Hailing Frequencies Issue #326

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Wow, what a bunch of movers and shakers out there! WB and UPN are going bye-bye with CBS Corp. will partner up with Warner Bros. (!) to create the CW Network. Meanwhile, Disney has finally just bought Pixar outright. One day, do you think everyone on TV and at the movies will just be owned by one guy?

Titan Books' Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, will be joined on the shelves this summer by Firefly: The Official Companion. Buy it. Buy them both. Buy a lot of them. Then buy more of the DVDs. Get Whedon to make more Firefly stuff!

Peter Liguori, president, entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Co., has hinted again that Futurama just might be put back into production, a la Family Guy (which also did better in the ratings/DVD sales after it was canned). "There's no doubt that the Family Guy model worked outstandingly," Liguori stated at a recent press junket. "It's great to be a network exec and have a decision made for you by the audience."

Liguori adds,"In terms of Futurama, there haven't really been any active negotiations at this point. But I'd be an ostrich to just stick my head in the dirt and not realize what's going on with Futurama as well."

Speaking of which, have you all seen the episode featuring the heads of the TOS characters, complete with the actors' voices? Hilarious.

Remember that incredible stink-bomb of a Godzilla movie in 1998? Well, Sony hopes you don't, because they're releasing a "Monster Edition" DVD of Matthew Broderick's embarrassment March 28 with some new extras: "All-Time Best of Godzilla Fight Scenes" featurette, a production art gallery, a shooting photo gallery, and three episodes from Godzilla: The Series. Relive the pain for only $19.98.

Warner Home Video has announced that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will debut on DVD March 7 in both single-disc DVD ($28.98) and a two-disc special edition format ( $30.97), as well as a special-edition four-pack of all the movies thus far ($73.92).

Rumor has it that the actors are now in rehearsal, and filming will begin on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in February.

How the mighty have fallen. Once too-good-for-X-Files David Duchovny is evidently up for the lead role in the straight-to-video sequel to Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, or so says ContactMusic.com. The site says that Marvel vice chairman Peter Cuneo told AOL's Motley Fool Radio Team that Duchovny is "quite the fan" of the first film.

Electronic Arts' PC game, The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II will make its exclusive console debut this summer for the Xbox 360™ and playable over Xbox LIVE™. In other words, you can play friends online and in real-time. The game features the battles seen in the movies and described in the books with a console-specific control scheme that will allow novice players to enjoy the game’s signature strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Players will directly control hundreds of units as you defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth. The PC version has been rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB.

Congrats to the show for winning the television drama award at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards. Congrats as well to the cast for their new salaries, going from $20,000 to $40,000 per episode to about $80,000. Now, where are the action figures?

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will come out on DVD April 4. There's a one-disc edition ($19.99) with the movie, audio commentaries by director Andrew Adamson and the movie's production staff and child stars, and a "popup" play mode with facts about the books, the film and author Lewis. The two-disc special edition ($29.99) has ten hours of extras on the second disc, including a bloopers reel, behind-the-scenes featurettes, features on author Lewis, video on the film's characters and creatures, a 3-D explorable map of Narnia and concept art, a booklet and special packaging. And you know, I'm sure your kids won't hate you if you get the cheap one, you little miser, you!

Title: Demon Keeper
Origin: Royce Buckingham's novel to be published this fall
Producer: AEI's Ken Atchity and ChiChi-Li Wong
Studio: Fox 2000
Premise: A Seattle teen's house is filled with mischievous demons.
Production date: unknown

Title: The Grudge 2
Origin: sequel
Director: Takashi Shimizu,
Scriptwriter: Stephen Susco
Producer: Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Taka Ichise
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Amber Tamblyn, Arielle Kebbel and Teresa Palmer
Premise: Sarah Michelle Gellar passes the curse to her sister
Production date: soon

Title: Deja Vu
Director: Tony Scott
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Studio: Disney
Starring: Val Kilmer, Denzel Washington, Jim Caviezel and Paula Patton
Premise: FBI agents who get the opportunity to step back in time to stop a terrorist from blowing up a ferry
Production date: February, here in New Orleans (please don't block St. Charles Ave. with your trucks)

Title: Night at the Museum
Director: Shawn Levy
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Starring: Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Kim Raver, Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke and Bill Cobbs
Premise: A night watchman (Stiller) at a museum of natural history finds that exhibits awaken at night under the spell of a pharaoh's tablet
Production date: next month in Vancouver, Canada for a holiday release.

