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The Zocalo Today

Wordle Welcome and thank you for dropping by. Babylon 5 brought many of us together -- and it remains with us, despite the fact that is no longer in production. The good thing is that the internet gives a LOT of ways to stay in touch. Don't be shy. Join in the discussion today or drop by Facebook or Twitter.

If you have questions or items for the news, drop me a line at sgbruckner@aol.com.

Latest LATEST SCIENCE FICTION NEWS:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

JMS UPDATE FROM J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Fans of J. Michael Straczynski Out the door: the revised Shadowman screenplay, the last issue of the Terminator 12 issue run, 1 more left on Ten Grand...actually seeing daylight. And we're about 7 weeks from the end of filming on Sense8 Season One. Nearing the home stretch....

Jack Kirby JACK KIRBY AND MARVEL
After years and years of trials, appeals, and rumors over what would or would not happen, Jack Kirby's heirs have, at long last, settled out of court with Marvel.

In case you didn't know, artist and comic legend Jack Kirby is responsible for the creation of many of Marvel's heaviest-hitting characters. The problem is that what Kirby did at the time seems to fall under the auspices of contract work -- meaning, essentially, it doesn't matter what his brain came up with while under contract, because Marvel owns it.

But, with Kirby sadly deceased, his estate and heirs have continued to fight so that Marvel will finally pay up what they feel is due for all those characters ol' King Kirby was responsible for creating.

And while the court process was mostly one hundred miles of bad road, the Kirby estate plugged along. With a potential SCOTUS hearing on the horizon over the possibility that the Kirby estate could legally issue termination notices on 262 of Jack's works, it seems that Marvel has finally given in, at least a little.

In a joint statement, Marvel and the Kirby heirs had this to say:

Marvel and the family of Jack Kirby have amicably resolved their legal disputes, and are looking forward to advancing their shared goal of honoring Mr. Kirby’s significant role in Marvel’s history.

While the specifics of the settlement will likely remain undisclosed, best guess says Marvel and Disney paid the Kirbys a significant sum. Considering there was even a tiny possibility that Marvel could have had to retroactively cough up the dough for most of their hugely successful movies, it makes sense that they finally made a deal. Plus, we imagine the Kirbys are probably exhausted of fighting this lengthy legal battle.

The result? Jack Kirby actually kind of got his due, albeit posthumously. Which isn't an insignificant victory, considering all the other comics creators out there who are hoping they'll finally get paid for adaptations of their work.

Rogue X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Last summer's X-Men: Days of Future Past was a critical and commercial hit, successfully tackling one of the comics' biggest stories while combining the franchise's biggest stars. But if you look closely, there's a glaring omission: Rogue. The character and her portrayer, Anna Paquin, were M.I.A. from the movie with the exception of a small cameo.

Despite Paquin's lack of screen time, her name appeared seventh in the film's closing credits. She was listed before Peter Dinklage, Ellen Page and Shawn Ashmore. This left us scratching our heads. We're sure it had to do with a contractual obligation and the amount of footage she actually shot. Earlier this year, we learned that most of Paquin's scenes had been left on the cutting-room floor.

Apparently Rogue's storyline had to be omitted for time and clarity. According to screenwriter Simon Kinberg, Fox will re-release an extended version of Days of Future Past on home video next summer. It's being called the "Rogue Cut" and will feature an additonal 10-plus minutes of footage. Not only will her storyline be reinstated, but we'll get more from other characters, too.

After making the announcement Thursday, Kinberg explained, “We want to give [fans] the fullest picture of the film — behind the camera, and in front of it” He also described Rogue's story as “a big chunk, a substantial part of the movie.” He continued, “Every movie has scenes that are cut out, but not every movie has scenes cut out with such a beloved character.”

Days of Future Past did a great job of correcting a lot of the original trilogy's mistakes. Jean Grey and Cyclops were given a second chance, and we hope the same happens for Rogue. Fingers crossed.

Genius GENIUS
Two comic book villains will get to show their literary side when Guy Pearce (a.k.a. Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3) and Dominic West (a.k.a. Jigsaw in Punisher: War Zone) join the cast of renowned theater director Michael Grandage’s Genius.

