The verdict is in, and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a hit, drawing 1.9 million total viewers for its 10 and 11 PM Friday airings — 77% higher than the debut of the first season.
Meanwhile, BBC America has announced that season three of Being Human (their version) will begin sooner than was previously thought, on February 19th. Meanwhile, a new show, Outcasts, will debut the same day. Is it sci-fi or fantasy? From the website: “With Earth no longer habitable, a group of courageous pioneers have traveled to another planet to begin again… As they continue to work and live together they come to realize this is no ordinary planet. Mystery lurks around them and threatens to risk the fragile peace of Forthaven.”
It hasn’t been cast or filmed, but the movie version of The Hunger Games has a release date: March 23, 2012.
A list of the actresses thought to be interested in playing Wonder Woman in David Kelley’s new TV version.
Remember the reports that the production of HBO’s A Game of Thrones had damaged a nature preserve? A website investigated and found that those reports were exaggerated.
I totally called this one! Leonard Nimoy hasn’t retired from acting after all, and may return toFringe.
Speaking of A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin talks about wrapping up the book series:
An interview with the new Spartacus, Liam McIntyre. He walks the fine line of paying homage to Andy Whitfield while also trying to establish his own identity in the part: “Andy’s Spartacus is always going to be Andy’s Spartacus, and I would never try and emulate that. Or try to be him. I think that should stand alone as his legacy.”
So after all the rumors back and forth about the new Matrix movies — they’re on! no, it was all a hoax! most of the story was false, but two new Matrix movies are still in the works! — what’s the truth? No movies are in the works, the studio says.
An interesting point: when a girl becomes possessed by a demon, she becomes creepily sexualized.
Ron Moore’s pilot about a world ruled by magic, not science (a “Harry Potter for grown-ups”), has beenpicked up by NBC.
Remember when David E. Kelley said that his new Wonder Woman TV project wasn’t dead yet? He wasn’t kidding: NBC just picked it up for pilot. The bad news is, Kelley’s other current series, Harry’s Law (not fantasy), is so bad it’s unwatchable (and I like Kathy Bates!).
The early buzz is that Dragon Age 2 delivers. Can’t wait!
All the differences between the Fringe alternative-universe and our own. Of course, they forgot the fact that their Olivia smiles.
What do superheroes do when they’re not fighting crime? A short film — funny, impressive, and very much worth watching:
A preview of the otherBattlestar Galactica prequel in the works.
I was a little underwhelmed by Riese, Syfy’s first web series, but The Mercury Men (an homage to the 30s and 40s serials that Raiders of the Lost Ark also paid tribute to) sounds kinda cool.
Question: does anyone really care about this weird internet trend of sites posting these single-photo-stills from upcoming movies? I mean, the other sites go nuts, and I don’t quite get it. Maybe — maybe! — if it’s the first time we’ve seen a new superhero in costume. But other than that…? Are they just trying to get into the search engines? Anyone?
Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion in the upcoming HBO series A Game of Thrones, discusses his character. (P.S. Peter, you don’t need to apologize for fantasy! In fact, that’s a turn-off):
An amateur Lost movie that uses the show’s actual sets:
You know that viral sensation, The Troll Hunter (an upcoming movie from Norway)? Variety has seen the film and weighs in that it lives up to the hype and could really break out.
The blogosphere is all abuzz with the news that George Lucas reportedly believes the world will end in 2012. It’s second-hand, reported by a comedian, so, seedless to say, I’m skeptical.
Sanctuary has been renewed for a fourth season? (Is it really on a fourth season?)
A first look at the cast of X-Men: First Class, above.
The entire history of Spider-Man (the comic book) mapped out.
A very interesting article on the history of Syfy’s campy Saturday night original movies. They cost about $2 million each, and the channel makes 25 or so of them a year, meaning they match Hallmark as the leading producer of TV movies.
Susannah York,who played Superman’s mother is the first Superman movies, has died.
This is not really fantasy-related (although fantasy elements do pop up!), but watch the new The Onion News Network show on IFC. It’s brilliant — the best new show of the season.
The opening of Spider-Man: Turn on the Dark (the troubled Broadway musical) has been delayed again, forcing me to revise my prediction: its luck as been so unbelievably bad that I now think the only way this story can end is with the show a break-hit.
Truthfully? Ian McKellen has written and said so many contradictory things about his participation in The Hobbit that I’m skeptical of anything he says now, but he’s taken to his blog to explain why he considered not taking the part of Gandalf this go-round, but that he did nonetheless, and will begin filming next month.
Community is planning a Dungeons & Dragons-themed episode, akin to last season’s paintball ep. “They’ll just be sitting at a table playing,” says creator Dan Harmon. “But there are [things] that will make it really interesting.” Needless to say, whenever mainstream culture takes on D&D, I get nervous.
