News, spoilers and updates in the Stargate world
We haven’t heard from Claudia Black (Vala Mal Doran) in a while, at least not visually! She just gave a video interview about her voice-over role in the new video game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. She doesn’t talk about Stargate at all, but it’s interesting to hear her take on how she and her colleague Emily Rose approach being both the voices and the motion-captured movement of two characters in the video game.
Watch the interview here at kotaku.com.
Fans anxious to hear definite word about the Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis DVD movies must resort to reading the internet tea leaves, as no “official” word seems to be forthcoming, one way or the other. We’ve heard rumors of filming dates, but none of the cast has said they have a deal in place, and we know the scripts are not yet finalized.
Based on recent hints, fans might need to prepare themselves for yet more uncertainty and delay. First, MGM Studios, which has to fund the movies’ production, is in deep debt amid the current financial turmoil. As the New York Times reported:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the 85-year-old movie studio behind “The Wizard of Oz” and the James Bond franchise, has hired an adviser to help restructure its mountainous $3.7 billion in debt and keep its film pipeline running,
[…]
Analysts have also grown concerned about the studio’s ability to raise financing for new film production amid the depressed credit markets. MGM has scaled back its ambitions to produce as many as 12 movies a year.
It’s likely that as DVD-only movies, the two Stargate films would not be counted among the 12 productions; still it does not bode well in that MGM doesn’t seem to have capital to invest in anything remotely risky. The SG-1 movies were by all accounts more successful than expected, but the DVD market has since been in decline, as reported here.
In his blog entry for 12 June, Joe Mallozzi also described some financial realities:
In addition to the stark realities of a suffering DVD market (the victim of a perfect storm of circumstances – the evolution of alternate media platforms, the recession, and – my #1 suspect – Blu-ray). In order to set an official date for the commencement of principal photography, the studio – which is taking the lion’s share of the risk by bankrolling the production – must first sort out a number of issues. Still, as I’ve been saying all along, we all want to make this movie (me most of all as, from a purely mercenary standpoint, I’ll be producing it – and not for free), and we now have a first draft script in place.
These hints point to the need for fans to adjust expectations about filming in 2009. Perhaps we can give MGM the confidence it needs to fund the movies by buying the upcoming Stargate DVD releases: the SG-1 Children of the Gods remix, and Stargate Atlantis Season 5. Strong sales will prove DVDs still have a place on the shelves of Stargate fans!
The official website of Michael Shanks, MichaelShanks-online.com, begins its 5th annual charity auction today. Visit the auction page to read about the auction and browse the items, which include autographed pictures, scripts, and more from many actors and shows. All proceeds go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, the chosen charity of Michael and Lexa Shanks.
The first 20 items are up today — view them here!
The Sci Fi adventure/horror movie Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon came out on DVD recently (available here for Region 1). Starring Michael Shanks as lead and featuring J.R. Bourne (Martouf), the movie is admittedly not Oscar material, nor is it for the squeamish. However for fans of Michael and J.R., it does have much to recommend it, as the actors look particularly fine in their period costumes and surrounded by the lovely high desert near Kamloops, BC.
So if you haven’t seen the movie, or even if you have, please visit our screen caps gallery for the best of Michael and J.R. in the film. A few of the latter images are spoilery, and some have a bit of blood, but their inclusion was necessary since the blood in question is on a certain Mr. Shanks’s bare chest.
The DVD includes an 11-minute behind-the-scenes special that shows Michael and the rest of the cast having a fun adventure shooting the movie. So even if it doesn’t appeal to you, the DVD might be worth a look for the featurrette alone!
From this entry on deepdiscountdvd.com comes a listing of what fans can look forward to on the upcoming release of the SGA Season 5 DVD box set. While there are many great extras, it’s interesting and perhaps disappointing to note four episodes do not have audio commentaries. Producers have noted doing the commentaries is a voluntary, unpaid activity that must be fitted into busy schedules. Still, one would have expected a commentary for critically acclaimed “The Shrine”! The box set will be released on 30 June ’09 for Region 1 (North America). For Region 2 (UK and Europe), the five disks are being released one at a time from 11 May – 6 July, according to this site, with a box set being released on 8 September. In any case, here is the reported content, which should be the same for all regions.