Pearce will take on the role of troubled "The Great Gatsby" writer F. Scott Fitzgerald while Dominic West will play macho "The Sun Also Rises" scribe Ernest Hemingway, both ex-patriots and pals who were edited at publishing giant Charles Scribner's Sons by Max Perkins, to be played by Oscar-winner Colin Firth. Grandage's cinematic debut also stars Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney.

Based on the National Book Award winning biography "Max Perkins: Editor of Genius," by A. Scott Berg (adapted by John Logan), Genius centers on the real-life relationship between literary giant Thomas Wolfe (Law) and renowned editor Max Perkins (Firth). Finding fame and critical success at a young age, Wolfe is a blazing talent with a larger-than-life personality to match. Perkins is one of the most respected and well-known literary editors of all time, discovering such iconic novelists as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Wolfe and Perkins develop a tender, complex friendship. Transformative and irrepressible, this friendship will change the lives of these brilliant, but very different men forever.

Pearce recently starred in The Rover, while West--best known for his starring role on HBO's "The Wire"--will be seen on Showtime's new fall series "The Affair," and will provide a voice in Pixar's sequel Finding Dory. Tim Bevan (Les Miserables, Atonement) will executive produce Genius alongside producers James Bierman, Grandage and Logan.

The friendship between Fitzgerald and Hemingway was most recently portrayed onscreen in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, where they were played by Tom Hiddleston and Corey Stoll, respectively.

Scorch Trials THE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS
"Game of Thrones" star Aidan Gillen has joined the cast of 20th Century Fox's The Scorch Trials, the upcoming sequel to the now-in-theaters hit The Maze Runner (If you haven't seen it yet, stop reading now as the following does contain some spoilers). The Hollywood Reporter has the news, reporting that Gillen will play the story's villain, Janson, also known as Rat-Man. They have also confirmed that Wes Ball, the director of the first film, will be returning for the sequel.

Also starring Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter and Patricia Clarkson, The Scorch Trials adapts James Dashner's second book in the series, following Thomas and the other Gladers as they have escaped the maze and are put into a dormitory where they face new threats.

The Scorch Trials is slated to begin filming next month and will hit theaters on September 18, 2015.

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
On the heels of the first clip that was released yesterday, ABC and Marvel Entertainment have debuted another clip for episode 2.02 of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” which you can check out in the player below. Titled “Heavy is the Head,” the episode is officially described as follows:

“Hunted and running out of solutions, Coulson puts his team right in the line of fire in the hopes of saving them all. But with General Talbot, Hydra and Creel all on the attack, can they possibly survive? Meanwhile, a mysterious Doctor (Kyle MacLachlan) harbors some dangerous secrets that could destroy one of our core team members.”

Written by Paul Zbyszewski and directed by Jesse Bochco, the episode is set to air Tuesday September 30. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

Josh Holloway COLONY
Sawyer's back, y'all -- and just in time for the 10th anniversary of "Lost."

Josh Holloway is set to team up with former "Lost" producer Carlton Cuse for USA's upcoming naturalistic drama pilot "Colony."

Set in Los Angeles in the near future -- 2015, to be exact -- "Colony" follows characters who are struggling to figure out how to survive in a city that is in a state of occupation.

Holloway has been tapped to play the main character, Will Bowman, a former FBI agent who -- in an effort to protect his family -- is forced to work with the occupational government to take down the growing resistance movement.

"Colony," which is written and executive produced by Cuse and Ryan Condal ("Hercules"), marks the first time Holloway and Cuse have worked together since "Lost" ended in 2010. It also marks Holloway's return to TV since his run on "Intelligence."

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS
They might’ve pulled the plug on Star Wars: Clone Wars to make way for the new animated series Star Wars: Rebels, but the folks at Lucasfilm are trying to do what they can to make the pill a bit easier to swallow.

Along with cutting a deal at Netflix to post the unreleased episodes The Lost Missions a while back, StarWars.com has now dropped animated storyboards for four more Clone Wars episodes that had been in development but were ultimately not completed. Sure, it ain’t bringing the series back, but it at least gives fans a chance to see what the writers were putting together.

The four storyboard episodes follow a long-haired Anakin and Obi-Wan as they investigate the mysterious death of a Jedi Master on Utapau. When making the Clone Wars announcement, Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo noted the online release allows the built-in audience to find and enjoy the content, because the fans will obviously “overlook the unfinished-ness of it if it means this is an opportunity to understand what that story was.”

