Access’ Week In Geek (October 29, 2010)

SYFY ENDS “CAPRICA” AFTER ONE SEASON

Hot on the heels of announcing “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome,” the second spin-off of SyFy’s “Battlestar Galactica,” the network also broke the news that “Caprica” would end its run on the network after the last five episodes of its first (and only) season air in early 2011.

“We appreciate all the support that fans have shown for ‘Caprica’ and are very proud of the producers, cast, writers and the rest of the amazing team that has been committed to this fine series,” said Mark Stern, the Executive Vice President of original programming for SyFy, in a released statement.

“Unfortunately, despite its obvious quality, ‘Caprica’ has not been able to build the audience necessary to justify a second season,” Stern said.

When the ‘Week In Geek’ caught up with the producers and cast of “Caprica” at a screening at the Paley Center in NYC in March, Esai Morales who plays Joseph Adama on the show, spoke about the already completed season finale (which will now serve as the series swan song).

“I tell you, the finale drove me to tears on various occasions. What happens is so profound, and out of the blue, so unexpected it took my breath away,” Morales admitted.

When early rumors of an additional BSG spin-off took flight, at the time, “There are rumors, that I started I think. I really can’t talk about it yet as much as just to say that we are developing other properties that come out of that world.

“I think if ‘Caprica’ is kind of the prequel to “Battlestar,” it’s how you led up to the Cylon War. And ‘Battlestar’ is the post-Cylon War, there is a whole section in between the two. There’s about 50 years in between the two worlds to explore. That’s as far as I can go,” Stern revealed about what seemed to have developed into “Blood & Chrome.”

The new series will bridge the era between the two established BSG shows and focus on the young William Adama (played by Edward James Olmos in “Battlestar”) during the First Cylon War.

THE FINAL WORD REGARDING A “BACK TO THE FUTURE” SEQUEL OR REBOOT

This week, Universal released “Back to the Future: The 25th Anniversary Trilogy” on DVD and Blu-ray. The cast and crew including, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and director Robert Zemeckis, were in NYC to celebrate the milestone and reunited for a Q&A panel to reminisce about their memories on the now iconic set.

As always, questions of a fourth entry in the series, or even a reboot of the original, are bound to pop up these days.

In an interview with MTV News, “Back To The Future” producer and writer Bob Gale thankfully pretty much dispelled any notion of seeing any further big screen chronicles for Marty and Doc Brown, with either a new cast or the return of the original one.

“What everybody has to understand is that in the contracts that Bob (Zemeckis) and I have, Universal can’t make another ‘Back to the Future’ movie without coming to us first,” he said.

“They are contractually obligated to do that. We’ve been very vociferous about this for a long time,” he asserted. ”I don’t know who starts these rumors, but they don’t come from Universal. They don’t come from Amblin [Entertainment]. Because Universal knows, they can’t do it without coming to us first. We’re not going to do it.”

And that is that, as they say. Let a classic remain an untouched classic.

“THE HOBBIT” TO STAY IN NEW ZEALAND

Middle Earth and The Shire will remain in New Zealand.

This week, Warner Bros., New Line and the New Zealand government were able to sort through and resolve the final issues with the local actors unions which were standing in the way of Peter Jackson’s two-part prequel to “The Lord Of The Rings” being filmed where the first trilogy was.

Warner Bros. was considering moving the production to another country despite sets having been already built and also serving as the home base to Jackson’s WETA Digital special effects house.

The troubled production finally seems to now be on a clear coast to begin filming in 3-D in February with Jackson once again behind the camera as director, Martin Freeman to star as Bilbo Baggins, and Ian McKellan and Andy Serkis to return to their roles as Gandalf and Gollum.

The first film in the reported $500 million production is expected to hit theatres in December 2012.

Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More

‘90 Day Fiancé: Love In Paradise’ Returning With Dramatic & Wild New Season