Thursday, October 3, 2002

BIRDS OF PREY UPDATE

The WB has released seven images from "Slick," the second episode of the new Birds of Prey series.

Here's how The WB describes the episode, which is set to air on The WB on Wednesday, Oct. 16:

"Slick (guest star Silas Weir Mitchell), an evil meta-human who can turn from solid to liquid, is hired by Dr. Quinn (Mia Sara) to kill the honest cops who stand in her way. When Reese (Shemar Moore) is the next intended victim, Helena (Ashley Scott) comes to his aid and their mutual attraction continues to grow. Meanwhile, Barbara (Dina Meyer) believes Dinah's (Rachel Skarsten) story that she's just a runaway, but Helena remains suspicious."

Michael Katelman directed the episode, which was written by Laeta Kalogridis and Melissa Rosenberg.

Click on the thumbnails for larger images from the episode.

SMALLVILLE UPDATE

The WB has released three images from "Red," the first episode of Smallville written by Jeph Loeb.

The images above show Clark (Tom Welling) and Lana (Kristin Kreuk) in what Loeb told The Continuum will be a memorable episode.

Here's how The WB describes the episode:

"The school unknowingly uses red kryptonite in the class rings and its effect on Clark stuns his friends and family as he turns into a rebellious and dangerous teenager who decides to use his powers for evil instead of good. Jonathan (John Schneider) and Martha (Annette O'Toole) scramble to find the truth behind Clark's behavior before he exposes his true identity, while Lana finds herself drawn to the 'new' Clark who declares his love for her."

"Red" is scheduled to air on The WB on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Look for more on "Red" soon here in The Continuum.

In other Smallville news:

* "Heat," the second episode of the second season that aired on Tuesday, trailed only last week's season premiere in adults 18-34 (4.8 rating/14 share) and men 18-49 (4.3/11) among all shows ever broadcast on The WB. Its men 18-34 rating (4.9/14) was third-best-ever for the network, trailing its own two season premieres.

Smallville was also No. 1 for the night in men 18-34 (4.9/14), men 12-34 (5.1/15), teens (5.2/17) and male teens (5.7/17). The super series was also #2 in its time period in women 18-34 (4.7/13), women 12-34 (4.7/14) and #3 in adults 18-49 (4.0/10) and men 18-49 (4.3/11).

For the night, The WB was #1 in adults 18-34, persons 12-34, women 12-34, teens, female teens and male teens.

* The WB has released new gallery images of the cast of Smallville. Click on the thumbnails for larger images.

X-MEN: EVOLUTION ON DVD

The first DVD from the X-Men: Evolution animated series will arrive in stores next spring before the X-Men 2 movie reaches theaters, Marvel Studios' Craig Kyle told The Continuum.

The DVD, from Warner Home Video, follows two VHS tapes with episodes from the first season. The DVD, however, will feature the first five episodes from the second season of the Kids' WB! animated series.

Those episodes are "Growing Pains (originally aired Sept. 29, 2001), "Bada-Bing Bada-Boom!" (originally aired Oct. 6, 2001), "Power Surge" (originally aired Oct. 13, 2002); "Fun and Games" (originally aired Oct. 20, 2001), and "Beast of Bayville" (originally aired Oct. 27, 2001).

The episodes introduced the New Mutants, including Boom-Boom, to Xavier Institute, as well featuring the first appearances of Beast and Aracde.

Three the episodes on the DVD - "Growing Pains," "Bada-Bing, Bada-Boom!" and "Power Surge" - will be in their first-cut versions. After the events of Sept. 11, those three episodes of X-Men: Evolution were edited for content.

"The network - with good reason - wanted to be mindful of what was being shown to a young audience," Kyle said. "Now, you can see the episodes as they were originally intended."

Kyle and the creators of X-Men: Evolution appeared at a comics convention in Los Angeles on Sunday, where the cut scenes were shown for the first time. Include was a key moment in "Growing Pains" dealing with Kitty and Lance.

Kyle said the as-yet-untitled DVD could be the first in a series of take-homes.

"These are really strong episodes, and I think sales will justify more DVDs," Kyle said. "Bottom line, we want to get all of the episodes on DVD."

Look for more X-Men: Evolution news, including comments and images from the X-Men panel at last weekend's comic convention in Los Angeles, on Friday here in The Continuum.