We tend to agree, and we really wish more studios would make this kind of effort when canceling a show. Fans are always wanting to know what would come next, especially if something ends with more than a few threads still in the air. We’re still bummed about the cancellation, but kudos to StarWars.com for putting this package together. The embeds tend to be breaking, but you can watch all the storyboard episodes right here.

Along with the storyboard clips, they’ve also created the stellar retrospective Star Wars: Clone Wars Legacy, looking back at the history of the series and recapping all the key moments and awesome scenes.

Justice League #34 JUSTICE LEAGUE #34
Supes and Lex are still on villain clean-up duty over in the pages of the Justice League, but their methods could push them to extremes that endanger their closest allies. Meanwhile, new recruit Jessica Cruz/Power Ring has become a dark prophet and is going to force the League to face their own fears -- which might prepare them for a nasty new threat. Available from DC Comics on October 1, the "Injustice League" story arc wraps up with issue #34. And we have an exclusive peek at the issue, titled "Unlikely Allies." The story is written by Geoff Johns with art by Scott Kolins and Andrew Dalhousewhich. Take a look before you get the book.

Tobey Maguire THE EDEN PROJECT
Just as the week is coming to a close, Sony Pictures has given the sleepy spec market a jolt with an acquisition.

The studio has picked up The Eden Project, a sci-fi spec from Black List writer Christina Hodson. Tobey Maguire will produce via his Material production banner as well as Maguire's Material mate Matthew Plouffe.

Sony is keeping the plot details for Eden guarded by a serpent, but it is a sci-fi action film centered around two female characters. The script also is intended to be the first of a conceived trilogy.

Sources say the deal for the spec was in the $750,000 range.

Columbia Pictures president Hannah Minghella orchestrated the deal for the studio in a competitive situation and will oversee the project.

Read more Rep Sheet Roundup: Gersh Signs D.L. Hughley, Paradigm Gets Mark Valley Eden reteams the studio with the production company with which it is in preproduction on YA adaptation The 5th Wave. The movie is due to start shooting in October and will star Chloe Moretz and Liev Schreiber.

It is also the second major deal for Material in recent weeks, as it follows the sale of chess drama Pawn Sacrifice to new-fangled distributor Bleecker Street. The movie, which stars Maguire and is directed by Ed Zwick, was coming off a high-profile premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Hodson is known for two scripts that landed on The Black List two years in a row. Shut In, a psychological thriller, was on the list in 2012 and picked up by David Linde's Lava Bear. The following year, her creepy script Seed landed on the list and is now being produced by Temple Hill and Peter Safran.

The former development exec also has the erotic thriller Unforgettable set up at Warner Bros., with Denise DiNovi producing and Amma Asante (Belle) attached to direct. Hodson is repped by CAA; Tobin Babst at Kaplan/Perrone; and Ziffren, Brittenham. Material is repped by WME's Warren Zavala and Sarah Self as well as Gretchen Rush of Hansen, Jacobson.

THE ZOCALO TODAY

Be sure to check out The Zocalo Today on Facebook as well as at ISN News: The Zocalo Today on Yahoo Groups.

Did you miss the news from yesterday -- or earlier in the week. Catch up by going to the September News Archive. I have broken up the huge file into months to make it easier to scan through. It will bring you up to date for all that has been going on in the world of science fiction. Go to:
August News.
July News.
June News.
May News.

Tube ON THE TUBE TONIGHT

7:00pm on FX
Snow White and the Huntsman
Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), who seized control of her kingdom by marrying and killing its rightful ruler, needs the life force of young maidens to maintain her beauty. However, to become truly immortal, Ravenna must consume the heart of her stepdaughter Snow White (Kristen Stewart). Snow escapes, and Ravenna dispatches a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to capture her. But Snow, the Huntsman and a rebel army join forces to destroy Ravenna and restore the balance of life and death.

8:00pm on ABC
Once Upon a Time
Season 4, Episode 1: A Tale of Two Sisters
Elsa creates a snow monster for protection; Regina wonders if Marian will thwart her happy future.
[New] [Season Premiere]

8:00pm on CBS
Madam Secretary
Season 1, Episode 2: Another Benghazi

8:00pm on BBC America
Hook
When his young children are abducted by his old nemesis, Capt. Hook (Dustin Hoffman), middle-aged lawyer Peter Banning (Robin Williams) returns to his magical origins as Peter Pan. Peter must revisit a foggy past in which he abandoned Neverland for family life, leaving Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) and the Lost Boys to fend for themselves. Given their bitterness toward Peter for growing up -- and their allegiance to their new leader, Rufio -- the old gang may not be happy to see him.

