News, spoilers and updates in the Stargate world
Articles including content about actor Amanda Tapping.
Amanda Tapping’s Sanctuary, “the first broadcast caliber sci fi series developed specifically for the internet”, goes live Monday, May 14.
Each webisode will last about 15 minutes. Currently, there are eight webisodes, with a promise of more to come. To get information about viewing the new show, please visit their Sanctuary For All website.
Season Four of Stargate Atlantis is in full production in Vancouver and SCI FI MAGAZINE had a chance to talk with executive producer Robert C. Cooper and actors Amanda Tapping (Col. Samantha Carter) and David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay) about Tapping’s joining the show’s cast. The article didn’t address the issue of how Carter’s promotion will affect the dynamics of the SG-1 team in the two upcoming direct-to-DVD movies.
The article implies that Tapping’s Carter will be a full-bird Colonel when she becomes the Atlantis base commander in civilian Dr. Elizabeth Weir’s stead. Concerning Weir’s replacement and Torri Higginson’s reduction to recurring status, executive producer Robert C. Cooper stated:
“I can’t make people feel better who just love Torri and Dr. Weir and want to see her on the show,” sighs [Robert C.] Cooper. “Unfortunately, that’s just not going to happen. All I can say is that Sam Carter is a wonderful character, and Amanda Tapping is a wonderful actress, and I think she will fill the role on Atlantis admirably. I’m excited about seeing the evolution of her character. Brad [Wright] and I created the character Dr. Weir and we love the character and Torri, but the change needed to be made.”
Hewlett, who plays Dr. Rodney McKay, was enthusiastic about Tapping’s joining the cast. His character and Carter have a “love-hate” relationship that Hewlett is anxious to develop further:
“I think there’s a lot of potential there. The great thing is that Amanda’s character is struggling to be a leader now, after being someone in the field getting dirty with the troops. She’s being thrown into a leadership position, and McKay has never been very good at taking commands from anybody. I think there is a lot of potential for some fun, because they are both brilliant. […] There’s also the fact of the matter that McKay is absolutely smitten with her. It’s great for me on a completely selfish level. First off, I love working with Amanda.”
Tapping was cautious about the decision to make the move to Atlantis, but is looking forward to establishing positive relationships with the current cast:
“I’m certainly going onto Atlantis knowing that it’s not my show. I’m not going to try and put my stamp all over it. I really do feel, like the character, that there has to be a lot of tact involved, for Carter and Amanda. I’m very cognizant and respectful of their show and their dynamic. For Carter and Amanda it will just be finding my place. I don’t want to make ripples in the lake.”
Cooper compares Carter’s move to become the leader of the Atlantis Expedition to that of O’Neill’s when he left his team and became the commander of the SGC. But, Cooper also stressed that the characters and their leadership styles are different enough that they will not “be stepping on well-trodden territory there.” For Cooper, Carter’s promotion to command the Atlantis base is a natural step in the character’s evolution:
“It’s about time she [Carter] got a command, and we had to keep that from happening on SG-1 because we wanted her to be part of the team. This is a perfect opportunity to evolve her character in the natural way that it should have in the franchise.”
Tapping looks forward to her character’s evolution:
“I really love the Atlantis cast, and they are a great cast of people. Plus, the way Joe [Mallozzi] and Paul [Mullie] presented it to me, when they sat me down and asked how I felt about it, they presented it in such a way that it seemed like a really exciting opportunity for the character. Not only is it for me personally, but also for Carter. It’s a whole new level to her, and I thought, ‘This is actually going to change her.'”
Read the complete article in the magazine, available on stands now, or order it through their website at: http://www.scifi.com/scifimag/
There have been several news releases recently concerning the unique filming location that will be featured in Stargate: Continuum, the second direct-to-DVD movie written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood, as well as about Richard Dean Anderson’s reprising his role as Jack O’Neill. Amanda Tapping has posted at her official website about getting ready for her special trip to film scenes with Ben Browder and Anderson.
The following contains spoiler information on a filming location for the movie:
From: The Official Amanda Tapping Website:
Tomorrow I leave for the Arctic! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! Ben, Richard and myself will be filming up at the APLIS camp.
We fly out of Prudhoe Bay onto the ice, just south of the North Pole.
The temperature the other day was -82 with the wind chill !!!!!!!!!!! We are to be on constant alert for Polar Bears and frost bite!
I will take lots of pictures and post them for you when I get back.
As reported here at Gateworld, Amanda Tapping and other cast and crew from Stargate are filming a new series called Sanctuary. A mixed-genre show, it will be filmed almost completely in front of a green screen, with nearly all of the non-actor elements filled in by visual effects afterward (as was done in the movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow). In keeping with growing trends, it will be broadcast only on the internet.
