BILL & TED to Finally FACE THE MUSIC Next Year!

Bill

Whoa! After years of rumours and false starts, the eagerly awaited sequel to the cult sci-fi comedies Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey is at long last officially a ‘Go Picture’!

Revealed earlier today by the Wyld Stallyns duo themselves, Bill & Ted Face the Music will begin production this summer, with August 21st, 2020 pencilled in as the release date.

As previously reported, Galaxy Quest’s Dean Parisot will helm, with a script by original creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon.

Actors reprising iconic roles several decades later can sometimes be disconcerting for some audiences, and considering Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves haven’t played Bill S. Preston and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan in a whopping 29 years, there’s certainly a little risk here. Harrison Ford only had a 21 year break between Indy adventures, with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels taking 20 years to reprise their once loveable idiot personas Lloyd and Harry in Dumb and Dumber To. Let’s hope this project doesn’t suffer the same fate reception-wise!

Watch on for the announcement from Reeves and Winter themselves, and stay tuned to STARBURST for plenty more coverage of Face the Music as it develops…

CCP Games Kicks Off the EVE Invasion World Tour with EVEsterdam

evesterdam

The first of eight EVE Online community events in 2019 comes to Amsterdam this weekend, March 23rd – 24th. CCP Games, the creators of the in-depth and uniquely player-driven spaceship MMO game EVE Online, has also announced more details on EVEsterdam, the upcoming kick-off event to the EVE Invasion World Tour, a global series of capsuleer conventions for EVE Online fans. The tour will feature announcements, developer roundtables, live streams, the Invasion Tournament Series, unique in-game rewards and stellar parties for fans, bringing EVE Online closer to its community than ever before.

It’s not too late for capsuleers who are keen to attend EVEsterdam to purchase tickets, or they can participate from home via the livestream on CCP’s official Twitch channel. The full EVEsterdam presentation schedule can be found in CCP’s EVEsterdam Megablog.

CCP Games will showcase a wide variety of community-requested changes to EVE Online at EVEsterdam, including game balance updates, commitment to regular quality-of-life improvements and a look into future plans for the technology powering EVE Online. Attendees will discover more about the behaviours, wars, elite players, friendships and incredible stories that break the boundaries between the EVE Universe and reality.

“The EVE Invasion World Tour will both celebrate EVE Online’s magnificent history and salute the game’s glorious future,” said Bergur Finnbogason, aka CCP Burger, EVE Online’s Creative Director. “Kicking off with EVEsterdam, attendees will see first-hand how we’re strengthening the core of EVE Online, as well as how we use our community’s feedback to improve overall game balance. We will be also revealing our commitment to future technological advancements that will help us ensure EVE is forever. Over the course of the World Tour, we will ultimately present our vision for the next decade of EVE Online.”

Future events on the 2019 EVE Invasion World Tour include:

  • EVE Russia (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation), May 4 @ Akakao. Tickets on sale now!
  • EVE Down Under (Sydney, Australia), May 23-26 @ SMC Centre. Tickets on sale now!
  • EVE North (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) June 21-23 @ Delta Marriott. Tickets on sale now!
  • Fanfest HOME (Player’s home, Finland), August 23 @ Kimitoön. Participate via livestream; details to be announced.
  • G-fleet Berlin (Berlin, Germany), September 13-14 @ AltMünze. Tickets on sale March 24.
  • EVE Vegas (Las Vegas, USA), October 25-27 @ venue to be announced. Tickets on sale April 2.
  • EVE London (London, UK), November 23 @ Indigo at the 02 Arena. Tickets on sale August 23.

For more information please visit EVE Updates or follow the hashtag #EVEsterdam on social media. EVE Online can be downloaded for free by visiting www.eveonline.com.

Chella Man is TITANS’ Jericho

Jericho

Hot on the heels of finding the show’s Deathstroke last week, now comes word on DC Universe’s Titans adding Jericho to its ranks.

As officially announced, Chella Man has been brought in to play Joseph Wilson, aka Jericho, in the show. The role will mark Man’s acting debut.

For those unfamiliar with the character of Jericho, he is the mute son of the aforementioned Deathstroke. In terms of powers, Jericho is able to control anybody who he makes eye contract with. This won’t be the first time that Joseph Wilson has appeared in live-action, with the character played by Liam Hall in The CW’s Arrow.