Remember Ron Howard’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower that was going to be a feature film and a TV series? Sounds like the TV component may be a six-hour mini-series … but there could also be a full-fledged series as well.
David E. Kelley says that his TV version of Wonder Woman isnot dead yet!
J.J. Abrams is “horrified” that his show Fringe has been moved to Fridays … but says he has faith in the network. I actually do too.
Walden Media is now developing the YA book seriesSimon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper, where kids wield scientific formulas like magic spells, for the movies.
It’s not the Broadway musical, which will certainly still get its own theatrical adaptation, but Wicked, the novel upon which the musical is based, is coming to ABC as an eight-hour mini-series.
Apparently, sci-fi author Orson Scott Card suffered a mild strokeover the holidays.
This now-hilarious 1993 tutorial video explained the TSR game DragonStrike, which was a boardgame intended to introduced D&D to a wider audience. “It’s like a video game that uses the most powerful micro-processor in the world: YOUR BRAIN!” (h/t: i09.com). Have sensibilities and special effects really changed this much in less than 20 years?:
Remember Friday’s rumor that Elijah Wood will reprise his role as Frodo in The Hobbit, despite not appearing in the book?Apparently, it’s true! (Spoiler alert for details on where he appears!) Rumor is that Orlando Bloom may be back too (along, of course, with Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis).
The networks all passed on David E. Kelley’s new Wonder Woman TV series. I was all set to write that I was sure that some cable network will step up to produce it, but EW is specifically reporting that the high cost makes that very unlikely.
Everything you’ve heard about Ghostbusters 3 is apparently wrong. Again, I ask: does anyone care?
I’m currently at the Television Critics Association conference in Pasadena, and there are three minor pieces of fantasy news to report from here: HBO’s A Game of Thrones has a premiere date now (Sunday, April 17th), and Spartacus will definitely have a second season (though the title role has still not officially been cast). Meanwhile, Torchwood: The New World still has no official air-date, either on Starz (where it’s airing in the US, in a co-production) or on BBC One (in the UK). What’s the series’ premise? (Spoiler alert!) Humans stop dying.
Eric Stoltz is brutally honest about Caprica: it was probably ill-conceived from the start (I agree). He says the cast (especially him) lived in fear of cancellation from early on.
Starz debuted a new Facebook Spartacus game today (for a lucky few — the full roll-out won’t be till later this month). You realize, of course, that social gaming is the future of all TV; every show will have a game like this in about about three months. The question is, is this a fad or the start of a completely new watch to watch television and interact with other fans?
It’s all just a vague rumor, but there’s speculation that Elijah Wood will appear in The Hobbit. How is that possible since Frodo doesn’t appear in the book? Who knows, and I’d dismiss it, except it’s coming from Deadline, which has a great track record for this kind of stuff.
The first photos from Terra Nova (Steven Spielberg’s upcoming time travel-dinosaur series).
From the “No S**t Sherlock” files, NASA declares 2012 the most absurd sci-fi movie ever made. And presumably that includes Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
Okay, did anyone else watch the return of V? I confess I’m struck by how incredibly bad it is: every scene is so simple-minded without any nuance or subtext whatsoever, and don’t get me started on all the plot contrivances. They had eight months to retool, and this is the best they could do? On the plus side, however, it’s gotten so bad that it’s rapidly approaching “camp,” which means it’s almost so-bad-it’s good. (And at least they’re finally showing us what the Visitors look like! USA Today has a spoiler pic.)
Speaking of “bad” projects, the buzz on Nic Cage’sSeason of the Witch is that it’s a stink-o-rama. I was going to review it anyway, but I’ll be gone on Thursday and Friday (and they didn’t screen it for critics), so I won’t be able to. Damn!
A look at SyFy’s American remake of Being Human. I’d say it looks stupid, but I’m afraid I’ve already used my “negative” quota for this Palantir:
Hilarious: Tom Felton, who played Draco in the Harry Potter movies, says he’s now able to get a tan, after a ten-year ban. (But if he’s anything like me, and with his fair skin he is, he’s probably better with spray-on.)
A clever campaign by the folks at Save Our Seeker (who are trying to bring back the syndicated show Legend of the Seeker): they’re planning to all watch the season 1 episode “Deena” non-stop on Hulu (where it’s available for free viewing) in order to get it on a front-page spot and increase visibility. Join in between January 11th and 18th.
Behind-the-scenes look at the underwater bedroom scene in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (one of the most interesting scenes in the movie, IMHO). Featurettes these days are a dime a dozen, but this one is worth watching:
In terms of quality, how do sequel movies compare to the originals?Someone graphs it out. Fascinating, but not at all surprising.
