‘Space Battleship Yamato’ Live Action Movie Trailer - Awesome!

Here’s the good news—we just saw the new trailer for Space Battleship Yamato, and it looks like director Takashi Yamazaki’s 2.2-billion-yen budget was well spent. Space Battleship Yamato could surprise us all by being one of the best sci-fi movies of the year.

But here’s the bad news—the film, a live-action adaptation of the original anime TV series, doesn’t have a U.S. release date, so for now the only way to see it when it opens Dec. 1 is for those of us who don’t already live there to head to Japan. Read more

Karen Gillan Cast As New ‘Doctor Who’ Companion

After months of rumors and endless speculation, the BBC has announced that 21-year-old actress Karen Gillan will be the new companion when “Doctor Who” returns for its fifth series next year.

Gillan appeared on “Doctor Who” in series four as one of the soothsayers in “The Fires of Pompeii.”

“The show is such a massive phenomenon. I can’t believe I am going to be a part of it,” Gillan said. “Matt Smith is an incredible actor and it is going to be so much fun to act alongside him. I can’t wait!”

“We saw some amazing actresses for this part, but when Karen came through the door the game was up,” said producer Stevan Moffat. “Funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too.”

There is no word yet on character details or the name of the new companion.

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Starlog Magazine Ends 33 Year Run In Print

After 33 years, Starlog magazine has ceased publication, according to an announcement on its Website. Issue #374 will be the final issue. “It is also at this time that we announce the temporary cessation of the current run of Starlog as a print magazine,” the announcement said. “After 33 years, and considering the present state of the economy, we feel it’s time for a major revamp and will be temporarily discontinuing publication while the model and redesign of the magazine are contemplated and executed.”

The Starlog Website will continue, and Fangoria will continue to be published. The company has also announced that it will soon begin offering digital editions of the entire run of Starlog magazine. It has been unable to offer back issues since a Kable News warehouse fire in 2007 destroyed its entire inventory of back issues.

Starlog was founded in August 1976 by Kerry O’Quinn and Norm Jacobs, who ran the magazine for decades (along with EVP Rita Eisenstein). Starlog, Fangoria, and other assets were acquired by Creative Group in 2005. Creative Group filed bankruptcy last year, and Starlog and Fangoria ended up in the hands of The Brooklyn Company, run by longtime Fangoria President Thomas DeFeo.

Recognizing that its fortune was tied to finding the hardcore fans that wanted its content, Starlog was one of the first publishers to sell to the then nascent comic store distribution network in the 70s, and supported its growth through the late 70s and the following decades.

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Michael Whelan, Others To Enter SF Museum Hall of Fame

The Science Fiction Museum and SF Hall of Fame have announced that the 2009 Hall of Fame inductees will be Edward L. Ferman, Frank R. Paul, Michael Whelan and Connie Willis.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. on June 27 at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum in Seattle as part of the Science Fiction Awards Weekend. Christopher Moore, author of the vampire novel You Suck: A Love Story, will act as emcee.

Edward L. Ferman published The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction from 1970-2000, and also acted as its editor from 1964 through 1991. He won the Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor from 1981 through 1983.

Frank R. Paul’s artwork appeared on the cover of the first issue of Amazing Stories in 1926, and he drew dozens of other covers for the magazine during the 1920s. He was also the cover artist of 1939’s Marvel Comics #1, the first-ever Marvel Comic.

Michael Whelan’s artwork has appeared on hundreds of book and magazine covers, for which he has won 16 Hugo Awards, 11 Chesley Awards and countless other honors. Among his notable covers are those for Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, Michael Moorcock’s Elric books and Piers Anthony’s Incarnations of Immortality series.

Connie Willis is the author of the Hugo Award-winning novels Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. She has won 10 Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards.

Check the Science Fiction Museum website for further information on the Hall of Fame Awards ceremony and to purchase tickets to the event.

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Sci-Fi Channel Renamed ‘SyFy’? Are They Serious?

