TV Guide, Mallozzi Give Spoilers for Movies

The US TV GUIDE June 18-24 issue has a feature entitled “STARGATE’s Final Frontier” that includes some spoilers for the show’s finale, “Unending”, airing on Friday, June 22, on the Sci Fi Channel, as well as some consolation to the fans with the news that “the Gate isn’t really closing” by giving away some spoilers, including a picture, for the upcoming direct-to-DVD movies, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.

TV GUIDE isn’t the only place where images for the movies can be found. Executive producer Joseph Mallozzi has also been giving out tidbits of information behind the scenes as he publishes pictures from both movies’ sets in his personal blog. His most recent entry includes images of cast and crew as they work on the refrigerated set designed to mimick the conditions experienced by the crew in the Arctic back in March.

The Ark of Truth

The article includes a picture of an Ori warrior holding a staff weapon threateningly with Carter and Teal’c nearby.

The article, written by Ileane Rudolf, has the following about the movie:

“We wanted to end the show without really ending it,” [Robert C.] Cooper says. “We want it to continue, so we decided to make a movie that wraps up a lot of the big loose ends.” “The Ark of Truth,” due on DVD this fall, focuses on the Ori’s threat to Earth and a device that may deprogram its soldiers.

Although the caption for the Sneak Peek image suggests that the DVD for the movie won’t be released until 2008, the article clearly states “this fall,” the same time period that was announced in MGM’s original press release about the movies. [TV Guide’s article also has Carter at the rank of Major, so be aware that the article might not be entirely accurate as well.]

Robert C. Cooper revealed more information about the device, the Ark of Truth itself, in an interview at Gateworld:

I find it a truly fascinating centerpiece. It’s a device that essentially is a — I don’t want to say ‘brain-washing’ — but it can be used to convince you of the truth. One of the Alteran scientists invented this device and said, ‘Look, we can avoid any kind of war by just using this on them and brain-washing them.’ And the rest of the Alterans said, ‘No, that’s just wrong. Philosophically and morally it’s wrong.’

According to Cooper, the device was meant to work against the Ori when they were in advanced human form, before they and the Alterans ascended. SG-1 might be targeting the Priors with this device to convince them to stop the Ori’s army. If they find the device, will it be wrong of them to use it?

Continuum

Stargate: Continuum is due to wrap filming today, June 14, in Vancouver. According to the TV GUIDE article, it won’t be released until Spring 2008. Again, this release date conflicts with that already put forth by MGM that both movies were to be released this fall.

A second DVD, “Continuum,” coming next spring, will feature an alternate-timeline story in which O’Neill, Carter and Mitchell find themselves in the 1939 Arctic battling Nazis — and an old alien enemy — over the newly discovered Gate.

According to Mallozzi’s behind-the-scenes spoilers in his June 13th blog entry, Tapping, Browder, and Shanks were filming scenes in a refrigerated “boat” set. Producer N. John Smith talked about this set at the Vancouver Con in March and reassured fans that even though Shanks didn’t make the Arctic shoot that month, that Daniel’s scenes would be filmed in a refrigerated set in Vancouver. Additionally, Shanks told fans in his farewell video at scifi.com that Brad Wright gave Daniel some character development scenes as a compromise for his missing the Arctic shoot that involved Jack, Carter, and Mitchell on the ice and in the submarine USS Alexandria.

Mallozzi had this to say about their day of filming:

They were shooting a scene from Continuum on stage 2 which had been refrigerated for the occasion. While Michael and Amanda were outside thawing out, Martin was setting up his next shot which required Ben to make his way through the dark and frozen ship with only a flashlight to lead him. I had goosebumps and I could barely keep my teeth from chattering. It was that creepy. And cold.

Minutes later, Martin had his shot and called lunch. As the crew filed out, no doubt headed for warmer climes, Lawren and I hopped aboard and checked out the frosted boat.

Mallozzi included eight pictures from that day’s filming in the frozen boat set, about which director Martin Wood offered, “This is nothing compared to the Arctic.” These pictures show the crated Stargate among the frozen items in the boat. The crate and boat were subjects of Mallozzi’s photo journal in his May 21st entry.

Visit Solutions Stargate Wiki SG-1 Movie guides for more details about the movies, including links to other interviews and articles.

[Thanks to wraithfodder for the tip and to MSOL for the content of the TV GUIDE article.]