Tagged: television

Scribe nominees announced; DeCandido gets IAMTW GrandMaster

  • News
  • March 30, 2009

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers is pleased to announce this year’s nominees for the 2009 Scribe Awards, which honor excellence in licensed tie-in writing—novels based on TV shows, movies, comics, and games. In addition, Keith R.A. DeCandido, whose Farscape series for BOOM! has just gone to third printings on the first two issues and a second printing on #3, will be awarded the IAMTW Grandmaster Award at the awards ceremony at the San Diego Comic-Con– assuming he can get a hotel room.

The nominees for this year’s awards are:

Best General Fiction Original

Burn Notice: The Fix by Tod Goldberg
Criminal Minds: Finishing School by Max Allan Collins
CSI: Headhunter by Greg Cox

Best General Fiction Adapted

Death Defying Acts by Greg Cox
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull by James Rollins
The Tudors: King Takes Queen by Elizabeth Massie
The Wackness by Dale C. Phillips
X-Files: I Want To Believe by Max Allan Collins

Best Speculative Fiction Original

Ghost Whisperer: Revenge by Doranna Durgin
Ravenloft: The Covenant, Heaven’s Bones by Samantha Henderson
Stargate SG-1: Hydra by Holly Scott & Jamie Duncan
Star Trek: Terok Nor, Day Of The Vipers by James Swallow

Best Speculative Fiction Adapted

Hellboy II: The Golden Army by Bob Greenberger
The Mutant Chronicles by Matt Forbeck
Star Wars – The Clone Wars: Wild Space by Karen Miller
Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans by Greg Cox

Best Young Adult Original

Dr. Who: The Eyeless by Lance Parkin
Primeval: Shadow Of The Jaguar by Steven Savile
Disney Club Penguin: Stowaway! Adventures At Sea by Tracey West

Best Young Adult Adapted

Iron Man: The Junior Novel by Stephen D. Sullivan
The Dark Knight: The Junior Novel by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohen
Journey To The Center Of The Earth 3D by Tracey West

ComicMix Economics: Nielsen Three Screen Report

  • News
  • February 24, 2009

Here’s a piece that might not be caught by the excellent wrap-ups on the ongoing economics watch being done every day by Dirk Deppey, Tom Spurgeon, Heidi Macdonald, and the Robot 6 mechanics: Nielsen just came out with their quarterly Three Screen Report, which measures viewing of of television, internet and mobile devices, and found that the numbers have jumped significantly.

The major findings, as summed up by Cynopsis:

  • The average American watches more than 151 hours of TV per month, an all-time high. This is 5 hours and 13 minutes more per month compared to 145:49 from 4Q07.
  • Americans watch nearly three hours of video via the internet per month and internet usage overall is up by an hour versus a year ago to 27:04 per month.
  • Time-shifted television consumption is up by 33% compared to a year ago to 7:11 in 4Q08 versus 5:24 in 4Q07.
  • Video viewing on mobile devices and DVRs jumped by the largest margin during the quarter (each about 9% vs. Q3) as 11 million reported viewing video on phones or PDAs and 74 million watched DVR programming
  • And while audiences of all ages are watching online video, the trend for younger 18-24 year old viewers – broken out by Nielsen for the first time – suggest a dramatically increased reliance on the internet for video viewing. The demo spent nearly the same amount of time (about 5 hours a month) watching video online as they did watching DVR programming
  • Even younger viewers (aged 12-17) watched less video on TV, DVRs and the internet than last quarter but spent almost 6.5 hours a month watching mobile video.
  • When broken down by gender, females 2+ watched more TV and more online video than by almost 8% points but men consumed almost twice as much video on mobile phones.

Say hi to your new distribution channel for comics. You’re already soaking in it.

(Photo by Aaron Escobar™.)

ComicMix QuickPicks – January 26, 2009

v-05-1113561Here is today’s list of comic-related news items that might not generate a post of their own, but may be of interest…

* V for ABC: ABC has announced that they’ve picked up the pilot for a remake of "V". Oh, don’t pretend you don’t remember the series. If nothing else, we wrote about it back in October.

* Shooting on Spielberg’s Tintin has finally started. Although I have to ask– $100 million budgeted for a motion capture film? Good grief. I would have pegged it at about $80 million.

* Because 6.5 million people haven’t gotten their act together, the Senate OKs 4-month delay to digital TV changeover.

* Cripes, now they’re laying off folks at Publisher’s Weekly, including editor-in-chief Sara Nelson and about 7% of the staff. So far, Calvin Reid and Heidi Macdonald are unaffected directly.

