Today’s sci-fi-shaped news round-up
Could Blade Runner 2 be in the offing? Harrison Ford wouldn’t say no. Seems he and Ridley Scott have been chatting about the possibility of a return to the world of Replicants, confirming rumours that Scott has been tinkering with the idea of a sequel for a while.“Yeah, we’ve been chatting about it. I truly admire Ridley as a man and as a director, and I would be very happy to engage again with him in the further telling of this story.”
Here's the full interview:
Hammer has acquired the film rights to Jeanette Winterson’s The Daylight Gate , a novella brimming with magic, superstition and murder. Based on the infamous Pendle Witch Trial of 1612, the story seeks to unravel the mystery of 13 people gathering on Good Friday. A starving child, a Jesuit priest and a Gunpowder plotter all have their part to play in this tale of sanctuary and Sabbat. Hammer Studios, do your worst. And by do your worst, we actually mean do your best. That should be implicit,really.
Jett Lucas, son of George, brings what could be good or bad news, depending on just how much you hated those Star Wars prequels. He reports that George Lucas is still heavily involved with that galaxy far, far away… “He’s constantly talking to J.J. [Abrams]…[Lucas] is there to guide, whenever, he’ll help where he can. At the same time, he wants to let it go and become its new generation.” You’d be hard pressed to find a better consultant for what Abrams is trying to do, but is this a good idea for a new Star Wars trilogy that’s supposed to be a fresh start? Difficult to see. Always in motion, the future is.
The BBC’s recently announced poll for an “ultimate” Doctor Who villain has unveiled its first nomination, and it’s a shocker. It’s…the Cybermen! Dun-dun-DUNNN… Alright, not so much a shocker as the Taran Wood Beast or that giant clam from Genesis Of The Daleks... Still, they’re a hardy monster with a solid fan-base and a mean line in head handles. Galleries, clips and more on the BBC website .
Star Trek: Voyager fans, your hour of jubilation is at hand. Jeri Ryan (aka Seven of Nine) is officially back in the realms of sci-fi as she heads up the cast of Helix , Ron Moore’s brand spanking new drama for Syfy. As Constance Sutton, chief operating officer of the Ilaria Corporation, she’s promised a meaty role as someone who is “charming and savvy… used to getting her way at any cost.”
Simon Moore