Tapping was recently interviewed in on the Vancouver show Urban Rush in which she discussed Sanctuary as well as her future involvement in the Stargate franchise. You can view the interview here on YouTube.
Visit SanctuaryforAll.com for more info on the series; as of now there is only an intro graphic and music.
Amanda Tapping has posted on her official website about her move to Stargate Atlantis for the show’s fourth season. She also talked about her work schedule and the SG-1 movies:
I am also joining the cast of Atlantis next year for 14 episodes!! I am delighted. I have been quoted as saying that “I am contractually obligated to the franchise for another year.” This sounds incredibly cold. It’s strange sometimes to see your words in print. I want to be on the record as saying that I am very excited about the move to Atlantis. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the character of Carter and for me personally. I am also aware that some people are not thrilled with the idea. I can only say that I think it will be a nice fit. I know Atlantis is not my show and I intend to tread lightly on their boards. I have a huge amount of respect for the cast and crew and hope that I will add to the show and not take away from anyone. I have talked at great length with Joe and Paul. When they first pitched the idea to me, I was a little nervous. After talking to them I am convinced that this is a good move. They are very excited about show running Atlantis and I am sure their enthusiasm will be felt on screen. I will also be in the two SG-1 TV movies which are shooting in April and June. I am looking at a very busy and fulfilling year. Surprisingly, I will have a bit more time off this year to spend with my family as I am only scheduled for four days per episode on Atlantis. This is perfect for me. Olivia is an absolute wonder and Alan and I are enjoying this time immensely.
Amanda Tapping’s brother Steven has died suddenly. He suffered from epilepsy, although it was not stated if that was the cause of his death. You can read Amanda’s statement here.
We at Solutions offer our deepest condolences to Amanda and her family for this tragic loss.
Thanks to sg1_spoilme for the information.
There were at least 3 Stargate-related conventions going on this weekend, and various bits of news came out of them related to casting of the remaining S10/S3 episodes, as well as upcoming SG-1 DVD movies and Season 4 of Atlantis.
Visit our forum for brief snippets on the conventions from attendees, and stay tuned for a complete A Dog’s Breakfast Screening and Creation Burbank report.
With the cancellation of Stargate SG-1 and the last shooting day already past, fans of the 10-year-old series might be wondering what’s in store for the actors as they move on. The rumor mill is still putting out the possibility of there being a series of TV movies to be produced along-side Stargate Atlantis once February 2007 comes around, but MGM and the Sci Fi Channel have not officially announced such a project.
In recent interviews conducted by Underground Online, Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter), Christopher Judge (Teal’c), and Morena Baccarin (Adria) tell about some of the projects in which they might have a future beyond SG-1.
I have something possibly coming down the pipe that I might be shooting in October, and that would be sort of a sci-fi thing. I can’t talk about it, but come February, I will be talking very loudly about it. I’m very excited about it, but it is a sci-fi project. But it’s a pretty wide open genre and it’s all about possibility.
Just a few weeks ago I completed another pilot [script], which I’ve gotten really good feedback with and I’ve given it to Brad [Wright] and Rob [Cooper], so they probably won’t read it until we’re done. But if we just go to movies, it would be the next TV thing I would like to do. I had some really good feedback from the two studios I’ve given it to, and I would like nothing more to continue working with the people we’re working with now.
I’m waiting to hear about a pilot I shot called Heartland, to see if it will be picked up by TNT. Other than that, back to auditioning.
[Thanks to sueb for the tip.]
Here’s a big update to our interviews pages, with excerpts of recent magazine interviews.
We’ve also added some links to external on-line interviews to the respective interview main pages.
Tonight’s episode, “The Pegasus Project”, sees Dr. Daniel Jackson finally realizing a dream and going to Atlantis. His trip, however, is not for pleasure, but to research the Atlantis archives for more information about Merlin’s anti-Ascended weapon, the Sangreal. Daniel’s long-awaited trip is made with his teammates, Lt. Col. Samantha Carter and Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell, and new SGC consultant, Vala Mal Doran.
As monumental as Daniel’s trip to Atlantis is, there is another story going on while he and Vala perform their research with Dr. Elizabeth Weir. Dr. Rodney McKay and Lt. Col. John Sheppard assist Carter and Mitchell in their attempts to make a wormhole jump from a Space Stargate (“Spacegate”) in the Pegasus Galaxy to the Ori’s Super Stargate (“Supergate”) in the Milky Way Galaxy in order to close off the Ori’s ability to send more warships through that particular Supergate. Teal’c is near the Supergate in a cargo ship, working on his end of the project.
Tapping and Hewlett enthuse over working together again in this interview, which also includes some spoilers for later episodes for both shows (so beware!).
Click HERE for the full Q&A.