Title: The Ghouly Boys
Origin: Comic-book series created, written and illustrated by "Christopher"
Studio: Mandate Pictures
Premise: a wolf boy, a kid zombie, a young sea monster and a third-generation boogie man—who have a hard time fitting in with the "normal" human kids
Production date: unknown, the rights were just optioned

Title: The Number 23
Origin: original (!)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Scriptwriter: Fernley Phillips
Studio: New Line
Starring: Virginia Madsen (replacing Elisabeth Shue), Jim Carrey, Danny Huston and Rhona Mitra
Premise: A man who becomes obsessed with a book that seems to be about his life, but ends with a murder
Production date: right now

Dead Man's Chest again stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. It will take over theatres July 7.

"Reckoning, " Thursday night's 100th episode of Smallville got 6.1 million viewers, besting any of the WB series' November sweeps.

Bryce Dallas Howard may get the role of Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker's love interest in Spider-Man 3, according to The Hollywood Reporter, even though Kirsten Dunst is returning for the film as well. Hmmm. Sam Raimi is back to direct, and we'll be getting Tobey Maguire, and James Franco back as well. Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church are the villains, and Theresa Russell has been confirmed to play Mrs. Marko, the wife of Flint "Sandman" Marko.

Star Trek star William Shatner sold a kidney stone to an online casino for $25,000 to benefit charity, accord to the Reuters news service. They had more details about the sale, but that really says it all, doesn't it?

GoldenPalace.com plans to send the stone on tour with a collection of other items. Get in line now.

TrekCore's TNG section is up and running with with 58,000 screen caps. That's...a lot.

Gateworld has the transcripts of some missing scenes from "Ripple Effect." Cool.

A, unconfirmed rumor has appeared in The New York Post that Bryan Singer's Superman Returns is headed towards a final production budget of $300 million. Warner Brothers' rep has called this figure "absolutely absurd." Which may be true. All I know is, when you start to hear about budgets going through the roof, it's never a good sign.

Rebecca Romijn (Mystique) told SCI FI Wire that director Brett Ratner's style is quite different from that of Bryan Singer. "[They had] different energy levels....Bryan sort of quietly orchestrates how the scenes work, and Brett is very exuberant and over-the-top."

X3, which is reported to have the subtitle The Last Stand, has wrapped filming in Vancouver, Canada, and is now in post. Look for it to open on May 26.

One of the following news items is false. Can you spot it? (For the answer, highlight below.)

Reveal the fake (highlight): Kelly Clarkson's first venture into feature films will be a remake of The Bionic Woman for Columbia Pictures.

This Week's Question: In which episode did we first actually lay eyes on Starfleet Academy?

Send your answer to scifi@about.com. All correctly answering trivia maniacs will have their names mentioned in the next newsletter. The first winner gets to make a request, anything they like -- within reason -- for the next "Hailing Frequencies" Issue. Please let me know if you don't want me to post your email address if you win.

Last Week's Question is from Lou: When was the only time the Enterprise was put under Double Red Alert?

Send in your best caption for the picture below. The best (as in, my favorite) entry will appear in next week's issue.

Honorable Mentions..

"What do you think of my impression of Frank Gorshin from that Star Trek episode?" - Debra Smith

"I think I am through with Internet dating." - Elaine

"Dearest, look at Shatner out there, wishing he could play my role. I do believe he should take voice lessons first." - Sue

"Though she tried to ignore it, something told Lanette that Jake was hiding something." - BTCHONWHLS

"Zit cream? No, I had no idea you were wearing zit cream! It blends in perfectly!" - evay

Jennifer Beal sings, "Poke Yer Tummy, Guv'nah?" from Andrew Todd Keller's Rock Opera, "Pillsbury's Revenge." - perry der

Head back, she breathes, "I was certain our ‘We had everything! Oscar winners, Rick’s makeup, sumptuous sets… everything except a script….entry last week was a winner!"
He pats her shoulder and replies… "Maybe next time…" - Raymond

The Phantom kicks himself for not finishing his painting-by-numbers kit. - Raymond.

