Well with "Buffy" and "Angel" gone, Joss Whedon fans will be happy to know that at last the rumours are true - his defunct western/sci-fi "Firefly" series is coming to the big screen in movie format according to Variety.
Retitled "Serenity" to differ/space it from the show, Whedon confirms he will direct and all the original cast of the TV show are set to reprise their roles when filming begins in June for a 2005 release through Universal. The story will be set six months after the show when two passengers come onboard ship and cause trouble for the crew.
Whedon is quick to point out that the film is being designed primarily for audiences who haven't seen the show - "It was important that people understand that the movie isn't the series. The movie is bigger, more epic than anything you can do in a series. You're not going to bring people into a movie if you're explaining all the time what happened before".
The news ain't so cheerful for Disney's proposed "Antartica" project. For several weeks now it had put the Bruce Hendricks-directed film about explorers who must leave behind and the rescue their snow dogs, on the fast track for a start of shooting date sometime next month. Those plans however are now off.
Progress has officially been halted due to 'rising budget caused by logistical problems'.
Scheduled to film in the icy wastes of Greenland, the producers have suddenly found that a lot of the locations they had pegged for filming have gone from being snow-covered to blossoming in green.
Trouble is alternate shooting locations or expensive CG effects to hide the look caused a budget boost and whilst Hendricks and star Josh Duhamel are known, they're not true household names yet thus Disney ain't keen on spending more than they've already layed out.
Thus the likeliest option seems to be to delay filming til next Fall/Winter in a more affordable locale like Canada. Hendricks may not return though as that time he's expected to be heavily involved in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel(s). Thanks to 'KC'.