NBC Universal has announced that after 16 years, they are renaming the Sci-Fi Channel… “SyFy”. So technically is you read the name out loud, it sounds the same, but on your television screen, it looks really odd. According to the press release:

“Syfy — unlike the generic entertainment category “sci-fi” – firmly establishes a uniquely ownable trademark that is portable across all non-linear digital platforms and beyond, from Hulu to iTunes. Syfy also creates an umbrella brand name that can extend into new adjacent businesses under the Syfy Ventures banner, such as Syfy Games, Syfy Films and Syfy Kids.”

The change will go into effect on July 7th 2009. While I can understand why executives would like to establish the channel as a brand, something more distinguishable from the genre it spawned from, the whole thing sounds like a big waste of money to me.

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Vin Diesel offers new details about a third Chronicles of Riddick

Vin Diesel revealed a few details to SCI FI Wire about a proposed third film in the Chronicles of Riddick series, which he confirmed is in the works.

David Twohy—who wrote and directed the previous two films, Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick—is currently writing the third installment, Diesel said in a conference call last week to promote his upcoming game, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.

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Morena Baccarin Joins Cast Of ‘V’ Plus More ABC Castings

The Visitors of ABC’s V reboot have found their leader, and her face is familiar to sci-fi fans. Morena Baccarin (aka Firefly’s Inara and Stargate SG-1’s Adria) has landed the lead role of Anna, the frontwoman for Earth’s very special guests, says the Hollywood Reporter. Previously announced V castings include Scott Wolf and Morris Chestnut.

In other ABC pilot news, Emmy winner Tammy Blanchard (Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows) has joined Empire State, playing a gal pal of the blue-collar guy at the heart of this modern-day Romeo and Juliet tale, while Eliza Coupe (Scrubs) is a baddie with the ability to turn invisible in No Heroics, a comedy about B-list superheroes.

Also at the Alphabet network, Rupert Penry-Jones (MI-5) has landed the lead in an as-yet-untitled Jerry Bruckheimer drama, playing a former cop who leads a group of amateur detectives.

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R.I.P. Philip Jose Farmer 1918-2009

My first exposure to Philip Jose Farmer was his ‘World Of Tiers’ series, followed by ‘Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life’, and I’ve enjoyed reading his works ever since. To me, his work is very easy to read and I can click with his characters right away. I’m glad he chose to become an author otherwise the world would have missed a great talent.

From his official website:
Philip José Farmer passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning.

He will be missed greatly by his wife Bette, his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends and countless fans around the world.

January 26, 1918 - February 25, 2009. R.I.P.

We love you Phil.

Lots Of Star Trek Goodness Coming to Blu Ray

To help promote the the release of the latest “Star Trek” film in May, CBS & Paramount Home Video are bringing a lot of classic “Star Trek” to Blu-ray in the coming months.

Kicking things off on April 28th will be the Blu-Ray release of the first season of the original series. This new release will include two versions of each episode, the original episode as it aired in 1966 and the remastered episodes, including new digitally created effects.

On May 12, fans will have their options when it comes to buying the feature films featuring the original cast. Fans can purchase all six original films in a box set or they can purchase the popular film trilogy of II, III and IV on Blu-Ray. These new releases will be the original theatrical cuts of the films according to TrekMovie. This will be the first time that “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” has been released in its original theatrical cut in several years. It was released on DVD several years ago as a special director’s cut and the original version has only been previously available on VHS.

The “Genesis trilogy” set of films will also be released on DVD on May 12.

ABC Plans Reimagining Of 80s ‘V’ Series - Among Others

I’m all for making a dollar, but in this case I would let sleeping dogs lie…

From the Hollywood Reporter:

The network has given a pilot order to a new take on NBC’s 1980s miniseries about an alien invasion.

Meanwhile, NBC’s comedy pilot “Lost in the ’80s,” originally picked up as director-contingent, has firmed up its order with the hire of “Confessions of a Shopaholic” helmer P.J. Hogan.

Written on spec by Scott Peters, the new “V” will center on a female Homeland Security agent. Peters is exec producing with HDFilms principal Jason Hall.

Two ABC pilots picked up so far this pilot season — “V” and “The Witches of Eastwick” — are reimaginings of 1980s titles. Both are produced by Warner Bros. TV.

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