Category: Press

Judge in London for "Dead Space: Aftermath" Launch

According to Coventry Telegraph, Stargate star Christopher Judge is in London today to launch the new animated movie Dead Space: Aftermath, which will be released next week on DVD and Blu-ray in both the UK and the US (January 24 and 25, respectively).

Judge’s character Nick Kuttner is featured in the following preview clip called “Kuttner Flashback”, which is described as follows: “After the crew of the USG O’ Bannon lands on Aegis 7, they separate out, and soon Nick Kuttner discovers ‘the shard'” (Warning: profanity):

Brian J. Smith Gets Lead Role in Syfy’s "Red Faction"

Brian J. SmithStargate Universe star Brian J. Smith has the leading role in Syfy’s movie adaptation of the video game Red Faction, currently filming in Bulgaria.

Smith is playing Jake Mason, and another Stargate veteran, Robert Patrick (Stargate Atlantis, Col. Marshall Sumner), is portraying his father Alec.

From Chicago Now: Show Patrol Exclusive: Brian J. Smith takes lead role in ‘Red Faction’ movie:

Twenty-five years have passed since Alec Mason (Robert Patrick) led the Martian Colonies to freedom …and 12 years since vengeful enemies killed his wife, kidnapped his daughter Lyra (Tamzin Merchant), and left a broken hero in their wake.

Jake Mason (Brian J. Smith), Alec’s last surviving son and an officer in the Red Faction Militia, has his world turned inside out when he discovers that now, 12 years after her kidnapping, his sister is still alive. As a powerful new enemy swarms across the planet, Jake goes out to find her, only to learn that his lost sister is one of them…a cold-blooded soldier sworn to destroy the Red Faction.

Jake must now battle the relentless regime and somehow reunite a family torn apart by war.

The Red Faction: Origins screenplay was written by notable writer and producer Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13, Fringe, Eli Stone), based on a story developed by Paul DeMeo (The Rocketeer, The Flash, Viper), THQ Director, Fiction Development.

Follow Smith on his Twitter as he shares his experiences while filming far from home in Bulgaria.

Tapping's "Sanctuary" Gets Season Four

Cast of SANCTUARY (Syfy Photo: Pete Tangen)
Congratulations to the cast and crew of Amanda Tapping‘s Sanctuary for getting the go for a fourth season on Syfy!

Here’s the official press release, reported by Chicago Now’s Show Patrol:

New York, NY – January 18, 2011 – Syfy has greenlit production on a fourth season of Sanctuary, it was announced today by Mark Stern, President, Original Programming, Syfy & Co-Head, Original Programming, Universal Cable Productions. Sanctuary season 4 is slated to commence production on a 13-episode season in spring 2011 in Vancouver, BC with an eye towards a fall 2011 premiere on Syfy.

Sanctuary follows brilliant scientist Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) and her team, who use their unique combination of instinct, medicine and cutting-edge science to find and aid a clandestine population of beings that the world refuses to believe exists. The series also stars Robin Dunne as forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman, Agam Darshi as the quick-witted Kate Freelander, Ryan Robbins as tech wiz Henry Foss and Christopher Heyerdahl as the sinister John Druitt.

One of television’s most groundbreaking series, shooting almost entirely on green screen, Sanctuary was the first television series in North America to use the RED camera exclusively. Its stunning visual effects were nominated for a 2008 Emmy Award.

Created by Damian Kindler (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis), Sanctuary is produced in association with Syfy and is distributed by Tricon Films and Television. Season three of the series is executive produced by Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Keith Beedie and Tricon Films.

Sanctuary is currently in winter hiatus, but will be returning to Syfy in April.

Stargate Planner: Week of January 17-23

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,   January 17 Today is David Blue‘s birthday.
Tuesday,   January 18
Wednesday, January 19 Today is Rachel Luttrell‘s birthday.
Thursday,   January 20 Tonight at 10/9c is the premiere of the new USA network series Fairly Legal in which Richard Dean Anderson will be making five appearances over the first season as David Smith. Fairly Legal is the new title of the series; it was formerly called Facing Kate. The pilot is 90 minutes and the remaining nine episodes will be one hour each. The premise: “Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi) is a firm believer that justice can always be found-even if it’s not always in the courtroom. Once a lawyer at her family’s esteemed San Francisco firm, Kate’s frustration with the legal system led her to a new career as a mediator. Thanks to her innate understanding of human nature, thorough legal knowledge, and wry sense of humor, Kate is a natural when it comes to dispute resolution. Except, it seems, when it comes to conflicts in her own life” (Show’s official homepage).

