the process of working out that momentous shift in the status quo that will impact the lives of our characters.”
Mikita had done a guest spot on Mallozzi’s weblog back in September in which he stated, “It would be very presumptuous of me to assume anything at this point, but I am hoping to direct the SGA movie and episodes of Universe. Hopefully it’ll work out.” It looks like Mikita’s got his wish and will not only be directing the Atlantis movie, but is also slated to work with Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright in Stargate Universe. As a matter of fact, Mallozzi said that Mikita was with Cooper in New Mexico looking for a shooting location to depict an alien world. It is quite possible that Mikita will be directing the series premiere “Air”.
The date for principal photography to begin for the Atlantis movie has not yet been announced, but Mallozzi has indicated that it will be this summer. A summer shooting schedule might indicate that they will be filming the movie when Universe is taking their mid-season filming hiatus. If this is true, both projects could possibly share crews. Mallozzi has also said that the third SG-1 movie, written by Brad Wright and Carl Binder, will be filming at about the same time as SGA’s.
As far as making the contracts with the actors, that phase of the production has not yet happened as no deals have been made to-date. Mallozzi, however, reassured his weblog readers that the actors will “eventually be approached.” All of the principal cast are expected to be in the movie, and there is the possibility that Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, and Amanda Tapping will be making appearances. Christopher Heyerdahl as Todd the Wraith is also expected. And Mallozzi even put out this little tidbit: “Barring a surprising change of heart on Jason’s part, Ronon will be sporting a new do in the movie.”
The movie doesn’t have a name just yet, but had been called “Project Twilight” for a while when the story was being discussed by the executive producers. The Sci Fi Channel has tentatively scheduled its premiere to follow the first ten episodes of Stargate Universe, which is making its premiere in July 2009.
Keep up with the major developments for the movie in our Atlantis Movies Guide in the Solutions Stargate Wiki.
[Image by Joseph Mallozzi; used with our thanks.]
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19.Dec.08
Posted in Universe at 8:24 am by DeeKayP
“It says Stargate in the title, but it’s also going to be something that is very different in tone,” Robert C. Cooper, one of the creators of the new series Stargate Universe, said in a recent interview with MGM. “It will certainly have a Stargate in it, but is going to be unlike anything Stargate we’ve ever done before.”
What does this mean to long-time fans of the Stargates? Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis were very successful with their unique tones, especially with the trademark humor and not taking themselves too seriously. Stargate Universe, on the other hand, is being aimed at a “new” audience and has been described as “edgier, darker and younger-skewing than its predecessors.” Creative consultant and writer Joseph Mallozzi described it as “a much more cerebral and mature addition to the franchise.”
SGU has also been described as a character-driven “space opera” (not to be confused with “soap opera”). Set mainly on the Destiny, the show will focus on the sacrifices, survival, and relationships of the stranded crew.
Ensemble Cast
One of the challenges from the start is the casting of enough characters to man the Destiny when it gets stranded far from home. Since the ship will be cut off from Earth, the likelihood of a new rotation of crewmembers boarding Destiny is close to nil. That means that we’ll have to see several primary and secondary characters introduced practically from the start.
The two characters with the highest visibility appear to be Dr. David Rush and Col. Everett Young. Both roles are for men in their 40s. The role of Rush has been cast with well-known actor Robert Carlyle, while the casting for Young has not yet been announced. According to the character breakdowns, the actor portraying Young is to be a “name” actor as well. These two men, one a scientist, the other a military officer, must work together to help the stranded soldiers and civilians survive. They won’t always agree on how things should be done, especially since Rush feels that Young took command away from him when they found themselves in their unique situation.
“Contrary to initial reports, the Rush character is not the leader of the unplanned expedition,” Mallozzi clarified in the December 15 entry of his weblog. “That honor falls to Colonel Everett Young. For now. But things could have a way of changing on board a ship manned by a disparate group with very different agendas…”
This “disparate group” includes “mostly young and desperate explorers,” as co-creators Brad Wright and Cooper described them in the official announcement for the series. The primary members of this ensemble cast will be Capt. Tamara Johanson [aka Jon], Lt. Jared Nash [aka Scott], Marine Ron Stasiak, and civilians Chloe Carpenter and Eli Hitchcock, all in their early 20s.
