io9: Writers strike

Justice League Movie Gets Bitchslapped

Kevin Kelly — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:50:59 PST

The writers strike is forcing executives to actually consider some of the rash decisions they've made. Case in point, the Justice League movie. Before the holidays there were announcements of cast members, chatter about the shooting location, a script that needed some work, and even rumblings from the Christian Bale/The Dark Knight camp that they weren't happy about another Batman hitting the screen. Looks like Warner Bros. has finally listened and is putting the skids down on the movie, hard.

With the strike going on, even rewrites can't be made to the film during shooting, so that nixes any possible fixes to the script, which is probably the main reason the studio is slowly turning around and saying, "Hmmm." That's also given them some time to consider the fan reaction to the cast of mostly unknowns and minor leaguers, and possibly to even consider the fact that they don't really want to alienate or piss off Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale, especially if there's now a possible third new Batman movie in the works.

We hope this means there's still hope for movies like Terminator 4, which even the producers have mentioned needs a bit of script work. When asked about the script for the movie yesterday, producer James Middleton had said they would have liked to do a rewrite on it but, "We have a very strong script going into production, and it's absolutely viable to shoot." However, given the news about the JLA film, they may reconsider and press pause on this film in order to get the script they want.

Justice League Movie has been delayed! [IESB]

Just because there's going to be a drought of entertainment doesn't mean we want lame crud rushed to the screen for our benefit. Take your time, smell the roses, and give those scripts another read. If they suck, toss 'em. We'll be paying especially close attention to Neuromancer, Ender's Game, The Diamond Age and all the other upcoming sci fi movies. You have been warned!

Which Dead Sci Fi Show Should Breathe Again?

Kevin Kelly — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:05:23 PST

The writers strike will really start to take its toll on television this winter. Many fall shows won't ever wake up from the winter hibernation, and everyone will get sick of game shows and reality TV offerings. So, we've begun working on the io9 time circuits and blowing the dust out of our flux transistors (capacitors, what a joke). What television shows would you like to see return from the graveyard of canceled shows and appear back on TV with brand new episodes? Take a spin on the poll below and let us know.

Aliens From Close Encounters Plot Come-Back

charliejane — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:00:00 PST

The aliens from Close Encounters of the Third Kind may make a cameo appearance in the fourth Indiana Jones movie. Steven Spielberg is avoiding CGI in favor of puppets, and he decided to pay tribute to the 30th anniversary of Encounters. There's retro, and then there's crazy retro. [MovieHole]
The Hollywood writers' strike could be settled by Christmas, says Nikki Finke, a blogger who claims to have inside sources. That could allow stalled TV shows to get back on track, and let movies do some desperately needed rewrites. [Deadline Hollywood]

Chuck spoilers and news about J.J. Abrams' new mad-scientist show after the jump.

One Journeyman producer already landed a new gig, after the show's apparent cancellation. Alex Graves will direct the pilot for Fringe, the new J.J. Abrams X-files clone, as soon as he's done with Journeyman in December.
Chuck spoilers: in an upcoming episode, Chuck finally gets his cover blown. He has to leave town and live under permanent security. Anything to get rid of those horrid short-sleeved nerd shirts. [E!Online]
Star Trek IV and Soylent Green both appear in Environmental Graffiti's list of the top five environmental films of all time. [via SFSignal]
Tom Cruise could star in a Doctor Who TV movie in 2009, say unnamed (and probably completely bogus) sources at the BBC. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Madonna are also being approached, the source says. [Stuff]

Kansas Towns Slaughter Each Other In Nuclear Fallout This Spring

charliejane — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:39:51 PST

The apocalypse came to a small town, and nobody noticed. But that could change this spring. CBS' nuclear apocalypse drama Jericho barely escaped out-and-out cancellation thanks to a mail-in campaign involving bags of nuts. And this spring, it may be the only game in town, thanks to the writers' strike.

Jericho season one started off blah but ended strong the nearby town of New Bern turned fascist and massed a small army to march against the people of Jericho, KS. Carnage in the cornfields!

CBS has seven episodes of Jericho in the can and plans to air them as a mid-season replacement. Those seven weeks could be enough to kindle a new interest, since every other channel will show reality fare like Farmer Wants A Wife. Two more shows that could gain from the strike after the jump.

Heroes is starting to woo back its lost viewers. If it finishes strong (with a tacked-on season ending) then it could gain from a long hiatus. We could forget how boring this season was, and be ready for the show to reinvent itself.
- Doctor Who is set to air new episodes in England this spring, plus a Christmas episode next month. If the Sci Fi Channel is smart, it'll negotiate to air those new episodes as soon as possible, during the American TV drought. Also, a whole season of spin-off show Sarah Jane Adventures has aired in the U.K. but not the U.S. yet.

TV Guide's Brian Ausiello has an awesome ...

charliejane — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:19:25 PST

TV Guide's Brian Ausiello has an awesome chart of how long your favorite TV shows can stay on the air during the writer's strike. Bottom line: Heroes has four eps left, Chuck has six remaining and Smallville has a whopping eight. But poor Bionic Woman only has three more episodes in the can.