"I can …hear …the mus-ic… in…my tights!.... Oh, wait, that’s my mobile phone" - Raymond

She was unsure how to respond. He had told her his Mexican joke: "Why did the Mexican throw his wife off the cliff? Tequila!" - Raymond

"Let me hear the music of the night…<Insert favourite fart noise or joke here>" - Raymond

"It’s no good," he whimpered. "This ventriloquist act will never work."

"Fool, " she chided. "You whipped those egg whites too thick, that’s why the face mask doesn’t cover it all." - Raymond

This one is rude <I apologize in advance>: Tune: "The Phaaaaantom of the Opera is here… in my behind…" - Raymond

"LETTERS TO THE EDITOR"

This week's topic: Any thoughts about Battlestar Galactica and this Admiral Cain character?

I noticed that Brad Thompson, David Weddle (DS9 people) are co-producers, that is VERY COOL! Glen A. Larson (now theres a blast from the past!), is a "creative consultant" or something like that, and Ron Moore of course is heavily involved.

This makes me believe that BSG will be at least somewhat successful. I am late in catching on, I did not particularly like the premiere episode and figured I'd 'wait and see'. I must admit that I did not like TNG or DS9 untill both of their 3rd seasons! Of course, now they are heavily into my memory engrams!

I think Michelle Forbes is fabulous in her role as Admiral Cain! She's perfect in fact! I recognized her voice, that of Lt. Roe (LOL), from the get-go. I hope she stays on at least a season or 2!, although the way she's going she'll be dead in no time!
I know I want to see more of her!

Perhaps BSG will be a great series, I certainly would welcome that! Good luck to those guys that gave us the best of Trek!

"Katee Sackhoff, our beloved Starbuck"

Speak for yourself, she may be your beloved Starbuck but MY beloved Starbuck is Dirk Benedict. I wasn't expecting a remake with nothing changed except better special effects when I heard about the new show but I expected them to respect the original enough not to change the gender of one of the main characters just to get in a little more T&A.

Next week's topic: Okay, I'm trying to do more TV reviews more regularly. I've been doing Stargate SG-1 fairly well, so I'm going to try to add another show into the weekly routine. Any thoughts on which it should be? Stargate Atlantis? Lost? Battlestar Galactica? Something else?

Send me something if you've got something to say. It can be about anything that's on your mind! (Please let me know if you don't want your email address to accompany your name in either contest or for the LTE.)

1 Underworld: Evolution................$31,811,007
2 Brokeback Mountain..................$43,780,000
3 Glory Road...............................$29,112,664
4 Last Holiday............................ $27,346,282
5 Hoodwinked..............................$29,884,104
6 The Chronicles of Narnia........... $272,925,394
7 Fun With Dick And Jane.............$102,365,342
8 Hostel.....................................$43,700,049
9 The New World...........................$5,095,000
10 Memoirs of a Geisha..................$51,980,000

1. Desperate Housewives 14.6
2. Medium 7.9
3. Ghost Whisperer 7.3
4. Surface 5.3
5. Charmed 2.3
6. Smallville 2.0
7. Supernatural 1.1

1. Alias 1.8
2. Smallville 1.6
3. Stargate SG-1 1.6
4. Stargate Atlantis 1.5
5. Star Trek: Enterprise 1.4
6. Farscape 1.1
7. The Twilight Zone .9
8. The Outer Limits .8
9. Sabrina .7

1. Narnia box set
2. The Da Vinci Code
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
4. The Chronicles of Narnia
5. Cell
6. Wicked
7. Ptolemy's Gate (Bartimaeus 3)
8. Angels & Demons
9. Harry Potter paper box set
10. Unleash the Night

1. Serenity
2. Firefly complete series
2. Lost season one
4. Battlestar Galactica season 2.0
5. Corpse Bride
6. Star Wars: Episode III
7. Battlestar Galactica season one
8. Dune (Extended Edition)
9. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
10. Lord of the Rings trilogy