io9: this side of the truth

Scifi Comedy With Ricky Gervais as a Lying Liar from Another World

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:20:00 PDT

Ricky Gervais, creator of the acerbic British version of The Office, lives in an alternate universe in This Side Of The Truth. He's the man who discovers how to lie in a world where honesty is the only policy. Truth has a stellar comedy cast including Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Jonah Hill Christopher Guest, and Rob Lowe. Anything with Gervais and Bateman in it with a scifi alternate world slant has me interested. Click through to read more and check out a gallery of Gervais' set pictures.

Gervais plays the character Mark Bellison who he describes as a, "a loser and basically a nice guy. He is a very unsuccessful screenwriter in his forties with average looks, moderate intelligence and little hope for the future." Since no one in this world lies screen writers primarily re-tell historical facts. The character is in a miserable existence because he is forced to retell the 1300s and all he has to work with is the plague. Eventually Bellison realizes that he can make up his own facts (or "discover lost stories) and manipulate them to become the best story teller in the world.

Most of the filming is being done in Boston or the Boston suburbs, and most of the set appears to be in modern day times, yet there were few references to caveman costumes and the crew built a giant pre-historic warthog for one scene. Seems like the focus is largely on Bellison and his sad friends (Bald Louis CK and Jonah Hill) at work or in a bar.

Gervais has kept a blog of the comings and goings on the set of This Side Of The Truth. The videos are mainly Ricky Gervais goofing around on set and teasing Jason Bateman for his work on Teen Wolf Too. [Ricky Gervais]

Give Knight Rider A Test Drive With Our New Clip

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:00:23 PST

Good morning and welcome to our obsessive roundup of everything spoilery in science fiction. There's a new promo clip for Knight Rider that shows way more of the show's action. And we ask an important question about Ricky Gervais' new movie. Also, there are some new tidbits about Smallville, and a look at the guy from 90210 as he'll look on Sarah Connor.

This Knight Rider promo just started airing on NBC, and gives a good look at KITT's "voice modulator. [KnightRiderOnline]

Separately (if this counts as a spoiler) Val Kilmer is re-recording all of KITT's dialogue, taking over from Will Arnett. [IESB]
Is Rick Gervais' This Side Of The Truth science fiction? It's about a world where nobody ever lies, and Gervais' chracter invents lying. Anyway, he also has a depressed next-door-neighbor (Jonah Hill) and a loser friend (Louis C.K.). [Hollywood Reporter]
If you really can't wait until Thursday, here are two incredibly blurry videos of mobile-phone clips from the next Smallville. Chloe's snooping gets her into trouble, and Clark has a tense moment on a boat. Or maybe it just looked seasick because of the camera shaking around. [Superman Homepage]
Also, Black Canary's cry makes Clark's ears bleed and breaks Green Arrow's arrow. By the end of the episode, Green Arrow can't wait to introduce Black Canary to the Justice League. [SpoilerTV]
And here are four new pics of Brian Austin Green as an amnesiac visitor from the future, in next week's Sarah Connor Chronicles. [TVAddict]

Battlestar Could Be Knocked Out By Contract Tangles

charliejane — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:30:00 PST

Will Battlestar Galactica ever film its final episodes? Maybe not, says Ron Moore. Blame complicated contract wrangling: the studio wants to keep the show's actors on contract without paying them, under the "force majeure" clauses of their contracts. But because the show managed to film the required minimum of 13 episodes before halting production, their contracts may allow them to seek work elsewhere. Bottom line: when the show is ready to resume production, the actors may or may not be available. Says Moore: "I refuse to believe that we won't finish, that we won't be back to film our final stories, but I know and accept there is that possibility." [TVSquad]

More news after the jump.

Also in danger of being scuppered by strikes: the Justice League and Wolverine movies. Both films are supposed to be filming in Australia, but a lack of studio space and Justice League's script problems may delay them. If both films aren't finished by this summer, the impending Screen Actors' Guild strike could wreck them. [Cinemablend]
David Hasselhoff is in talks to reprise the first role that made him infamous: that of Michael Knight, in the new Knight Rider backdoor pilot. He'd be starring opposite two soap opera actors: Deanna Russo and Justin Bruening. Bruening will play Knight's son, who never knew his father, much less realized he talked to his car. [Hollywood Reporter]
Jennifer Garner will co-star alongside Ricky Gervais in This Side of the Truth. Gervais (The Office, Extras) co-wrote and will co-direct the film, about an alternate universe where everybody tells the truth all the time. Gervais plays a lowly clerk, who discovers how to lie and get everything he wants, including Garner. [Movie Blog @ UGO]