* And finally, Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenbery’s ashes will be shot into space next year, together in infinite eternity… unless they were picked up by V’G’r.

Anything else? Consider this an open thread.

‘Watchmen’ settlement getting closer?

  • News
  • January 13, 2009

Ah, the post-holiday slump. Retailers are retrenching, publishers are getting ready for announcements at NYCC– some days it seems if it wasn’t for Watchmen news, we’d have no news at all. Luckily, we keep getting more of that.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox and Warner Bros. are letting it leak that they are “close” to reaching a settlement in their dispute over rights to Zack Snyder’s Watchmen movie that will allow Warners to release the film as planned on March 6th.  Lawyers for Fox and Warners met Monday in the chambers of Federal Judge Gary Feess.  Warner Bros., which has already spent at least $150 million to produce the Watchmen movie, has evidently dropped its request that Judge Feess move up the January 20th injunction hearing.

 

What’s the best sign of progress? Commercials. Warner Bros. rolled out TV ads for the movie this weekend, still sticking to the March 6th release date– ironically, on the Fox network’s Sunday’s season premiere of 24.

‘Farscape’ #1 Sells out in 5 Days

  • News
  • December 30, 2008

After garnering near unanimous critical acclaim, BOOM! Studios announced Monday that Farscape #1 is completely sold out.

Fans should keep in mind, while distributor Diamond Comics are completely sold out, Farscape #1 may still be found at direct market retailers across the country. BOOM! Studios is working closely with Diamond Comics Distributors and evaluating the demand for a second printing.

"We are tracking the unfilled re-orders carefully at the moment. But a second printing looks like it may just happen," said Marketing and Sales Director Chip Mosher.

Farscape #1 is written by television series creator Rockne O’Bannon with script by Keith R.A. DeCandido, interior art by Tommy Patterson and cover art by fan-favorites Dennis Calero and Joseph Corroney!

Picking up directly where the television miniseries Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars left off, fans can look forward to show creator O’Bannon steering their favorite characters into new and original stories, keeping with the existing canon – and then extending it!

Debuting on the Sci-Fi Channel in 1998, Farscape follows the adventures of astronaut John Crichton, who has a freak accident during an experimental space mission that catapults him across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield. Suddenly, he’s trapped among alien creatures wielding deadly technology – a battle that 20th century sci-fi pop culture never prepared him for. Hunted by a merciless military race, Crichton begins his quest for home from a distant galaxy.
 
BOOM! Studios has a limited supply of Farscape #1 A, B & C available on their website on a first come, first serve basis.
 

‘Land of the Lost’ One-Sheet Debuts

  • News
  • December 24, 2008

The first one-sheet for Land of the Lost was posted over at Cinematical, The live-action feature, based on the 1974-1976 NBC Saturday morning series, gets the big screen treatment.  The film stars Will Ferrell (Talladega Nights), Danny McBride (Underworld), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies), and Jorma Taccone (Saturday Night Live). It’s being directed by Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) and the plot, according to USA Today, “involves three adults (not a dad and two kids as on TV) accidentally thrust into a realm ruled by dinosaurs, monkey-men called Pakuni and the murderous Sleestak”

Land of the Lost arrives in theaters on June 5, 2009.
 

Screen Actors Guild Honors Ledger, Downey

  • News
  • December 22, 2008

Following the Golden Globe nominations, Heath Ledger has received another posthumous nod for his role as the Joker, this time from his peers in the Screen Actor’s Guild.  He’s nomination once more alongside Robert Downey, Jr. who is recognized for his hilarious turn in Tropic Thunder. On the television side, William Shatner is once more honored for his work in the final season of Boston Legal.

The full release is here:

Nominations for the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® for outstanding performances in 2008 in five film and eight primetime television categories and for the SAG honors for film and television stunt ensembles were announced this morning in Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center’s Silver Screen Theater in West Hollywood.

Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg introduced Angela Bassett (ER) and Actor recipient Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), who announced the nominees for this year’s Actors. SAG Awards Committee member JoBeth Williams and Committee Vice Chair Daryl Anderson announced the stunt ensemble nominees.

The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT, and 6 p.m. MT from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. Recipients of the stunt ensemble honors will be announced from the SAG Awards red carpet during the TNT.TV and TBS.COM live pre-show webcasts.

Of the top industry accolades presented to performers, only the Screen Actors Guild Awards are selected solely by actors’ peers.  Two randomly selected panels–one for television and one for film–each comprised of 2,100 Guild members from across the United States, chose this year’s Actor and stunt honors nominees. Integrity Voting Systems, the Awards’ official teller mailed the nominations secret ballots were mailed on November 26. Voting was completed by noon Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008.