5-Disc Set
Region 1
NTSC
Box Set – Checkpoint – Sensormatic
Anamorphic Widescreen – 1.78
Audio:
Dolby Surround 5.1 – English
Mono – Spanish, French
Subtitles – English, French, Spanish
Text/Photo Galleries: Photo Galleries
Production Art: Production Design Gallery
1. 501 – Search and Rescue
2. 502 – The Seed
3. 503 – Broken Ties
4. 504 – The Daedalus Variations
1. Commentary on Search and Rescue by Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
2. Commentary on The Seed by Director William Waring
3. Commentary on Broken Ties by Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Actor Jason Momoa
4. Commentary on The Daedalus Variations by Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
1. Mission Directive: Search and Rescue
2. Showdown! Ronan v. Tyre
3. Bringing The Seed to Life
Trailers: Stargate Universe
1. 505 – Ghost in the Machine
2. 506 – The Shrine
3. 507 – Whispers
4. 508 – The Queen
1. Commentary on Whispers by Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring
2. Commentary on The Queen by Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director Brenton Spencer
1. Mission Directive: Whispers with Will Waring and Joseph Mallozzi
2. Tricks of the Trade: Submerging the Stargate
3. Joe Flanigan: A Conversation with the Colonel
1. 509 – Tracker
2. 510 – First Contact
3. 511 – The Lost Tribe
4. 513 – Outsiders
1. Commentary on Tracker by Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director William Waring
2. Commentary on First Contact by Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
3. Commentary on The Lost Tribe by Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
4. Commentary on Outsiders by Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director William Waring
1. Mission Directive: Tracker with Will Waring and Carl Binder
2. Dr. Jackson Comes to Atlantis
3. Building a Humanoid with James Robbins & Martin Gero
1. 512 – Inquisition
2. 514 – The Prodigal
3. 515 – Remnants
4. 516 – Brain Storm
1. Commentary on Inquisition by Director Brenton Spencer and Actor Tobias Slezak
2. Commentary on The Prodigal by Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
3. Commentary on Remnants by Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring
4. Commentary on Brain Storm by Executive Producer/Director Martin Gero
1. Mission Directive: Brain Storm with Martin Gero
2. The Life and Death of Michael Kenmore
Deleted Scenes: Deleted Scenes (Part One)
1. 517 – Infection
2. 518 – Identity
3. 519 Vegas (Extended Episode)
4. 520 Enemy at the Gate (Extended Episode)
1. Commentary on Vegas by Executive Producer Robert C. Cooper, Producer John G. Lenic and Director of Photography Michael Blundell
2. Commentary on Enemy at the Gate by Executive Producer Paul Mullie and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela
1. Stargate Atlantis Goes to Vegas
2. Inside the Stargate Costume Department
Deleted Scenes: Deleted Scenes (Part Two)
Amanda Tapping as Captain Samantha Carter in “Children of the Gods”
Stargate star Amanda Tapping talked with Moviehole during the Vancouver Creation Convention in April about her first days in costuming at Stargate SG-1, back when the show was being produced for airing on the pay channel Showtime. It’s a rather heartbreaking account, but at the same time, shows what these characters meant to the actors even at the beginning of filming.
“The very beginning, my very first wardrobe call, I was asked to put on a push up bra and a tiny little tank top as my very first wardrobe fitting and I panicked because I thought ‘oh my god, they cast the wrong person,'” she recalled. “I’m not that and this character isn’t that and if they wanted a blonde boobie bombshell they cast the wrong girl.
“I remember crying in Christina McQuarrie’s little wardrobe change room and saying ‘why are they asking for this?’ I was told I was going to go up to the executive producers and show them this little look and I said ‘no, I can’t do it, maybe they’ve made a huge mistake.’
“It turns out it wasn’t Brad [Wright] or Rob [Cooper]—or Brad and Jonathan [Glassner] at the time—it was networks and whatever; it was different people who were making that decision, but I freaked and I guess Christina went up to them and [said] ‘she’s uncomfortable and this is not what the character is to her and maybe you can come down and explain to her why you want this incredibly strong, feisty woman to be this,’ and so they said ‘Don’t worry about it.’
“In some ways it was very painful and especially as a young actress, it was my first huge gig and I didn’t want to blow it, but by the same token, I was bawling; I was sitting in the wardrobe room crying, saying ‘this is not what this character is. I don’t see this character as this and if we’re going to cartoon this character then cast somebody different.'”
Fortunately, Tapping’s standing up for her character allowed her to produce a strong female role model that even she hopes her own daughter can look up to. “I think Sam is a great role model in that she is incredibly smart and unapologetic about it and that she’s strong and she’s loyal beyond measure. So many things that I admire about her that I would love for my daughter to take on.”
Now, over 12 years later, Tapping’s always willing to return to the Stargate sets, even after her success as the lead actor, director, and executive producer of her new hit series Sanctuary. The third SG-1 movie has been green-lit and Martin Wood is slated to direct Wright’s and Carl Binder’s script. “I don’t know anything about the movie. Michael [Shanks] and I were just talking about it; as far as we know, it’s going to be filming in the Fall and Rick [Richard Dean Anderson] [is] going to be in it and Chris [Judge] and Michael and I don’t know anything else beyond that.”
In the meantime, SG-1 fans are being treated to a new “final cut” of the episode that introduced the beloved cast: Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods: Final Cut is being released on July 21 in Region 1 (North America), July 27 in Region 2 (Europe), and August 5 in Region 4 (Australia). This “final cut” was created by Wright by going back to the original dailies and recreating the pilot with new visual effects and a new soundtrack by Joel Goldsmith. Additionally, Wright removed the female nudity that he felt didn’t belong in Stargate originally, but was asked to include on Showtime.
To read the complete interview, which includes Tapping’s view of Carter after she gained command of Atlantis, visit Moviehole: Interview: Amanda Tapping.
According to TVShowsOnDVD.com, the re-cut version of the pilot episode of Stargate SG-1 will be released in Region 1 (North America) this July 21st!