8:00pm on TNT
Battle: Los Angeles
For many years, humans have reported various UFO sightings around the world, fueling speculation about the existence of life on other worlds. In 2011, mankind learns the truth the hard way when alien invaders attack. One by one, the world's great cities fall, leaving Los Angeles as the battleground for humanity's last stand. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his platoon to draw a line in the sand against a powerful enemy unlike any previously encountered.

9:00pm on ABC
Resurrection
Season 2, Episode 1: Revelation
Bellamy awakes alone on the outskirts of Arcadia, unable to remember the past week.
[New] [Season Premiere]

9:00pm on Syfy
The Crazies
Anarchy reigns when an unknown toxin turns the peaceful citizens of Ogden Marsh into bloodthirsty lunatics. In an effort to contain the spread of the infection, authorities blockade the town and use deadly force to keep anyone from getting in or out. Now trapped among killers, Sheriff Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) and his wife (Radha Mitchell) and two companions must band together to find a way out before madness and death overtake them.

10:00pm on CBS
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Season 15, Episode 1: The CSI Effect
Russell handles a call from someone who claims to be the Gig Harbor killer.
[New] [Season Premiere]

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

SPACE COMMAND
Look who are on a sound stage together again -- Bill Mumy and Bruce Boxleitner. Not in this picture, but also on SPACE COMMAND is Mira Murlan.

STAR TREK writer Marc Zicree teams with GALACTICA FX whiz Doug Drexler & Sci-Fi Legends to reinvent classic 50s show as Feature Films.

For more information on this kickstarter project, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/58936338/space-command.

NEW AUDIO DRAMAS
Patricia Tallman and Claudia Christian have developed a series of audio dramas that you will want to listen to. "Anne Manx and The Blood Chase" is the latest episode, but you'll want to listen to them all. Here's a link for you.

https://soundcloud.com/user1452104/anne-manx-episode-recap.





Here is a quote from J. Michael Straczynski about emotions.
I had this theory that the more important and intimate the emotion, the fewer words are required to express it.

First it's in dating: "Will you go out with me?" Six words.
"Honey, I care for you." Five words.
"You matter to me." Four words.
"I love you." Three words.
"Marry me." Two words.
But what's left? What's the one most important and intimate word you can ever say to somebody? It's "goodbye."

While Michael O'Hare (Sinclair), Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), Rick Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Tim Choate (Zathras) and Jeff Conoway (Zach Allen) are no longer with us, we will not forget their wonderful personalities and talent -- as well as their significant contributions to the BABYLON 5 universe. Be sure to visit In Memory Of for more information about memorial efforts.
Until we met again, in a place where no shadows fall.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS

SEPTEMBER
Judy Levitt (Mrs. Walter Koenig) - September 1 (Unnamed Psi Cop in "A Race Through Dark Places" and "Dust to Dust")
Pat Tallman - September 4
Cinzia Zanetti - September 5
Robin Atkin Downes - September 6
Mira Furlan - September 7
Jeffrey Combs - September 9 (Harrison Gray in 'Eyes')
Julia Nickson - September 11 (Sinclair's girl friend/fiance Catherine Sakai)
Christopher Neame - September 12 (Knight Two in "And the Sky Full of Stars")
Clyde Kusatsu - September 13 (Dr. Bill Morishi in Thirdspace)
Walter Koenig - September 14
Henry Darrow - September 15 (Dr. William Indiri in "Illusion of Truth")
Paul Williams - September 19
Robert Rusler - September 20
Gary Cole - September 20
Shari Belafonte - September 22 (IPX representative Elizabeth Trent in Thirdspace)
Peter David - September 23 (Wrote B5's Soul Mates and There All The Honor Lies and Crusade's Ruling From The Tomb. He wrote the novelization of "In the Beginning" and "Thirdspace" and the "Legions of Fire" trilogy)
Bear Burge - September 23
Jason Carter - September 23
Manny Case - September 23
Beth Toussaint - September 25 (original Anna Sheridan in "Revelations")

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.