Awards ballots will be mailed on Friday, Dec. 26, 2008. The entire active membership of the Guild across the country will vote on all categories.  Votes must be received by Integrity Voting Systems by noon Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 where results will be tallied and sealed until they are opened by the presenters at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremonies on Jan. 25.

The Screen Actors Guild Post-Awards Gala, benefiting the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, will be hosted for the 13th consecutive year by People Magazine and by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). (more…)

Back surgery Not Expected to Slow Down David Tennant

  • News
  • December 21, 2008

Producer Russell T Davies told the BBC that David Tennant is expected to recover from his back injury in time to shoot the four 2009 Doctor Who specials.  The actor required surgery for the injury which also forced him to drop out of the stage production of Hamlet.

Filming on the first of the quartet remains scheduled for January 19.

"We’ll have to be very careful," he said. "I don’t think we’ll be swinging him on a wire on his first day back."

Davies pooh-poohed the notion the scripts would need to be adjusted to accommodate the actor’s condition. "No, there’s been none of that, and I think David would have told us by now because he’s read the first script."

Two of the four specials are said to be filming overseas, possibly including America. "It’s going to be quite exotic," he said. "I can’t tell you where, but we’ve got four days filming abroad, to give it a bit of size and a new feel to it."

In discussing the specials, which will end with Tennant’s departure from the series as the Doctor, he said each would pair the Doctor with a different companion.  He’s reserved writing the final two for himself to send off the actor in a grand fashion.

"The big climax is mine, all mine," he said.

He refused to join in the speculation as to who will replace Tennant, which has filled column inches for months even before Tennant formally announced his departure last month.

"I think it could be a while – it’s a very big deal to set up. Whoever becomes the Doctor has got to take on a whole life. It’s not just becoming a part of a TV show," he said.
 

JJ Abrams Completes ‘Star Trek’ Edits

  • News
  • December 17, 2008

JJ Abrams spoke briefly with MTV News about Star Trek, allowing us a chance to show off the new banner released today by Paramount Pictures.

The film’s trailer has wowed crowds and Abrams has completed editing the movie, which doesn’t up until May 8, 2009.

He admitted not everything shot will make it into the final cut. “You make a movie, and I think you always find yourself losing things here and there, embellishing things. It’s sort of par for the course. They’ll probably end up as deleted scenes on the DVD.”

Abrams noted that the film is intended for the widest audience possible but there remain nods to the diehard fans who have stuck with the franchise though some very lean times. “I think what you’ll see is there are — both story-wise and performance-wise, visually and aurally — many connections to what is familiar and what has come before. Which for the new fans of Star Trek, the newcomers to the world, will be irrelevant. But for those people who are fans and who hope for or expect certain familiar nods, they will undoubtedly get those,” he said.

He also confirmed that Leonard Nimoy’s Spock will be more than just a mere token appearance. “He’s in the movie, and his role is critical. I always think "cameo" feels like a role that the movie could exist without. This is critical, emotional and also a story element.

When asked to compare his film with the previous Trek films, Abrams spoke about how they pick up from the television series where everyone has been introduced and the crew knows one another. His film, in contrast, takes things back to those very early days.

“But on a much more practical level, Star Trek has never had the opportunity, nor the resources, to be realized in this way,” he said. “Things like the ships and the battles and the planets and the chases and the action sequences … and do them in a way that felt thrilling and terrifying and entertaining in a way that the show and the prior movies simply couldn’t afford to do. I feel we were able to bring to life, in a way we’ve never seen before, what it is to be a member of Starfleet. And that’s kind of cool.”

Dean Devlin Wants to Make ‘Stargate’ Sequel

  • News
  • December 9, 2008

Producer/Director Dean Devlin told the press that he has ideas for big screen sequels to his Stargate.

“Roland [Emmerich] and I had always planned to do three films and want to do more,” he said of Stargate which was a 1994 success before finding its true home on television. “MGM has said they want to play out the television series first so we are on the back burner.” Stargate and its spinoffs have been running ever since with the latest iteration, Stargate Universe, due in 2009.

And as to inevitable question about a sequel to Devlin and Emmerich’s most success film, Independence Day, he said, “We never intended to do any films in that series beyond the first one. I think something may happen though as it seems a better idea now the further we get from 911. The visuals of the film would not be much fun in the wake of such a devastating tragedy but since time has passed and the bad guys are aliens and not terrorists perhaps it might be time to revisit it.”
 

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