Beau Bridges will be among the hosts at the premiere of the documentary Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood.

From PR-USA: The film, executive produced by Melya Kaplan and directed by Jacek Kropinski, chronicles the history of elephants in captivity. Kaplan, founder of the nonprofit Voice for the Animals Foundation, contends that zoos and circuses are not capable of properly caring for elephants due to their size and their need for vast amounts of space in which to roam. Many celebrities have joined Kaplan in a campaign to persuade zoos to close elephant exhibits and transfer the pachyderms to larger sanctuaries.

The host committee for the premiere of “Elephants and Man” includes Cher, Alec Baldwin, Kathy Griffin, Billy Bob Thornton, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, Ed Begley, Jr., Paul Haggis, Fisher Stevens, Ric O’Barry, Karen Black, Lainie Kazan, Ken Davitian, Sally Field, Beau Bridges and others. Special guests will include actresses Lily Tomlin and Tippi Hedren, who have been outspoken on the issue of elephants in captivity. They will participate in a panel discussion, which will follow the screening.
Friday,   January 21
Saturday, January 22 Today is Jennifer Spence‘s birthday.

Robert Picardo will be at the opening review of “Star Trek: The Exhibition” at the Louisville Science Museum, which formally opens January 23 and runs until May 22. This evening review is part of the Museum’s largest fundraiser event, which will include a screening of Quantum Quest, an “animated IMAX movie featuring the voice talents of several Star Trek alums, including William Shatner,” according to Louisville’s Courier Journal.
Sunday, January 23 Today is Richard Dean Anderson‘s birthday.

News Notes

Stargate Universe Press

It should be noted that whenever spoilers come out for SGU, they are placed in the episode guides in the Stargate Wiki without much fanfare here in the News Blog. To keep on top of such updates, visit the main page of the Stargate Wiki to see the “Recent Updates” list of links.

Solutions News Blog Round-Up

Our News Blog posts since the last Stargate Planner (most recent listed first):

Solutions LJ Companion Background Articles

Last week, we posted a few background articles in our LJ Companion that you might be interested in. The articles listed in this section don’t have a companion piece in our News Blog here:

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Stargate Planner: Week of January 10-16

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,   January 10
Tuesday,   January 11
Wednesday, January 12
Thursday,   January 13
Friday,   January 14
Saturday, January 15

Corin Nemec will be appearing at the Salute to Supernatural convention in San Francisco, CA, today.

Box art for Stargate ResistanceStargate Resistance shuts down today:

Dear Valued Customer,

On November 16, 2010, the License Agreement between Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, Inc. and MGM Interactive, Inc. expired. As a result, Cheyenne will no longer be able to offer Stargate Resistance for sale to new customers. However, in the best interests of our customers, game play will be provided for a period of 60 days (until January 15, 2011) to customers who purchased Stargate Resistance prior to November 16, 2010. Look for more information as it becomes available.

Their official website has already been shut down.
Sunday, January 16

News Notes

News Flashes and Brief Follow-Ups

  • Franchise – Executive producer Joe Mallozzi wrote in his weblog, “I spoke to Brad about the future of the franchise. We discussed ‘the plan’, Universe mainly, but also talked SG-1 and Atlantis. No word on progress yet but, given the recent holidays, that’s to be expected I suppose. Hopefully, we’ll receive some positive news next week.”

Stargate Universe Press

It should be noted that whenever spoilers come out for SGU, they are placed in the episode guides in the Stargate Wiki without much fanfare here in the News Blog. To keep on top of such updates, visit the main page of the Stargate Wiki to see the “Recent Updates” list of links.