DC COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For four-page previews and covers to DC Comics titles arriving in stores next week, CLICK HERE.

Titles include Adventures of Superman #609, Fables #6, Gen13 #2, Green Lantern #155, Harley Quinn #25, JLA #73, Point Blank #3 and StormWatch: Team Achilles #4.

IMAGE COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For four-page previews and covers to Image Comics titles arriving in stores next week, CLICK HERE.

Titles include Powers #24, Bastard Samurai #3 and Tomb Raider vs. Darkness Special.

JEMEMIAH RENEWED FOR SECOND SEASON

Showtime Networks has renewed Jeremiah for a second season with 15 additional episodes and has added Sean Astin to the cast.

Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner return in the lead roles for Jeremiah, which will go into production Oct. 23 and will now be produced and aired in high definition television.

The series from MGM is created for television by J. Michael Straczynski, creator and executive producer of Babylon 5. It has been an important part of the Sci-Fridays line-up on Showtime along with the network's other new series Odyssey 5.

Straczynski will serve as showrunner and executive producer for the second season, alongside Grant Rosenberg who has produced and written for The Outer Limits and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

In the new season, Astin, known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will play a quirky colorful character named Mr. Smith, who will partner with Warner's character, Kurdy. Together they will go out on the road to help forge new alliances that will help in the rebuilding of their nation.

The series is set in a future post-apocalyptic world where, almost a decade before, a deadly virus wiped out the world's adult population sparing only those who hadn't reached puberty. Now, the oldest survivors of the "Big Death" are trying to survive and create a civilization out of the chaos that ensued after the adults died, and with them much of society's collective wisdom.

During the first season, Jeremiah was hoping to locate a mysterious place called Valhalla, which his father claimed might hold some hope for the survivors, but this personal quest was redirected when he met up with Kurdy and they discovered a group of highly organized survivors at Thunder Mountain who wanted to enlist them to orchestrate peace among the warring factions and to try and prevent the killer virus from returning. As the second season opens, Jeremiah has been separated from Kurdy in the aftermath of a struggle with forces from the Valhalla Sector. He is being held in captivity and is about to be reunited with his father -- a mysterious figure who holds the answers to many secrets about Jeremiah's world.

Jeremiah is based on Platinum Studios' comic book-to-film adaptation from the comic book by Belgian author Hermann Huppen. The series is being produced by Jeremiah Productions Inc. in association with Lion's Gate Television and Platinum Studios and will be distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.

Executive producers also include Perry, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and Ervin Rustemagic. Showtime creative executive is John Vasey. For MGM, the creative executive is Craig Roessler.

MARVEL/UNIVERSAL DEALS

Marvel Studios has announced a finalized agreement with Universal Pictures for films based on Sub-Mariner and Prime.

"With the masterful job currently being done on The Hulk, Universal Pictures has proven to us that it has the vision and creativity to bring our super heroes to the big screen in grand fashion," said Avi Arad, CEO, Marvel Studios.

"Sub-Mariner and Prime are two characters that have incredible stories. Sub-Mariner will be an epic underwater tale of majestic fantasy. Prime is a complete departure from the standard super hero story. With this film we are developing what we think will be Marvel's first super hero action-comedy."

Development of Sub-Mariner is underway. David Self, the screenwriter of Road To Perdition, is bringing Marvel's amphibious hero to the screen and will also executive produce. Arad and Kevin Misher are producing the film, with Kevin Feige and Stan Lee also serving as executive producers.

Don Calame and Chris Conroy are writing Prime, which will be produced by Arad and Chuck Gordon. The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Stan Lee and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg.

FIRST LOOK: FREEMIND #1

Freemind #1 will be published in November from Future Comics. The issue is written by David Michelinie, pencilled by Dick Giordano, inked and co-plotted by Bob Layton and colored by Miguel Insignares, with a cover by Giordano and Layton.

Here's how Future describes the issue:

"The mind of a genius-in the body of an android-with the power of a god! The Origin of Freemind begins in this first part of a three-issue epic. When the handicapped genius, McKinsey Flint, devises a method to escape the confines of his wheelchair, the initial experiment yields unexpected and dangerous results."

Freemind #1 will have 28 pages of art and story and will cost $3.50.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

BRIEFLY