News, updates, rumors relating to development of science fiction / fantasy television productions.
Blake’s 7 – The reboot of this late 70’s British sci fi series by Syfy is apparently still moving forward and some of the concept art has hit the internet. Here is the updated version of The Liberator which Blake and his team relied upon in the series to fight against the corrupt Terran Federation. The new series is being developed by Georgeville Television which has also produced the upcoming Chris Carter series for Amazon The After. They are also involved with the Straczynski/Wachowskis collaboration Senes8 for Netflix.
Red Dwarf – The British sci fi / comedy Red Dwarf will be getting an eleventh season. Filming for the new season is set to begin this coming October with a target to have it on the air by Fall 2015.
Minority Report – Steven Spielberg is bringing his adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s Minority Report which starred Tom Cruise to the small screen. That 2002 movie will be turned into a weekly series that according to The Wrap “will likely focus on the elite PreCrime unit”. Spielberg plans on getting a named actor attached to the project like he did with Halle Berry in Extant (though likely not Tom Cruise). Godzilla writer Max Borenstein will be onboard the show as well to pen at least the first script.
Devil’s Advocate – Another big screen production that will be moving to the small screen is the 1997 film Devil’s Advocate which starred Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves. NBC has ordered a “put pilot” (meaning they will pay a high fee if they do not pick it up to series) from producer John Wells (E.R., The West Wing).
Westworld – The HBO small screen adaptation of the 1973 movie Westworld (from writer/director Michael Crichton) is moving forward and Ed Harris (The Abyss, Apollo 13) has been announced as the actor to play the role of “the man in black”. That character will apparently be based on the “Gunslinger” that Yul Brynner brought to life in the original film. Harris will be joining series lead James Marsden (X-Men) and J.J. Abrams is attached as executive producer.
