Bringing you the latest sci fi TV news and also recapping stories from this past week. More sci fi TV news at this link.
Sci Fi TV on the Big Screen: No PG-13 for Star Trek if Tarantino Will Direct
We reported earlier this week that Quentin Tarantino is in talks to helm the next Star Trek movie and things are moving along very quickly. He and J.J. Abrams have already met with writers and The Revenant‘s Mark L. Smith is currently their top choice to pen the script. Also, Tarantino has required that the film be rated R if he is going to be directing, which comes as no surprise seeing as he has never done a movie below that rating. As I mentioned previously, it will be interesting to see how much Tarantino spin he can get on this corporate property, and the film’s rating may be the first battle. Most Trek fans would probably have no problem with the R-rating, but that limits the audience and studio execs prefer a PG or PG-13 designation for their mega-dollar blockbusters. At the current planning stage for this film, it is mostly just Tarantino and Abrams working up their wishlists. Once they hand those over to the studios, we will get a better idea how well this will progress to the big screen. Be sure to stay tuned for further developments on this story.
Twilight Zone Reboot Moving Forward with Daredevil Showrunner
We already mentioned that CBS is planning a reboot of The Twilight Zone for their CBS All Access streaming service (which will get to be R-rated as well since it won’t have to deal with network censors), and now the eye net has officially placed an order for the series. Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Simon Kinberg (Legion, The Martian) have been attached as executive producers along with Daredevil / The Defenders showrunner Marco Ramirez. Peele had this to say about the reboot: “Too many times this year it’s felt we were living in a twilight zone, and I can’t think of a better moment to reintroduce it to modern audiences”. There is not much additional information on the show at this point, but I would expect that CBS will target Fall 2018 for its debut and likely follow the lead of Star Trek: Discovery by having it debut on broadcast before shifting to the streaming service.
Netflix is Working on an Adaptation of Old Man’s War
Netflix is moving forward with a movie based on John Scalzi’s acclaimed novel Old Man’s War. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description of the story:
Old Man’s War takes place centuries in the future where older citizens are given a choice: age and die on Earth or join the military in the interstellar Colonial Union, which will transfer their minds into super-charged, battle-ready versions of their own younger bodies. It follows 75-year-old widower John Perry, who — in his amazing new body, Perry — discovers he’s a natural fighter and leads his platoon through grueling battles against hostile alien races. But when he meets a soldier who looks like a younger version of his beloved deceased wife, everything Perry thought he knew about his new life, and the war he’s fighting in it, is turned upside down.
Old Man’s War is the first in a series of six novels. It’s possible that Netflix could be looking at adapting all of the books if the first movie proves popular, or maybe proceeding with this as an ongoing series.
The Librarians are Back for Season 4 Next Week
The Fall season has mostly wrapped up, but we still have a few more late year premieres. Next week, TNT’s The Librarians returns as it usually does at the holiday time with it fourth season debut. There are also a few more Fall finales for the week with Lucifer (FOX), The Gifted (FOX), Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC), and Riverdale (CW) all airing their last eps before their Winter breaks while Mr. Robot (USA) has its Season 3 finale. And there are still a few more shows and specials on the schedule for December with Netflix releasing the fourth season of Black Mirror (December 29th) as well as the original movie Bright (December 22nd) and BBC America delivering the Doctor Who Christmas special (which will have Peter Capaldi in his last appearance as the Doctor) on Christmas Day. You can see the full Fall schedule at this link, and you can get a preview of what is coming up at mid-season at this link. And be sure to keep up with the weekly listings at this link.
News Roundup from This Past Week
Cancellation Watch: Syfy Has to Be Happy with Happy! But Will That Be Bad News for Van Helsing? Read
Sci Fi TV News: Quentin Tarantino Wants to Do a Star Trek Movie, Constantine Arrives on Legends of Tomorrow, and More Read
Sci Fi TV Trailers: Black Mirror S4, The Walking Dead Fall Finale, Black Lightning Origin, and More Watch
Sci Fi TV Status Report: Will Extinct Get a Second Season? Agents of SHIELD S5 Debut Numbers, and More Read
Sci Fi TV News: Netflix Picks Up Sabrina the Teenage Witch for Two Seasons, Conan O’Brien to Produce Barry & Joe, and More Read
Keep up with the current schedule of sci fi and fantasy TV shows at this link and the weekly listings at this link. And be sure to follow The Sci Fi TV Site on Twitter for schedule reminders and breaking news. Also, be sure to follow CancelledSciFi.com for the renewal / cancellation status of your favorite shows.