Solutions News Blog Round-Up

Our News Blog posts since the last Stargate Planner (most recent listed first):

Solutions LJ Companion Background Articles

Last week, we posted a few background articles in our LJ Companion that you might be interested in. The articles listed in this section don’t have a companion piece in our News Blog here:

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Reminder: Joe Flanigan in "Change of Plans" Tonight

Joe Flanigan as Jason Danville in CHANGE OF PLANS (Philippe Bosse/FOX)
Here’s a quick reminder to tune into FOX tonight at 8 PM ET/PT for the premiere of Joe Flanigan’s Change of Plans, a backdoor pilot that is part of Walmart’s and Procter & Gamble’s “Family Movie Night” series of movies that are meant to be “meaningful entertainment for the entire family.” Not only will the movie be on television tonight, but Walmart will give us another chance to support our Stargate star by having the movie’s DVD out in stores tomorrow!

From the movie’s home page:

Up to this point, Sally Danville’s life has played out just as she hoped it would. A beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities. But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show), she learns that things don’t always go according to plan. Sally (Brooke White, American Idol) is met with the news that her best friend from college has died in a tragic accident on a Peace Corps mission and has named Sally the legal guardian of her four kids – 3 of them adopted from third-world countries. Now Sally and Jason (Joe Flanigan, Stargate Atlantis) must quickly learn to parent this instant family and help the kids deal with the culture clash of life in America. The story is both humorous and heartwarming, revealing how fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others.

Stargate Planner: Week of January 3-9

Happy New Year 2011

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,   January 3
Tuesday,   January 4
Wednesday, January 5 Today is Joe Flanigan‘s AND Paul McGillion‘s birthday!
Thursday,   January 6
Friday,   January 7
Saturday, January 8 Joe Flanigan stars in the new family movie Change of Plans tonight on FOX at 8 PM ET. This is a backdoor pilot, so make sure to tune in to show your support. Additionally, the DVD will be in Wal-mart stores tomorrow! The storyline: “Up to this point, Sally Danville’s life has played out just as she hoped it would. A beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities. But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show), she learns that things don’t always go according to plan. Sally (Brooke White, American Idol) is met with the news that her best friend from college has died in a tragic accident on a Peace Corps mission and has named Sally the legal guardian of her four kids – 3 of them adopted from third-world countries. Now Sally and Jason (Joe Flanigan, Stargate Atlantis) must quickly learn to parent this instant family and help the kids deal with the culture clash of life in America. The story is both humorous and heartwarming, revealing how fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others.”
Sunday, January 9 Michael Shanks in Arctic BlastRTL II in Germany will be airing Michael Shanks‘s Arctic Blast at 8:15 PM. (MSOL). The storyline: “When a solar eclipse sends a colossal blast of super chilled air towards the earth, it sets off a catastrophic chain of events that threatens to engulf the world in ice!” Shanks plays Jack Tate, “a brilliant, yet troubled physicist specializing in Earth Sciences” who saves not only the day, but the world!

News Notes

Solutions LJ Companion Background Articles

Last week, we posted a few background articles in our LJ Companion that you might be interested in. The articles listed in this section don’t have a companion piece in our News Blog here:

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Brad Wright Hasn’t Given Up on Stargate Universe

Destiny in FAITH (MGM)In a brief interview with Stargate Universe co-creator Brad Wright, Chicago Now’s Show Patrol reporter Curt Wagner posted some encouraging news about the production office’s efforts to continue the SGU story following its non-renewal by Syfy.

“We haven’t given up on finishing the story we started,” Wright wrote in a recent e-mail concerning the producers’ five-year plan for the latest installment in the Stargate franchise.

“Wright was on a trip when he heard about the cancellation,” Wagner explained, “but since returning he has been exploring options for continuing the series in some form. He and officials at franchise owner MGM have been discussing several options, he said, and he’s thankful for fan support.”

This does not mean that SGU has been saved, as Wagner is quick to point out, but it is encouraging. “It simply means that the parties are looking into a lot of possibilities, but much work remains to be done before we can celebrate,” he warned.

Stargate Universe returns to Syfy with Season Two‘s second half (10 episodes) in April 2011.

