The feature film based on the scifi cartoon is supposed to come out in 2009. A lonely scientist, Doctor Tenma, builds Astro Boy to replace his son that died in a tragic accident. Astro grows and begins to fight crime around the world, but his biggest challenge is overcoming robot haters.

In Stargate Worlds, you'll be able to form a squad of online friends, or venture out into the Gate-verse on your own. You can also decide whether or not you want to be a good guy or a baddie (myself I'd rather be a soldier over a System Lord). The game will be released December 30, 2008.

Someone asked Anderson the question: Why are there no points for mowing down pedestrians in your car, like in the original? I'm paraphrasing here, because I was still in shock from hearing what Corman had said. But Death Race director Anderson completely side-stepped the question, by saying in this movie they will be explaining how the race became a prison thing. If there's a sequel, they'll explain about the points.

Seriously, you know you didn't include the best part of the original because you were a baby. A little baby wuss. Your movie takes place in a corrupt future, where prisoners drive in a televised race to win their freedom, and you're telling me no extra points for a fatality?

Another audience member even gave Corman an out for his previous statement, asking since there were so many remade movies if Corman could think of any movie that shouldn't be reworked. Corman said originally he thought Death Race 2000 shouldn't be remade, but Anderson did such a great job he convinced Thom otherwise.

Then we saw a clip where Jason Statham beats the hell out of this guy who apparently murdered Statham's family. Oh, and when the cars drive over little sword circles the car gains weapons, and if they drive over shield circles the cars gain armor. So at least it'll be easy to adapt into a video game. Either way, the disrespect paid to the original movie, even with the original writers receiving a writing credit, is downright awful.

Update: We originally misidentified Corman as the late writer of Death Race 2000, Robert Thom. We regret any confusion we may have caused.

The panel was moderated by the show's producer Martin Gero, and included Jewel Staite, Joe Flanigan (John Sheppard), Robert Picardo (Richard Woolsey) and writer Brad Wright. Your questions are below.

From IO9's wraithfodder: What was the most difficult episode to film in season 5 so far?

Joe Flanigan: "Search and Rescue." It was the first show we came back to. I was back in the thick of it. There were a lot personal things going on and then I got my stride back after my first paycheck.

Jewel: My most difficult episode so far has been "Tracker." Once again I am kidnapped in the woods and filthy and crying and in peril. I don't know what Carl [producer/writer Carl Binder] has against me.

Joe Flanigan: [interrupts] Or for you.

Jewel Staite: I just read another one that Carl wrote, and again I'm kidnapped in the woods.

Richard Picardo: We did an episode that is a war crimes trial and Woolsey has to defend Atlantis in court . Woolsey has 9 pages of dialogue.

What kind of development is Woolsey going to get?

Richard Picardo: We find out that he was divorced and that the wife got the dog in the divorce. And that was his only other emotional connection. He's a briefing guy, a theorist, and he has to reinvent himself. It's intesting to play a character who knows all the rules but has to break them. And it's fun to play a character who is kind of a dick.

What do you think about your character so far Joe?

Joe Flanigan: It's actually kind of interesting. The character's evolved a lot. He's much more of a team player. And he flies spaceships better than he did in the first year.

Robert, were you worried about replacing Samantha Carter?

Joe Flanigan: You do make a hot female lead.

Robert Picardo: I'm not replacing her. I'm simply providing a bald middle aged male alternative.

If Stargate Atlantis is canceled for Stargate Universe, can you give SGA to another station?

Joe Flanigan: Having SG-1 and Atlantis on at the same time was actually great. It's like having two restaurants on the same street. You think it might not work but they actually both give each other business.

If any of you could switch roles with any other characters, who would you chose?

Joe Flanigan: I would play Robert Picardo kidnapped in a forest with Jewel.

Robert Picardo: I'd play Jewel's character, mostly because I'm already familiar with the medical jargon already.

Jewel Staite: I'd like to be Teyla for a day. Because she's hot. I like her outfits, she's hot.

Who do we get to see this year?