Go to http://www.hollywoodscifi.org/ for more information.

BABYLON 5 MUSIC VIDEOS AND TRIBUTES

John Hudgens has created many Babylon 5 videos, but I believe this is the most moving. It was first shown at the Phoenix Comic Con 20th Anniversary and honors many of the Babylon 5 family who have passed on.

Here is a link to John's Babylon 5 videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Babylon5MusicVideos?feature=watch

Richard Biggs memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyD4L8yNtsA

Andreas Katsulas memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2UQ2l9NPIg

- This is the extended version that I did for Andreas' widow ater the original cut was released on the net. It's never been seen online until now.

For those of you who've never seen these, I hope you enjoy them - and for those that have (and emailed me many times over the years about releasing them), I hope they're as good as you remember. Working with Joe on these videos was one of the highlights of my career, and I'll be forever grateful to him for the doors these have opened for me. I'm proud to have them on my resume.

John Hudgens
www.zteamproductions.com


Calendar




CRYSTAL COAST CON
Date: October 18, 2014
Place: Mac Daddys Family Entertainment Facility, Cape Carteret, NC
B5 Guests: Pat Tallman and Bill Blair
Pat will be a media signing guest. The facility located at 130 Golfin Dolphin Dr., Cape Carteret, NC 28584
For more information, go to http://www.crystalcoastcon.com/.

LONDON FILM AND COMIC CON WINTER
Dates: October 18-19, 2014
Place: Earls Court 2, Old Brompton Road, SW5 9TA
Guests: Katee Sackhoff, Nicola Bryant, Ralph Macchio, Christopher Cousins, Colin Baker, David Prowse and many more
For more information, go to http://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/

Spooky's Ultimate Horror Weekend
Dates: Oct. 24-26, 2014
Place: Doubletree Universal Studios, Orlando, FL 32819
Guests:
Michael Rooker - Walking Dead & Jeremiah; Stephen Pearcy - Ratt; Dee Wallace Stone - ET & Cuju; Tyler Mane - Halloween & X Men, and Tobin Bell - Dexter
For more information, go to http://www.spookyempire.com/.

MALTA COMIC EXPO
Dates: October 31-November 2, 2014
Place: Mediterranean Conference Center, Valletta, Malta
Guests: Richard Piccardo, Dirk Benedict,Silvester McCoy and many more
For more information, go to http://maltacomicsexpo.com/.

LOSCON 41
Dates: November 28-30, 2014
Place: LAX Marriott Hotel, LA, California
Babylon 5 Guest of Honor: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, go to http://loscon.org/41/.

MAGIC CITY COMIC CON
Dates: January 16-18, 2015 Place: Miami Airport Convention Center
Comic Guests: John Romita, Jr., Allen Bellman, Adelso Corona, Greg Kirkpatrick, Dan Scott
For more information, go to http://www.magiccitycomiccon.com/.

STEEL CITY CON
Dates: December 5-7, 2014
Place: Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville, PA
Guests: Linda Blair, Henry Winkler, Michael Dorn, Peter Mayhew, Terry Farrell, John Wesley Shippe, and more.
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com/.

FED-CON 24
Dates: May 21-24, 2015
Place: Maritim Hotel, Dusseldorf, Germany
Guests: Sam Jones, Aaron Douglas, Grant Bowler and more to come
For more information, go to http://www.fedcon.de/en/.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Wizard World Conventions has a large number of events planned for the year. Be sure to visit the page to see if there is a convention of interest near you.

Creation Entertainment has a large number of conventions planned for the next several months. They include stars from TWILIGHT, SUPERNATURAL, STARGATE, FARSCAPE, XENA, SERENITY, STAR TREK, etc. Check out their calendar to see if one will be in your neighborhood soon. Don't miss their Videos page as well. It is full of some priceless video from a number of conventions.

Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been changes in dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention Calendar for a full listing of upcoming conventions.

BACK ISSUES OF THE ZOCALO TODAY

The front page of the The Zocalo Today changes daily, so be sure to check the back issues to make sure that you haven't missed anything IMPORTANT! I hope you will become a regular visitor to The Zocalo Today!


Take care and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today

http://www.isnnews.net
Copyright - SBruckner, 1999-2014

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