The Ex-Terminator

Terminator 3 and 4 are to go ahead next year, it’s been announced, but it looks increasingly unlikely that either James Cameron or Arnold Schwarzenegger will be involved. Schwarzenegger told the media, “I have no intention of doing it except when Jim Cameron is doing the directing, producing or writing.” With Cameron’s busy slate (of Mars, Dark Angel and True Lies 2) those chances look minimal.

The long-gestating sequels will shoot back-to-back for release in 2001. Former T2 producers Mario Kassar and Andy Vajna regained the rights after a sequence of events as complex as the Terminator timeline. However, they don’t seem to have attracted what could be called ‘premium talent’ to the projects as yet. The third film is being written by Tedi Sarafian (Tank Girl) which features a nuclear war in 2001.

Continued in Starburst #257

Angel's personal hell

SPOILER for UK Readers until well into 2000!
Despite the ratings success that ensures a future for Buffy spin-off Angel, there’s been some commotion behind the scenes. Not only has it lost a regular character with the death of Angel’s mentor, Doyle (Glenn Quinn) in the episode Heroes, but star David Boreanaz has spilt with his wife of two years, Ingrid Quinn (no relation to Glenn, though she is Irish too). That sound you hear is smitten Boreanaz fans stampeding to LA at the news.

The 28-year-old actor is filing for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. In happier news, Buffy regular Seth Green (Oz) will return after shooting the film Knockaround Guys. Green was written out in the standout episode Wild at Heart, promising to return some day. His absence from the show during the fourth season (reported last issue) will last for six episodes. During his absence, James Marsters (Spike) has been promoted to full time regular.

Ultraviolet Lite?

The well-received Channel 4 vampire drama Ultraviolet is of course something we’d love to see more of, but here’s some news from an unexpected quarter – it’s getting an American remake. In its ongoing search for the next X-Files, Fox has commissioned a pilot from the talented duo of Howard Gordon (The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Millennium producer Chip Johannessen. My So-Called Life’s Mark Piznarski will direct.

Hopefully that impressive team should allay fears that the classy original will be dumbed down. Gordon has gone on record as a fan of the show. “I found it really sophisticated and interesting,” he told the Angels & Slayers website. However, it will differ for the US market. “I think at some level the way the story was originally told was so understated, some points of view have to change. The way the stories are told needs to be endowed and in some ways made more emotional.”

If produced, Ultraviolet will début in the 2000-01 season and may run considerably longer than the C4 version (so long as it doesn’t suffer the same fate as Fox’s Brimstone, Harsh Realm, etc).