Martin Gero: Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) will be back on the franchise. Dr. Beckett will be in for 4 more episodes and Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter) will be coming back this year as well.

Jewel, what's the difference between this character and Kaylee from Firefly?

Jewel Staite: There's a lot less shiny. I miss my shiny. I don't miss the ruffley dress, I don't miss that dress. It's a lot harder I have to look like know what I'm doing. On Firefly the prop director would bring over a box of scifi tools and say, "Okay, pick one," and Joss would say "Okay, now go fiddle over there."

Any other Firefly crew coming to Stargate?

Jewel Staite: I want Nathan Fillion to play a Wraith. Just cause I'd like to see him go through the make up [crowd goes nuts].

What are you excited about for your character this year Jewel?

Jewel Staite: I would like to see her make a choice already, and she does. So I'm very excited about that.

What's the difference between Stargate and Firefly?

Jewel Staite: This one doesn't get canceled.

What happened to Dr. Weir one?

Brad Wright: Oh...next question. Oh, she got lost in a city.

Martin Gero: I don't know what you're talking about, they look remarkably similar to me.

Is SG-1 Ben Browder coming over?

Martin Gero: I would love to, but we're in a personal feud [jokes]. So, not that I know of yet?

From the looks of it, this could be Atlantis' best year. All they need to win me over is a Cameron Mitchell cameo and I'm all set. (Sadly, I'm not holding my breath. At the Stargate Continuum panel Ben Browder jokingly complained that he's the only member that hasn't been on the show yet.)

Photo by Mike Huang

According to Filoni the first clip (above) shows Obi-Wan and Anakin stranded in the Outer Rim on the planet Christophsis. There's plenty of firepower and clone killing, and finally a new alien warthog race. I will say, although it looks exciting I'm a bit worried about the all of the "war scenes" that will be in this series. I worry that the continuous all-out battle will get tedious.

The second clip from the actual series (that hasn't been released wide yet) gave us a closer look at two new characters and we finally got to see Ahsoka Tano in action. She sounds like a little girl (as she should) and has a ton of the Skywalker spirit in her. In this clip we see a green faced lady Jedi who appears to be Ahsoka's original Master. They've captured Gunray, and are transporting the prisoner to the dismay of General Dooku and the Emperor. The Captain of the of the ship looks fantastic and is another new character. During then interrogation of Gunray little Ahsoka whips out her light saber and shoves it under the prisoner's neck. The evil sith lord sics his bald apprentice Asajj Ventress onto the ship to kill them all. There's new tech aplenty in this Clone Wars. I'm already pretty excited about the spider robots and the burrowing bots.

But more than the clips I'm excited to see what this fan-turned-director Filoni can do. He's already expressed great interest in giving more background story to the lesser known characters. Here's a clip of him meeting with reporters after the panel and explaining who were gonna see talk for the first time, secret Star Wars language and his fascination over the internet's obsession with killing little Ahsoka.

Filoni explained in the panel:

The movie is one big complete idea: introducing a new character. In the series, we had a real opportunity to do really unique things with Star Wars. We can deal with just the ground troops on the front line with the clones. We can take obscure characters out the backgrounds of scenes, like Kit Fisto or Luminara or Plo Koon, and say what were they like? What did they sound like? How did they interact with the troops?

Also I like the little nuances with the clone soldiers that they've spread throughout the story. For example the clones graffiti their rides with Star Wars gang signs, one group's even called the Mama's Boys.

Charlaine Harris, who wrote the Southern Vampire Mysteries that True Blood is based on, was on the panel, much to the delight of fans. Cast members in attendance were Ana Paquin who plays main character Sookie Stackhouse (a do-gooder waitress who can hear everyone's thoughts), Stephen Moyer (Sookie's 173-year-old vampire love interest), sassy Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse, Sooki's slutty older brother), Nelsen Ellis (Lafayette, uber gay friend), Sam Trammell (local bar owner Sam Merlotte who carries a torch for Sookie), and finally Runtina Wesley who is Sookie's bestie — and strangely enough a completely different actor from the first episode that leaked onto the internet.

