Movie & TV News: Barbarella, Wolverine, Dinosaurs, Ghostbusters 3, Pompeii, Wonder Woman/Flash, Peace Channel, 2006 Renfest Awards, MIke Fright, Comic Previews

Barbarella
There are a couple of things American boys of a certain age held in their secret thoughts, two of those were the Farrah Fawcett poster and Barbarella. We didn't talk about those things, but they were true. Now Dino De Laurentiis tells Variety that he is plans a remake of the film with Peter Webber directing. De Laurentiis calls the new film "a female James Bond in outer space."

Wolverine Facelift
Ain't It Cool News says here that Brian Cox was on a BBC's "Film 2007" and said of "Wolverine": "It's set seventeen years ago, which is fine for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine doesn't age but for me, I'm thinking they could what they did with Patrick and Ian for the start of the third one. I know my character is in it, they've asked me to be in it but that was a while ago now, it's completely stalled so no start date as yet."

Dinosaurs, Seasons 3 & 4
TVShowsonDVD.com has reported here that Disney has recently announced the release of Dinosaurs, seasons 3 & 4 (I personally didn't think the show went on that long, but that may just be me.) The May 1st release will include 36 episodes (with 7 that never aired on the network) plus music videos) The set is ready for pre-order at Amazon.com

Ghostbusters 3
Ain't It Cool News sites an interview with CISN radio, saying that Dan Akyroyd has announced "Ghostbusters 3" should finally go ahead as a CGI feature, production up to this point held back only due to Bill Murray. Akyroyd's current version of the script sees the Ghostbusters visit Manhattan, in an alternate reality.

Pompeii
Filming starts this summer in Italy on the Roman Polanski directed "Pompeii," with a projected budget of $130 million. The film will show a young engineer sent to repair an enormous aqueduct whose destruction threatens the Roman Empire. He instead finds himself enmeshed in politics and romance, therough the 3 days before and during the final eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The film will be based on the novel by Robert Harris (who will also do the script).

New Directions For Wonder Woman, Flash
The internet gets a few stories now and then that it seems to spin out of control. A writer getting a project is not, usually the stuff of long discussions and even arguements, as well a speculations. But when you have a fan favorite like Joss Whedon given something as iconic as "Wonder Woman" it sets off just such chatter. This weekend, when it was announced that Whedon had left the movie over "creative differences," there was little else folks seemed to be talking about online. On his website he said: "You (hopefully) heard it here first: I'm no longer slated to make Wonder Woman . . . I had a take on the film that, well, nobody liked. Let me stress first that everybody at the studio and Silver Pictures were cool and professional. We just saw different movies, and at the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that's never gonna work. It happens all the time. I don't think any of us expected it to this time, but it did." As a Whedon fan, I am sad, but know Joss will move on to bigger and better doors to open and usher us into even better worlds to see. But it seems as soon as we get one surprise, another jumps out at us. "The Flash," another beloved comic book character, has been in the works in the person of David Goyer for some time now. Then we hear that Shawn Levy will now direct the Warner Brothers Pictures adaptation. We find that Goyer had really left the project several months ago, but it was not until Friday that he announced on his MySpace page: "I am sad to say that my version of 'The Flash' is dead at WB. The God's honest truth is that WB and myself simply couldn't agree on what would make for a cool Flash film. I'm quite proud of the screenplay I turned in. I threw my heart into it, and I genuinely think it would've been the basis of a groundbreaking film. But as of now, the studio is heading off in a completely different direction." Sources say that the studio, perhaps in both cases is hoping for lighter movie versions of the comics. Both the Whedon "Wonder Woman" and Goyer's "Flash" had been pretty dark.

The Peace Channel
Bob Geldof's television production company Ten Alps Plc is posting a broadband channel whose sole aim is that of promoting world peace. Point of Peace, a Norwegian human rights organization, is funding the idea and has commissioned Geldof to create a business plan for the project, which will be working on a 2008 launch. Ten Alps is currently testing its public television Website (http://www.public.tv/), getting ready for the anticipated launch in April.

2006 Renfest Awards
I have been a part of many communities in my 50 plus years in the entertainment industry. I've been an actor, stand up comic, movie maker, movie reviewer and other things left best unsaid. Another group I have always been a proud part of has been that of the Renaissance Festival world. These talented professionals and heart-giving amateurs are able to build a world to which so many are able to escape from this one, at least for a few hours. This year is the second one in which the faires have been noted by The Renaissance Festival Awards. These acknowledgements are long overdue. But, the surprise of surprises was that I have been chosen to be the first person to be instated into the Hall of Fame. As I said the first time I heard of the honor, I am humbled and overwhelmed.

Mike Fright: Stand Up!