In Titans, NYPD Blue’s Esai Morales has been cast to play Slade Wilson/Deathstroke and he promises to be the ‘big bad’ of the show’s upcoming second season. And if that season continues the quality of the series’ debut year, we could well be in for something special.

Ryan Phillippe to Headline FRANKENSTEIN Cop Show

Ryan Phillippe

Remember how earlier this year we brought word of Frankenstein being reimagined as a cop drama? Well, now comes an update on that small-screen offering.

Courtesy of Deadline, the title of the potential series is Alive and Ryan Phillippe is to lead the charge as this tale’s spin on Frankenstein’s monster. The Cruel Intentions actor joins a cast that currently features Katrina Law, Aaron Staton and Saidah Arrika Ekulona.

Phillippe will be playing a San Francisco homicide detective who is brought back to life after being killed in the line of duty. And the person responsible for bringing him back from the grave? Why, that’d be a certain Dr Victor Frankenstein, of course.

Elementary’s Rob Dohery is developing Alive with Jason Tracey and CBS TV Studios, while Westworld’s Uta Briesewithz is on board to direct the first episode.

Right now, Alive is currently at the pilot stage, with the hope obviously being to get given the A-OK to move forward as a full series.

David Boreanaz Teases an ANGEL Return

Angel

While a completely new and rebooted Buffy the Vampire Slayer series is currently in development, now it looks as if Angel may be doing something.

A spin-off from Buffy, Angel first aired in October 1999 and ran for five seasons up until 2004. And now, whereas Buffy is starting afresh with a new cast in place, Angel star David Boreanaz is teasing that Angel might return in some form or fashion.

Speaking on The Talk, Boreanaz said, “We’re coming up on 20 years. I mean, that’s amazing to have been blessed with a show like that and that’s where I really started my gig in this acting world. I love that character. So, I will say there may be something coming up. I don’t want to give away a lot. I can say, it’s 20 years coming up this fall and we may have something in the works.”

Of course, that doesn’t give all that much away, but it does give fans of Angel something to cling on to. Could we get a reunion of sorts for the Angel cast? Could we get a one-off return episode? Could it be a cast get-together much like the original Buffy cast did?

As ever, expect more on this if and when it develops any further.

Disney Bringing Back Lucasfilm Games

X-Wing Alliance

Well, this is certainly all kinds of intriguing. Yes, as the headline suggests, Lucasfilm Games is making a return.

For those unfamiliar with Lucasfilm Games, that was the gaming house formerly known as LucasArts; a gaming house that sadly came to a close once Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2013. Courtesy of PCGamesN, however, the House of Mouse is now looking to restart that gaming label.

To get to the specifics, Disney isn’t actually bringing LucasArts back, per se. Instead, this new division will be working under the Lucasfilm Games name. Already, Disney is putting the feelers out for talent to come and work on such video games. This marks Disney’s first real foray into the world of video games since Disney Infinity was shut down in 2016.

Of course, LucastArts was so often driven by the Star Wars brand, although the video game license for all things Star Wars is currently at Electronic Arts. While that restricts things in terms of new Star Wars games, it’s believed Lucasfilm Games could strike a deal to revisit old favourites such as Jedi Knight, Knight of the Old Republic, Tie Fighter and The Force Unleashed.

While Star Wars was clearly a popular element of LucasArts, there was a lot more to it than merely games set in a galaxy far, far away. One other big property for the division was the stunning Monkey Island franchise, not to mention Maniac Mansion, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, Indiana Jones and a whole lot more.

Disney has yet to publicly comment on Lucasfilm Games just yet, although it’s believed that all of this will be made official at either Star Wars Celebration, E3 or D23.

Expect more on all of this as we get it.

Complete List of 2019 STARBURST Fantasy Awards Winners

This past weekend saw the 2019 edition of the STARBURST International Film Festival take place at MediaCityUK, and boy was it a weekend to remember.

In amongst the madness feature films and shorts played across three rooms over the Friday and Saturday, with genre icons Lloyd Kaufman (and his good wife The Commish, of course!) and Luigi Cozzi on hand to take in an event brimming with positivity, with likeminded souls, that had some seriously talented people showcasing their work, and that, yes, had a well-positioned bar to hand.

As is always the case with the STARBURST International Film Festival, the event came to a close with the famed STARBURST Fantasy Awards in which the highly coveted (don’t let us see those on eBay!) Roboto statues were up for grabs.