The new actress looks way different than the original Brooke Kerr (from Passions.) I didn't hear anyone announce the switcheroo, though who could blame them? If you caught the original trailer that was on the internet, Brooke's Southern accent sounded like squeezing a cat.

A clip was shown of the new True Blood series and from the footage it looks like we're diving head-first into the world of vampire sex. The undead nightclub Fantasia got some screen time, looking like a back-woods strip club full of over sexed gyrating vamps. It would appear as if kindly vampire Bill takes his virginal date Sookie to the vamp club. But in exchange, it looks like Bill has to sit down to dinner with Sookie's family and listen to her pissed brother telling him he's no good. Then more half naked vampire caressing, vampire humping, and vampire moaning.

According to head writer Alan Ball, there are three cardinal vampire movie or series sins. The first is blue light, the next is contact lenses, and finally opera music. "I basically wanted to give the actors fangs and let them act the part," explained Ball. Sure, Alan, forget the fact that the whole sexy-vampires thing is a tad overdone as well.

Author Charlaine Harris wouldn't talk about the 9th True Blood book she was working on, but seemed pleased as pie that the True Blood series was sticking so closely to her storyline. The entire first season of HBO's show will be based on the first True Blood book.

But still there were a lot of other questions stuck in between the sex talk.

What's up with the vampire look in TB?

Alan Ball: The supernatural in True Blood is very matter of fact, very off hand. We approach the supernatural with a deeper more primal manifiestation. We are very cerebral. We're very specific about the fangs. They retract and click down like a rattlesnake fangs. It's simple: the focus is on what is the big draw in the stories, which is their characters and their relationship.

Why is Sookie so virginal and pure? We get that she's a virgin, but why is she such a tease with the tight tops and the blonde hair?

Ana Paquin: In the second episode, you get to see all of the horrific bad dates she's gone on where she can hear exactly what her dates are thinking. It's kind of why she doesn't have a social life, so to speak. Plus she works in a bar so you can imagine what people are thinking there.

Charlaine Harris: She [Sookie] knows she's pretty and sexy but can't do anything about it. She enjoys being a woman and wants to have a relationship. But I need to say she's a virgin, she's a virgin, she's a virgin. That's known.

So do Sookie and Bill, you know, do it?

Alan Ball: Yes. I'm not saying it's going to last [all the sexual tension]. There will be several episodes where you'll think they will do it. Vampires' need for blood and sexual desires are intertwined. Vampires are exotic sexy creatures.

Do vampires Have their own groupies?

Alan Ball: There are a lot of people who want to hook up with Vampires and theyre called fang bangers.

So tell us more about the vampire sex, is it very dangerous?

Alan Ball: In the books there was mention of rough sex and the women having been into the rough sex we see a little bit more of that in the TV show than was in the book. We also see a lot of very romantic sex. Sex with a vampire can also be really romantic, it depends on the vampire.

What about that Lafayette guy, is he getting sexed?

Nelsen Ellis: Well he's Tara's cousin. He works as a cook and works on the road crew. He sells vampire blood as an aphrodisiac, he has a gay porn website and he escorts.

How does vampire blood, as a drug, directly change my sex?

Alan Ball: Vampire blood is a volatile drug. Some people can ride the wave, some people have a physical reaction. It's dangerous. It's a gamble when you take it. It can be an enhancement drug. You never know what it is. How is interact with your particular physiology. It's the hot drug.

Will Quinn be on the show, who would you cast for him?

Alan Ball: I don't think of ideal casting until it's time to cast.

Charlaine Harris: Quinn is a tiger. He's bald and shaves his head. It's a personal omage to Vin Diesel.

Will we see Bubba?

Alan Ball: It's hard for me to answer that question because I don't want to give that away.

Are there any plans to make Tru Blood into an actual drink?

Alan Ball: Yes it's going to be a combination of V8, valium, vicodin and vodka.

Will we see werewolves?

Alan Ball: Werewolves exist in the world. We don't see them in the first season. they will make an appearance [and] so will all the other supernatural creatures that exist.

True Blood will air September 7th on HBO.

