Netflix Sees a Bright Future
The blockbuster-style urban fantasy film Bright, starring Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, and Noomi Rapace, only just debuted on Netflix today, but the streaming service has already decided it wants a second movie according to Business Insider. The first came with a price tag of $90 million and was written by Max Landis (Chronicle) and directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad). It has received mixed reviews in advance screenings, but apparently Netflix feels strong enough about the film to greenlight a sequel. There is no word on whether the cast and creative team will be returning for the second round, but expect the streaming service to lobby hard to at least bring the stars back, and I am sure they will want Landis and Ayers to return as well.
Chew on This TV Series
Talks of a TV series or movie based on the comic book Chew have been going on for several years, and now there is momentum once again for a small screen version. Showtime originally started working on a television adaptation back in 2011, but nothing ever materialized from that. Then an animated movie started to move forward that would have had Steve Yuen, Felicia Day, and David Tennant in the voice cast. That stalled and now it is looking again like the property could land on television. Series co-creator John Layman has confirmed that the film has derailed, but indicated that a “new Hollywood person” is interested in working on a television series. He had no information beyond that, nor did he mention if a particular network is interested in the show, but perhaps this one could still leap from the comic book pages at some point. Chew follows a man named Tony Chu who gets psychic impressions from eating things, including people. It had an acclaimed 60-issue run at Image Comics.
Quentin Tarantino’s Star Trek Film Has Its Writer
We have been covering the developing story of Quentin Tarantino’s involvement in the next Star Trek film, and that production is starting to come together. Writer’s were being sought out to flesh out Tarantino’s story idea, and now Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) has been set to pen the script that the iconic director will helm. There is scant additional information available on the film, and the assumption is that it will take place in the reboot universe since J.J. Abrams will be onboard as producer. But Patrick Stewart has expressed an interest in reprising his roll as Captain Jean-Luc Picard if Tarantino is directing the film.
Sci Fi TV Schedule: Next Week Brings the Doctor Who Christmas Special, Travelers Season 2, and Black Mirror Season 4
We are heading into the last week of the year when typically there is not much in the way of new sci fi and fantasy television to watch. But this is the Peak TV era, and there is always something new on the tube these days. On Monday night, we get the Doctor Who Christmas special which will deliver Peter Capaldi’s last appearance as the Doctor. Also next week, Travelers will return to Netflix for its second season on Tuesday (which has already started up in Canada on Showcase), and Black Mirror returns for its fourth season with six new episodes all available for streaming on Friday. Other shows that will have new episodes next week will be Runaways (Hulu), The Librarians (TNT), and Happy! (Syfy). You can keep up with the full weekly listings of sci fi and fantasy shows at this link.
More Sci Fi TV News
At the Ace Comic Con, Marc Guggenheim suggested that he would like to have the Question show up on Arrow at some point. But he would not confirm if there are definite plans for an appearance at this point.
According to the We Have This Covered site, a Twitter exchange has suggested that Blade could be making an appearance on Agents of SHIELD later this season.
Netflix’s new anime series Devilman Crybaby will debut on January 5th and Amazon’s epic historical fantasy Britannia will bow at some point in January as well. You can see the preliminary mid-season schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows at this link.
News Roundup from This Past Week
Cancellation Watch: Netflix Renews Dark for a Second Season Read
Sci Fi TV Trailers: Stargate Origins, The X-Files, Altered Carbon, Travelers, and More Watch
Cancellation Watch: Syfy Renews Z Nation and Van Helsing Read
Sci Fi TV News: Ian McKellen Would Return as Gandalf in the TV Series, Syfy’s Krypton Set for March 2018, and More Read
Sci Fi TV Status Report: BBC America Cancels Dirk Gently, Plus the Ratings Results 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.