The Razzies (given to the worst films of the year) has a new category: worst eye-gouging misuse of 3-D. Brilliant!
A Power List of the movers-and-shakers in sci-fi and fantasy in 2010. As they say, these aren’t necessarily the people I wish had all the power, but it’s hard to argue that they don’t.
How incredibly depressing: the cool Zoltar machine from Big is now …a Pepsi machine.
Everyone’s talking about the dead birds that fell out of the sky in Arkansas, just like in Flash Forward (and lots of other sci-fi projects). Yup, however you slice it, we’re screwed:
I’m of the opinion that the 2000 movie Pitch Black that made Vin Diesel a star is an under-rated gem — and that the sequel was an unmitigated disaster. Apparently, there’s a third movie in the works.
We’ve written about “fantasy” porn before. Now there’s “fairy” porn. (This. Just. Seems. Wrong. To. Me.)
A major spoiler to Joss Whedon’s new Avengers movie innocently tucked into a local newspaper story?
Neil Gaiman (in the David Bowie role) and Amanda Palmer spoof the Jim Hensen movie Labyrinth. Cute:
The rumors that Harrison Ford wants Indiana Jones‘ demise are false.
Tron opened okay, but now it’s tanking, just like the studio feared it would. Meanwhile, Gulliver’s Travels is tanking from the start, exactly as it deserves to.
Purists will be horrified, but Cate Blanchett (and Galadriel) is joining the cast of The Hobbit, despite the fact that the elven queen does not appear in the book. Sylvester McCoy (who played the Seventh Doctor on Doctor Who) also joins the cast as the wizard Radagast the Brown.
Could be cool:a family fantasy movie is in the works featuring Cirque Du Soleil, using James Cameron’s 3D technology.
How to Train Your Dragoncleaned up in the Annie (animation) award nominations … but only after Disney (Tangled) and Pixar (Toy Story 3) withdrew from the organization that sponsors them. Kinda changes things, doesn’t it?
Another trailer for Gulliver’s Travels. I love Jack Black, but why does this remind me of Will Ferrell in Land of the Lost?
The Wachowskis (The Matrix) are working on a modern-day “urban” take on Robin Hood (called, naturally, Hood). I can’t say I’m overwhelmed by the idea, but it beats Speed Racer.
The story that George Lucas was buying the digital rights of deceased actor to “use” them in new projects isapparently false.
Variety hated The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: too faith-centric and way too cautious. Speaking of which, here are four pretty cool preview posters.
An interview with Brent Weeks, who books I see everywhere.
The finale of The Walking Dead drewa series high of 6 million viewers. Did anyone else think it was terrible? I mean, the facility just happens to be running out of power the day they arrive?
Prepare yourself: this fantasy news round-up will include mostly info on the latest round of movie sequels, re-imaginings, and re-boots. Why? Because these are apparently pretty much the only fantasy movies Hollywood has decided it wants to make. Case-in-point:Anne Rice wants Robert Downey, Jr. as Lestat for a rumored Interview With a Vampire reboot. I’ve lamented so many times before how stupid it is to just do remakes, especially of movies that had perfectly fine movie adaptations in the first place. But I feel compelled to remind you: for every sequel and reboot Hollywood does, that means one less original story they produce, and one less classic book that never gets any adaptation at all.
Twelve plot holes in The Walking Dead. I ordinarily hate articles like this, but I gotta say: I agree with most of these. Mostly, I’m not buying how quickly people (and the main character) have adapted to the zombie-verse. Speaking of The Walking Dead, the producer of the show is denying last week’s report that they fired all the show’s writers. (Side-note: I once stood next to uber-producer Gale Anne Hurd at a party. She’s surprisingly small.)
A set visit to Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. By the way, they’re planning two morePiratessequels (of course), to be filmed simultaneously.
Ready to commit suicide yet as a result of all the sequels? Dreamworks Animation is planning two more How to Train Your Dragon movies, four Madagascar ones, and sixKung Fu Pandas. Kill me now. No, wait: kill Jeffrey Katzenberg!
Tangled beat Harry Potter (which came out a week earlier) at the weekend’s box office. It’s shaping up to be a major hit, which is fine by me since I loved it.
Tron: Legacy, the sequel to a sh*tty 1980s movie, is reportedly tracking poorly and could end up a massive flop. This article points out how stupid the Hollywood “greenlight” process currently is (no duh). But would Tron’s failure change anything? Of course not, because Hollywood thinks we’re all morons. No, really, they do.
Speaking of Star Wars, the Princess Leia hologram is coming increasingly close to reality. (I guess this is stupid of me, but I thought we already had the technology to do this!).
Love the Star Wars 
Pictures from the upcoming fantasy movie Ember Days, about a fallen angel teaming with a Greek god, starring Raw Leiba, right.
