Movie & TV News: The Box, Ye Olde Times, The Holy Road, The X-Files 2, Whedon & Dushku, Mike Fright, Comic Previews

The Box
Ray Bradbury called him "one of the most important writers of the 20th century." Stephen King says he is "the author who influenced me most as a writer," and Dean Koontz says, "We're all a lot richer to have Richard Matheson among us." I have been a fan for as long as I could read. We know that there is a film of "I am Legend" coming, but another Richard Matheson story is coming to film. Richard Kelly (the director) told SCI FI Wire about "The Box" saying: "It's a six-page short story written by Richard Matheson. With a six-page short story, it's just a wonderful premise that . . . I'm taking and I'm expanding upon. And the film takes place in 1976, which is very near the time in which the original short story was written, so it is a period piece. It has to do with the concept of the film working in a more innocent, less technology-dependent world. And the concept, I feel, does not work as well in the world of [the] Internet, Blackberries and constant hand-held communication and technology." Cameron Diaz and Frank Langella star as a couple who receive a box that will grant them a million dollars, but with a catch: "The catch is, somewhere, someone in the world they do not know will die. Sets are being built. We start shooting in Boston on Nov. 17 . . . Right now, the only cast that's been announced is Cameron Diaz and Frank Langella. But there will be some other announcements very shortly. It's a very primal piece of mythology. And Matheson, I've been obsessed with the story for years, and I've been trying to figure out how to expand it into a film. I just finished the last rewrite the day before the maybe writers' strike, and we start shooting in about three weeks."

Ye Olde Times
Jack Black is starring in the comedy "Ye Olde Times," about rival troupes of actors who perform in Renaissance fairs. Black narrates the tale as Professor Shockworthy. Announced cast members are Cary Elwes, Justin Chatwin, David Arquette, Orlando Jones and Matthew Lillard. "Ye Old Times" starts production "in the next few months."

The Holy Road
Simon Wincer will direct the "Dances With Wolves" sequel "The Holy Road." Starting 11 years after the first film, the Comanche tribe is in steady decline and the threat of white settlers looms. The title "Holy Road" refers to the transcontinental railroad, which becomes the symbol of the clash of civilizations. The film is written by Michael Blake, author of the screenplay for the first film as well as both novels on which the films are based.

The X-Files 2
Twentieth Century Fox has announced that "The X-Files 2" is in pre-production, and should open by July 25. Returning to the film are David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, directed by series creator Chris Carter, who also wrote the screenplay along with fellow former "X-Files" executive producer Frank Spotnitz. The movie comes out almost a decade after the first film, which was produced while the series was still on the air. The movie will not be a part of the overall mythology of the series but a standalone mystery. SciFi Wire says that the film will take the relationship between Mulder and Scully in "unexpected directions."

Whedon & Dushku
Variety says "Dollhouse" has been given an initial seven-episode order by Fox with an option for still more. This comes following an agreement that was signed between Eliza Dushku and Fox to develop projects together, and Joss Whedon has expressed a desire to return to television and already has a running plot for the seven episodes. The story tells of Echo (Dushku) a Government agent programmed to carry out missions, who then has her memory wiped. After a great number of wipes, Echo becomes aware of the process and develops an awareness of her real identity. Because of the writers strike, Fox plans to have the series in production for Spring with episodes ready for broadcast so far in advance that if an additional episode order was placed, the network could easily start transmission of a full season without any breaks.

Mike Fright: Stand Up!