NEWSCHUNKS FOR 05.28.09

ALIEN REMAKE/"ORIGINS STORY" COMING?: It's still a rumor at this point, but Bloody Disgusting is reporting that an Alien reboot (or possible prequel) is in the works, to be produced by original Alien director Ridley Scott, his brother Tony Scott and Michael Costigan, with Carl Rinsch directing. If this project actually exists and Ridely Scott's involved, it's much easier for me to believe he'd approve of a prequel than a full-on remake.

IT'S ABOUT TIME - DOCTOR WHO SPECIALS COMING TO BBC AMERICA: American Doctor Who fans who were starting to wonder if David Tennant's final episodes as the Doctor were going to air in the US will be happy to learn that the episode The Next Doctor will air on BBC America June 27th, and the follow-up Planet of the Dead will air in July. Air dates have not yet been announced for Tennant's final three episodes. Tennant's last run as the Doctor will presumably air on SyFy at some point, but SyFy usually cuts several minutes from the BBC America versions.

GLAU TO PLAY IN THE DOLLHOUSE: TV Guide's Ask Ausiello column quotes Joss Whedon saying he plans to bring former Firefly star Summer Glau onto Dollhouse now that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has been cancelled. "If anybody thinks (bringing Summer onto Dollhouse) hasn't occurred to me already then they have not met me," he says. "I mentioned it to her before (SCC) was canceled. I was like, 'You know, we should get you in the 'house.' But first we have to come up with something that works."

Whedon isn't interested with casting Glau as an active, however. "Summer would be perfect to play an active, but she's done that (type of role) a lot," he says. "I'd rather see her play someone who talks too much. The most fun I have is when I get somebody who's good and comfortable at doing something, and then I make them do something else. Summer said to me, 'I would like to play a normal girl before I die of extreme old age.'"

FOR WORSE AND WORSE: As a follow-up to the post about disgruntled For Better Or For Worse fans creating elaborate fanfic set in various alternate timelines of the long-running comic strip, reader DreadedCandiru2 sent an interesting note: "There's another alternate timeline; members of the LiveJournal community that's dedicated itself to deconstructing the strip have revived the monthly letters to tell the story of a Patterson family that are dealing with Elly's having gone insane last September. The focus of her mania is that she's lost sight of the year and is acting out the new-run strips in the 'real' world. Watching John let Elly fester for propriety's sake so repulses Mike and Liz that they re-evaluate their priorities in life."

TENNANT TO STAR IN DOCTOR WHO FILM?: More Doctor Who news, as the UK's ever-reliable tabloid press reports a rumor that David Tennant is in talks to star in a film spin-off. The paper quotes an unnamed source: "The script is still in the early stages but David wants to be in the film. There have already been discussions and David needs to feel the story is right but right now things are looking very positive. He understandably wants to go off and do different roles but he still loves Doctor Who. If the film takes off and there's demand for more, he can continue to play the Doctor occasionally without having the pressure of the relentless schedule that the TV series demands."


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