ETA: Joseph Mallozzi’s comments about Brad Wright’s plan:

“It’s hard to say no to a job because it’s always great to be employed. Especially if you know, like and respect the people you’ll be working with, and love the material you’ll be working on. Which brings me to a conversation I had with Stargate Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer/Writer Brad Wright today. Alas, no details to offer (yet!) but suffice it to say he’s battling hard to ensure the franchise (that’s SG-1, Atlantis, and SGU) lives on and that the season two finale of Universe, “Gauntlet”, will not be the end. He’s adopted a clever two-pronged approach that, if successful, will see our awesome crew back at work next year. Nothing is guaranteed, but it’s great to hear he’s got a plan to make it happen. And, for the sake of the many, many Stargate fans out there, I really hope he succeeds.” – Joseph Mallozzi, December 23, 2010

Stargate Planner: Week of December 20-26

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,   December 20
Tuesday,   December 21 Robert Picardo stars as Admiral Calvin in Mega Shark Vs. Crocosaurus, which is being released on DVD today (Region 1). The storyline: “The massive prehistoric shark has survived the last battle, and the world is again threatened when a new, more dangerous foe is discovered in the jungles of Africa.”
Wednesday, December 22
Thursday,   December 23

SGU Season One episode “Incursion Part 1” on New Zealand’s Prime TV at 8:30 PM. Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping guest star.
Friday,   December 24
Saturday, December 25 Happy Holidays! SG-1 Christmas
Sunday, December 26

News Notes

Stargate Universe Press

  • The Cast of STARGATE UNIVERSE
    Cancellation – After Syfy’s announcement via Twitter that Stargate Universe will not be renewed for Season Three, the Internet is abuzz with the news. Because of the sheer volume of these announcements, you’ll be able to find the majority through an online search, but in case you missed it, here it is from Solutions. Make sure to visit this article to leave your thoughts about this sad event which has many fans concerned about the future of the Stargate franchise. We’ll be hearing more about this from the production office—namely Joseph Mallozzi via his weblog—once everyone returns from their vacations abroad. This much-anticipated reaction may reveal the future of the franchise, as Mallozzi has made statements in the past that SGU would possibly get a movie (or two) if the five-year plan were cut short.
  • Julia Benson – Toronto Sun: ‘Stargate’ hottie loves to pump iron

It should be noted that whenever spoilers come out for SGU, they are placed in the episode guides in the Stargate Wiki without much fanfare here in the News Blog. To keep on top of such updates, visit the main page of the Stargate Wiki to see the “Recent Updates” list of links.

Solutions News Blog Round-Up

Our News Blog posts since the last Stargate Planner (most recent listed first):

Solutions LJ Companion Background Articles

Last week, we posted a few background articles in our LJ Companion that you might be interested in. The articles listed in this section don’t have a companion piece in our News Blog here:

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Syfy Will End SGU After Two Seasons

Via his Twitter, Craig Engler of Syfy Network has announced that Stargate Universe will end after two seasons. Combining his tweets:

Announcement today: Syfy will end its original action-adventure series Stargate Universe when the show returns with the final 10 episodes of its second season in the Spring of 2011. The Stargate franchise — consisting of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe — has aired on Syfy since 2002. Syfy has a slate of new scripted projects lined up for 2011 including the series premiere of Being Human on January 17, the recently green lit one-hour drama series Alphas and the much anticipated Battlestar prequel pilot movie, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. Warehouse 13, Eureka & Haven will also return w/new seasons next year.

While no reason was given, it’s reasonable to speculate that low U.S. Nielsen broadcast ratings for the show are the cause for the cancellation. The Live+Same Day viewership for the show has stabilized at around 1 million viewers per episode (ratings chart), which is about half of what  Stargate Atlantis averaged during its final season (SGA S5 ratings) and is lower than Syfy’s other original series currently airing. @Syfy has said repeatedly that, while other methods of viewing, such as Hulu and iTunes, do help, Nielsen broadcast ratings in the U.S. are still the primary metric for advertising revenue. Advertising revenue is in turn what pays for Syfy’s share of production costs.

We want to express our condolences to the cast, crew, production, and fans of Stargate for this end of the series and perhaps the franchise. To those who make their living working on the show, we wish you well in finding new endeavors very soon.

Remember, the final ten episodes of SGU Season 2 will air in the Spring of 2011.