With five features and 17 shorts in consideration for the STARBURST Fantasy Awards, the winners were:

Best Screenplay: Robert Duncan (Revenant Relocation Officers)

Best Short: Terminal (director Cal O’Connell, writer Max Gee)

Best Director: Lawrie Brewster (Automata)

Best Performance: Scarlett Rayner (Indweller)

Best Feature: Clickbait (directors Michael J. Epstein & Sophia Cacciola, writers Jeremy Long & Michael J. Epstein)

Independents Day Award: David Gilbank

Hall of Fame Award: Lloyd Kaufman

Seriously, we try not to toot our horn too much here at Moonbase Alpha, but what a weekend that was. On behalf of the STARBURST team, we would like to extend a huge thank you to everybody who attended the STARBURST International Film Festival. For the readers of our magazine, thank you for your continued and passionate support. For the filmmakers and talent who attended or submitted content, thank you for providing such a ridiculously high quality of films and shorts for us all to enjoy. For the crew who helped make sure that the event went off without a hitch (something that still feels weird saying…), thank you for being nothing short of flawless and fantastic.

Now while we enjoy the fallout of the 2019 STARBURST International Film Festival, that’s not to say we’re going to be resting on our laurels. Oh no, we’ll be back again in 2020 and we’ll be tasked with somehow topping what was the quintessential genre weekend for independent film. Again, we thank you all for making this weekend so special, and we hope to see you again next year.

Florence Pugh in Talks for BLACK WIDOW

Florence Pugh

With Marvel Studios now finally at work on a solo movie for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, now comes word on a possibly new addition for the film.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, Fighting with My Family’s Florence Pugh has entered early talks to play a rival of Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. It’s not confirmed, but speculation has this rival character pegged as Yelena Belova. In the comics, Yelena is a complete equal of Widow’s but has slightly different morals.

To be directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow is believed to be a prequel movie of sorts set before Natasha made her MCU debut in Iron Man 2.

As ever, expect more on Black Widow as we get it.

Netflix Developing Live-Action WARRIOR NUN Series

Warrior Nun

Well, this could be all kinds of cool.

Yes, as the headline suggests, Netflix is developing a live-action Warrior Nun series. And not only that, but the show has already begun to amass its cast.

Via Deadline, Netflix is adapting Ben Dunn’s Warrior Nun Areala comic and has brought in Leviano’s Alba Baptista to headline the series. Baptista will be playing Ava, the 19-year-old orphan who is drafted into the Order of the Cruciform Sword to battle the demons that roam the Earth.

Baptista will be joined in Warrior Nun by Toya Turner as veteran Order member Shotgun Mary, Tristan Ulloa as Order leader Father Vincent, Thekla Reuten as tech-savvy Jillian Salvius, Kristina Tonteri-Young as Order strategist Young Sister Beatrice, Lorena Andrea as the cocky Sister Lilith, and Emilio Sakraya as criminal head honcho JC.

Continuum and Bad Blood’s Simon Barry is on writing and executive producer duties for Warrior Nun.

Expect more on this latest comic book adaptation as it continues to develop.

Talks Ongoing for SLIDERS Return

Sliders

Could the Sliders TV series be returning? Crazier things have happened…

The source of these new rumblings of the old favourite returning to the small screen is actually Sliders star John Rhys-Davies. Speaking at Toronto Comicon (as reported by Flickering Myth), Rhys-Davies revealed talks have taken place about tentatively reviving Sliders.

As Davies explained, “Jerry [O’Connell] had been pestering me for a number of years and we’re actually talking to NBC at the moment to see if there’s any possibility of rebooting the series. They’re looking into the basic question of who actually owns it. At the moment, we don’t seem to be able to find that out.”

The Lords of the Rings star added, “I would do it again, if just to show how it should be done. It could have been the best show on television, it could still be on the air. I think maybe if we got another chance at doing it with the new technology, but also new stories, I think we could do something quite extraordinary. I wouldn’t want to do it for the rest of my life, but I would do it for a season or two if it was right.”

Starring Jerry O’Connell and John Rhys-Davies, Sliders originally ran from 1995 to 2000, focussing on a group of travellers who use a wormhole to traverse between parallel dimensions.

As ever, expect more on all of this if and when it develops further.