Here’s the cover art that was sent to the website from their retail contacts:
The description from the MGM/Fox for Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods: The Final Cut: “Re-mastered. Re-cut. Re-imagined. Remarkable! The thrilling pilot episode…with exclusive special features and masterful fine-tuning from series Co-Creator Brad Wright…(is) the ultimate realization of the series’ iconic launch.”
The movie has a running time of 90 minutes and the cost will be $26.98 SRP. The commentary is by Brad Wright (and according to Wright from the recent Vancouver Creation Con, also Richard Dean Anderson). There is one bonus featurette mentioned in the article, possibly the special we’ve heard about called “Children of the Gods – Back to the Beginning”, but this is not confirmed. TVShowsOnDVD also reported that the release will include a trailer about Stargate Universe, which is due to make its television premiere on the Syfy Channel in October.
Play.com lists a July 27 release for Region 2 (Europe), while Ezy DVD reports that the DVD will be released in Region 4 (Australia) on August 5.
TVShowsOnDVD.com have announced that the special Blu-ray HD Disc for Stargate Atlantis will be released August 4!
The Fan’s Choice artwork at the site isn’t confirmed to be the official one, but it looks perfect for a disc (or several discs) full of episodes from across all the seasons of the show, chosen by fans through StargateHub.com:
1. Enemy at the Gate
2. Rising
3. The Siege
4. Tao of Rodney
5. Be All My Sins Remember’d
6. The Shrine
7. McKay and Mrs. Miller
8. Vegas
9. Midway
10. First Strike
Here are the specs on the release as provided by TVShowsOnDVD.com: “Today MGM and distributor Fox Home Entertainment revealed to retailers that Stargate: Atlantis – Fan’s Choice on high-def Blu-ray will arrive on August 4th, at a cost of $29.99 SRP. Specs show it will run 87 minutes, and is presented in 1080p widescreen video with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio. Other language options include Spanish Stereo, 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and subtitles in English, French or Spanish. No bonus material other than “trailers” had been mentioned in the information available to retailers, and as we said previously, final package art isn’t available yet. Stay tuned, however, and we’ll update you just as soon as we can!”
The running time for this release looks like only one episode is included, but according to the announcement, “For the first time ever on Blu-ray, here are extended versions of your two favorite episodes from the celebrated Stargate Atlantis™ series – without commercial interruption, and in packaging you designed! The exhilarating, feature-length pilot episode, Rising, sends a brilliant team of scientists through a Stargate to the legendary city of Atlantis. But not only is the city about to be engulfed by ocean water, an enemy appears who threatens everyone in the Pegasus Galaxy! And in the white-knuckle, lengthened Enemy at the Gate from Season 5, as the team tries to disempower Wraith hive ships, the Wraith discover coordinates that will allow them to destroy Earth!”
Play.com (UK) has posted the release dates for the individual volumes (5 in all) for Stargate Atlantis Season Five in the Region 2 format (European). The unconfirmed cover art for each volume is also included in their listings:
The website doesn’t have a list of episodes and special features that each volume will contain, but it appears you can pre-order the discs. Amazon.co.uk also has the discs listed, but has different release dates. The first volume’s release date of May 11 seems to be agreed upon at both sites, however.
The Season Five boxed set in Region 1 (North America) is due to hit the shelves June 30, 2009.
According to an article from Associated Content, Stargate Worlds tops the list of the “most anticipated MMORPGs” that will be released in 2009 and beyond. The projected release date is now in the fourth quarter of this year:
Stargate Worlds – Release Date: Q4 2009
Stargate Worlds will be based on the hit television show, Stargate SG-1. An MMORPG game placed in a science-fiction universe of this magnitude has been long desired by fans worldwide. The storyline will highlight the earlier seasons of the show and the main setting at release will be the Milky Way Galaxy. The war between Goa’uld and the Tau’ri rages on, one of many conflicts between races in the show.
Players will be able to choose certain archetypes, which operate differently from other traditional MMORPGs. There is no particular ‘tank’ class or ‘healer’ class. Instead, a highly flexible tech tree can be used to customize your character in endless ways. Each archetype will have three specialization trees that give the player the ability to have hybrid roles. Combat will emphasize first-person shooter concepts and tactical gameplay. The weapons will be diverse and the enemy AI will prove to be a challenge.
Set before the discovery of Atlantis, Stargate Worlds is being developed by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, which has seen financial distress recently. In order to debunk rumors that the game was never going to be released, Cheyenne Mountain’s Senior Marketing Manager Kevin Balentine made a statement that said that “the lights here are still on.” It’s true that the release date has been pushed further out (at least a year), but that appears to not have been a deterrent to fans who have put the game on the top of their “most anticipated” list.
As far as getting the name out, Stargate Worlds is represented by a racing team called “Team Stargate Worlds”. Solutions has covered this racing team in our LJ Companion. You can see an image of the car with the logo at the Team’s website.
Visit Stargate Worlds’ homepage for more information about the game. Additionally, Solutions has a few articles that you might find of interest here in the blog archives; simply click here for a retrieval of these articles.