The Nightly Nerdlinger News

Time to kick this sucker into gear.

Back over the winter I had a thread at Hobietopia called The Nightly Nerdlinger News. Basically I scoured the internet for news of note to geeks and nerds; news about science fiction, fantasy, anime and even horror, be it movies, television, books, games or comics. I had a lot of fun doing it and it was pretty well received but I got tired of the amount of time it took to compile. Well, I've decided that I'm going to get back into it here. While I may not be able to keep it up nightly, I'll at least update 3 or 4 times a week. Weekends are typically slow news times anyway so I'll mostly update during the week. So those of you that enjoyed my nerdly updates can look forward to them again.

So without further ado, let's get geeky!

Silver Develops He-Man

FilmProducer Joel Silver is developing a new film version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe for Warner Brothers, working with toymaker Mattel, Variety reported. Justin Marks is set to write the script.Mattel, which owns the toy-based franchise, must approve an outline for the project. He-Man was born as a Mattel action figure, and the toymaker created an animated series in hopes of selling dolls. The series became a cult favorite and a campy 1987 movie that starred Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella. The toymaker, which now licenses He-Man for high-end merchandise sold to hardcore collectors, has been wary of going Hollywood again. An attempt by Fox 2000 to make another movie, this time with director John Woo, ended in futility as the toymaker didn't spark to the screen plans, the trade paper reported.The franchise has been reimagined by the producer and the writers and pitched to Mattel as a classic good-vs.-evil battle, using the kind of visual effects strategy employed in 300. A warrior is touted as the last hope of a magical land called Eternia, which is being ravaged by technology and the evil Skeletor.
Source: Sci-fi Wire

Vermsnote: Just a little more on what I had reported earlier. Should be a much grittier He-man this time around.

Dead's Hall Joins Knight

Anthony Michael Hall (USA Network's The Dead Zone) told the Los Angeles Daily News that he has a role in The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins. Hall won't say what it is."I signed a confidentiality agreement, and I can't say which part I'm playing because it affects the story," Hall told the newspaper. "I can't give away the suspense—it's a $200 million surprise, and I don't want to be the guy to ruin it."Hall added: "I'm excited about it. Christian Bale [is] back as Batman. Heath Ledger is joining the cast as the Joker. Of course, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine return, and they're great."Hall is currently shooting the sixth season of The Dead Zone, which returns to USA on June 17. The TV series cast and crew bent over backward for him to be in London for the first day of Dark Knight earlier this month, he said. "My crew agreed to take a three-day weekend so I could fly Friday to go to London," Hall said. "It was just a thrill. I felt like a rock star leaving the set, flying to London, going to shoot on a Saturday, you know? ... My crew really gave me a gift, because they had to all vote union-wise to agree to not take a day's pay to help me out. I felt very honored that they did that for me."Hall is not scheduled to resume shooting the movie until August, after The Dead Zone wraps. (USA is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)

Source: Sci-fi Wire

Vermsnote: Man! who's Hall going to play? Has to be someone early in Batmans career. You know who I'd like to see? Soloman Grundy.

Rodriguez To Helm Barbarella

Robert Rodriguez (Grindhouse) has signed on to direct Barbarella, a new film adaptation of the classic SF comic-book series that Universal Pictures is fast-tracking for a 2008 worldwide release, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The character was immortalized in a 1968 movie starring Jane Fonda. Dino De Laurentiis, who produced the original film, will produce the update with Martha De Laurentiis.Barbarella tells the story of a female mercenary who roams across the universe of a distant future, undertaking missions that require physical fearlessness, ingenuity and sensuality. The character debuted in 1962 in a French graphic magazine written and illustrated by Jean-Claude Forest and was known for her many adventures, often involving sex. There also was a musical produced in 2004.Rodriguez is working with writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Casino Royale), who are developing a completely original adventure for Barbarella. Rodriguez's coming on board puts to rest questions about what the in-demand director would do next, including The Jetsons at Warner Brothers and Land of the Lost at Universal. (Universal is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)
Source: Sci-fi Wire

Neuromancer Headed For Film?

William Gibson's cyberpunk SF classic Neuromancer is heading for the big screen in an independent production from producer-distributor Peter Hoffman, Variety reported.The $70 million movie is being fast-tracked to replace the Paul Verhoeven project The Winter Queen, the trade paper reported.Joseph Kahn, a commercials director who made Torque, has signed to direct.Hoffman's company, Seven Arts, made no formal announcement about the project. Hoffman discussed the project with the trade paper from his yacht at the Cannes Film Festival.

Source: Sci-fi Wire

Heroes Flies To DVD In August

NBC's Heroes comes to DVD and HD DVD when the entire first season of the hit series arrives in stores Aug. 28 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The seven-disc DVD set has several bonus features, including five featurettes and more than 50 deleted scenes. The set also includes the extended, 73-minute cut of the pilot, from creator Tim Kring, which never aired on television. The DVD version carries a suggested retail price of $59.98. (NBC and Universal Studios Home Entertainment are owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)

Scorce: Sci-fi Wire


So tonight just the stuff from one main site that's good for general mainstream stuff. Over the next week I'll feature more esoteric stuff from foriegn sites, Anime sites and horror fan sites.