Mallozzi introduced some of the secondary ensemble members to his weblog readers: “Those of you looking for a more character-centered scifi series need look no further. While Rush is still my fave, I also think Wray has a lot of potential for getting under Young and co.’s skin. She’s a definite love her or hate her type of character, one who’ll prove the bane to many a series regular, and probably some viewers as well. At present, a lot of the supporting players (James, Brody, Henry, Riley, Grearson, Volker, and dear, dear Franklin) hold a lot of promise as well. I’m reminded of Atlantis’s Zelenka and SG-1’s Lorne (hell, even McKay), secondary characters who, over time, developed into fully fleshed-out personalities and fan favorites.”
Alien Worlds
Additional characters that will need to be introduced throughout the series will be representatives of the alien cultures these explorers encounter in the far reaches of the universe. Since the Ancients got distracted with the plague and ascension, they abandoned the Stargate seeding project. The Stargates were planted on distant worlds, but humanity was not, according to Mallozzi. He concluded, “There were explanations for why human civilizations existed within the Milky Way and Pegasus Galaxies. In the case of SGU, no such explanation exists (that we know of) so the alien civilizations we will be encountering will not be human.”
Non-human aliens have been represented by actors in suits (such as Nem of Oannes), puppets (such as the Asgard), and as computer-generated (CG) images (such as Tyler of the Reol and the leader of the Lost Tribe of the Asgard). “We’ve done limited puppetry … and may explore this avenue. However, for the really out-there-looking creatures, you want to go CG,” Mallozzi explained. Stargate visual effects teams have been nominated for and have won several awards for their CG efforts over the years, including the Gemini in 2003 for SG-1’s “Revelations” that included extensive CG for the Asgard named Heimdall.
And what about the alien worlds themselves? Those who have listened to the DVD commentaries over the years know that locations in the Vancouver area are becoming scarce as developers take over. And the infamous “Medieval Village” set has been torn down to make room for the Destiny. Will we see CG worlds on SGU instead? “Of the first ten episodes broken,” Mallozzi explained, “we have a grand total of 0 forested planets. I’m not saying we won’t, eventually, come across one but, for the time being, the emphasis is on the ship and some locations atypical of Stargate. As a matter of fact, Executive Producer Robert Cooper and Director Andy Mikita are in New Mexico as we speak, scouting a cool-looking alien setting.”
Production
Stargate Universe begins principal photography February 4, 2009, and is scheduled for a July 2009 premiere on the Sci Fi Channel. Even though the opening episode, “Air”, has three parts, only the first two are likely to be shown as a two-hour movie premiere, according to Mallozzi.
Stay with Solutions as we continue to update the Stargate Universe Guide in the Stargate Wiki.
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18.Dec.08
Posted in News at 9:47 pm by michelle
Michael Shanks stars in Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon, premiering Saturday, December 20 at 9 pm/8 pm Central on the US Sci Fi Channel. The tag-line for the movie is, “In a lost city filled with fortune, a loyal daughter will battle Aztec warriors and an evil god to win back her father.” The movie is set in the early 1900’s, and Shanks plays an archaeologist, Jacob Thain, who works to help find the father of Sarah Jordan, played by Shannen Doherty. Read this entry for further details on the movie.
Also read Michael’s new interview about the movie here at SciFi.com. From the interview:
And it was a fun adventure story, from what I read, with interesting visuals, with the archaelogy and the mythology, and the wardrobe was neat. It was more about the discovery and the journey, and it was an interesting character. I was daunted by playing yet another archaeologist, but, at the same time, this character was very different in a lot of ways [from Stargate's Daniel Jackson].
Sci Fi shows the movie airing at these times:
20 December ‘08, 9 pm
21 December ‘08, 2:30 pm
7 February ‘09, 7 pm
Michael-Shanks Online is tracking other airings around the globe, including these dates and times in Canada. Pass the word and let’s get some good ratings for Michael!
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16.Dec.08
Posted in News at 7:52 pm by michelle
We’d like to recommend a new site we happened upon, StargateActorAppearances, which is tracking public appearances by any actor ever associated with Stargate. Have a look and see if any of your favorites are coming to a town near you! There is a contact email at the top of the page in case you have additions or corrections to suggest.
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