You could be seeing the recut Stargate pilot in the next few months. "I was at the final mix the night before last," Wright revealed. "It's an MGM thing now, [as to] when they want to release it."

So why did Wright feel that the SG-1 pilot needed a re-cut? "The reason I did it was because I was watching the pilot...and I thought, 'Man we can do better than this.'" The visual effects some of them were kind of shaky. And I wanted to get rid of some of the bad dialog I wrote 12 years ago. So I did. And mainly it was to incorporate Joel Goldsmith's score, brought back the way it should be. Hopefully the fans won't kill me for it, I think it's going to be great."

Besides talk of possibly destroying classic scifi there was a Stargate party going on, atop of the San Diego Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum. Many of our favorite 'gaters were there, and we got to pester them with the things you all wanted to know, like if Richard Dean Anderson thinks Colonel Samantha Carter looks hotter with short hair or long hair.

Cliff Simon (Ba'al):

Have you given any thought to the new character you're going to have to become, the person that Ba'al has been living in for 2,000 years is now free?

I've given it a lot of thought. I hope Brad Wright does. He could be a very interesting character. He could be worse than Baal, as far as being a bad, bad human being. He could be a really great guy. We don't know. I've thought about it for down the road and the future.

What's the attraction to Qetesh? She's so vicious. I would have hoped Ba'al was smarter than that.

She's beautiful. What else can I say? He's vicious too. Can you imagine them together? I've been saying, Guys, let's write an alien love scene, come on, come on. No, she's evil and she's actually a real adversary for Ba'al.

Ben Browder (Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell):

Continuum gives you a lot of screen time, what did you think when you read the script?

I called Brad Wright and I thanked him. I said thank you, you've given me some great things to do.

I have a lot of fun stuff to do. I get to put on prosthetics, I get to go to the arctic, I get a few quiet character moments. I just thought Brad did a great job with the script.

What did you think of yourself in all that make up?

Wasn't me. That was my grandfather. I actually thought they did a really nice job with the prosthetics.

Chris Judge (Teal'c):

Do you think you could be reappearing on Stargate Atlantis any time soon?

I really don't know. The time depends on what goes on with my other projects. It's just the timing issue. If I'm available I'd love to go there. I think there will be — I don't like to rehearse anything. I don't like to rehearse dialog or fight scenes or anything. But we rehearsed this fight scene, and it just showed me that Jason's in his mid twenties and I'm not.

Do you ever catch yourself saying indeed?

Ummmm, no because... You just want me to say, "indeed." Well, um, no....indeed.

Richard Dean Anderson (Major General Jack O'Neill):

What was your favorite part of being in Continuum, being with the cast or the plot?

Filming in Antarctica. Getting a chance to go to the Arctic. I've never been North of Alaska.

Samantha Carter: short or long hair?

Whatever she feels is appropriate?

Seriously...come on?

You want to know what I think? I guess whatever she feels most comfortable in. I'm stepping into a trap [laughs]. As a guy if I pick a side suddenly..oooh chauvinist. What about a buzz cut?

From the footage, it appeared that Jeff Bridges would be playing both the original Flynn and a younger version of himself. it sounds like he hasn't lost his knack for driving either, as he careened across the screen in the drivers' seat. The new movie is coming from Disney but no other details were released.

According to the MTV movie Blog this is what was shown:

We pan over ominous clouds into a digital city landscape only to find a man in a updated "Tron" costume. He's on the run. The man jumps into a brand new 2008 version of the familiar light cycle. And a huge chase ensues with a pursuer in a dark mask after our racer. Unlike cycle races of old this one goes up and down AND side to side. The chased man is vanquished, crashing horrible. As the pursuer gets off his cycle he pulls a familiar disc from his back. The winner looks up to a previously unseen observer. And the observer is…Jeff Bridges! An older (and now evil) Flynn?!? He rises from a meditative state in his watchtower to see the pursuer do his bidding. The vanquished man pleads to his pursuer. "It's just a game!" And then the final big reveal: the pursuer takes off his helmet and he is also Bridges, a seemingly younger Bridges!

[MTV]