Hollywood is always big on following trends. Thanks to the success of big-budget epics like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the new Star Trek reboot, and Avatar, fantasy and science-fiction movies are bigger than they've been in years. That means studios are putting the fast track on all sorts of new fantasy and sci-fi projects in an attempt to capitalize on the latest craze.
Just as we've done with our Ultimate Comics-to-Film and Ultimate Games-to-Film features, we've assembled a comprehensive guide to catch you up to speed on all the major fantasy and sci-fi films currently in development. From certain blockbusters like The Hobbit and Avatar 2 to interesting new players like Foundation, we bring together everything you need to know to get caught up on Hollywood's hot list. And keep checking back, as we'll be regularly updating this list as new information comes to light on these movies.
Avatar Trilogy
With no word to the contrary so far, we're assuming that the sequels will once again focus on the fully Na'vi-ified Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Ney'tiri (Zoe Saldana).
Pre-production has already begun on Avatar 2. In February we reported that the sequel will likely focus on a full-blown war between the Na'vi and the humans, and that a good chunk of the film might take place on a new alien world instead of Pandora. In a more recent interview, Cameron said he wanted to focus on Pandora's oceans and their diverse ecosystems.
All signs point to at least one of these sequels taking place on the oceanic world neighboring Pandora. This is supported by the news that Cameron is seeking to film scenes seven miles underwater in the remote Challenger Deep area of the Mariana Trench. With the project requiring a custom-built submersible, it's clear these sequels won't beany cheaper to produce than the notoriously expensive original.
However, producer John Landau recently downplayed the notion of an underwater Avatar adventure, saying, "Water will be a part of the movie, but it won't be all of the movie. There's been a lot of rumors that it's an underwater movie -- it's not. Just like [how] the floating mountains, and the Na'vi's interaction with the mountains, were a part of Avatar, it'll be the same type of thing." Landau also indicated Avatar 2 would most likely take place entirely on Pandora. Interestingly, despite the back-to-back schedule of the sequels, Landau said Avatar 2 won't be ending in a cliffhanger.
Don't be expecting these sequels anytime soon, however. A statement released by Cameron indicated he and Fox are shooting for December 2014 and December 2015 release dates, and both sequels will be shot back-to-back. Luckily, Cameron nixed the idea of directing Cleopatra or another different film before returning to Avatar. The next five years are going to be all focused on Pandora and its surrounding worlds.
Battlestar Galactica
The new BSG movie will be produced and potentially directed by X-Men's Bryan Singer, who attempted to reboot BSG as a TV project before Moore's series. The story will relaunch the original 1970s series' mythos on the big screen.
Two problems face this reboot. One – Singer is currently tied up with production for Jack the Giant Killer and producing X-Men: First Class. Two – no fresh news has crept out regarding the rpoject since late 2009. Is Battlestar still coming to the big screen after all?
Honestly, the only universe we BSG fans care to see in any medium is the one populated by by Almos' Adama and a female Starbuck. We'll complain about this project as we're buying tickets to see it, but we won't be frakin' happy about it. It's the Geek Way.
Blade Runner 2
The rumor mill for this project began in 2008, when it was reported that Eagle Eye screenwriter Travis Wright was reportedly working on a treatment for a sequel, possibly with Blade Runner co-executive producer Bud Yorkin. It's worth noting, however, that Yorkin doesn't own the rights to any sequel, original director Ridley Scott isn't involved, and anything Wright develops is outside the studio.
And then in 2009, Ridley Scott announced that his commercial company, RSA Films, was working on a project called Purefold, a series of 5-10 short films targeted for the Web as well as a possible TV release. No word on the final outcome of this proposed series, but the plans was to set it within the world of Blade Runner, and not include characters from the original film. Rather, it will expand upon the themes of the movie. So the sequel is still in limbo, but we hope that, should it ever happen, The Ridley will be involved on some level.
The Dark Tower
Fortunately, it sounds as if this trio has a firm plan on how to bring King's world to life in Hollywood. Javier Bardem is in talks to play the lead character, Roland. Pretty sure he will sign on the dotted line. And fans can expect the first movie to be released May 13th, 2013.
The Dark Tower will become both a trilogy of movies and a TV series in a partnership between Universal Studios and NBC Universal Television Entertainment. The outline for the project indicates that the first film will introduce Roland and his quest for the fabled Dark Tower. The first season of the TV show will continue where the first movie leaves off and lead into the second. The second TV season will offer an extended flashback to Roland's earlier years, adapting Marvel Comics' Dark Tower series as well as material from King's original novels. Finally, the third film will wrap up the story.
King has voiced his support for the project and its unique structure. "I always thought it would take more than a single movie, but I didn't see this solution coming — i.e., several movies and TV series," said King. "It was Ron [Howard] and Akiva [Goldsman]'s idea. Once it was raised, I thought at once it was the solution."
We're finally starting to hear word on casting choices. Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) is in final talks for the role of Roland. Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End) is rumored for the role of Susannah Dean.
Universal already set a date for the first Tower film – May 17, 2013. Logically, the first season of the TV series would follow a few months later and lead into the sequel in summer 2014. However, it remains to be seen whether that timeline is a realistic one for Universal. The first step is for the studio to select a director and cast. Dark Tower will clearly require a huge and lengthy commitment from all cast and crew involved.
District 9 Sequel
When discussing the possibility of a District 9 sequel recently, director Neill Blomkamp indicated he would be more interested in helming a prequel instead. According to Blomkamp, the prequel would cover the original arrival of the Prawn aliens in Johannesburg and the racial uproar that resulted. Beyond these hypothetical musings, Blomkamp hasn't committed to doing a new District 9 movie yet. He's currently beginning work on a separate sci-fi project called Elysium. That means any upcoming District 9 projects are on the back burner for now.
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