The global market leader in browser-based massively multiplayer online games (MMOG), Bigpoint, (http://www.bigpoint.com/) announced that the highly anticipated Battlestar Galactica Online browser-based MMOG will feature appearances by characters from the hit TV series in game.
Based upon the second season of the Syfy TV series, Battlestar Galactica Online’s story captures the struggle between humans and cylons. Key characters from the TV series will be included in the game to create a deeper connection to the storyline, provide quests and accentuate the dramatic tension that the series is known for delivering expertly.
“These characters brought to life the story and captured the imaginations of a whole new generation of Battlestar Galactica fans and we felt strongly that they needed to appear in the game,” explains Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. “Our goal is to create a deep connection to the mythology of Syfy series and by working with the producers, writers and actors, Bigpoint hopes to meet the expectations of the fans and allow them to write their own adventures through gameplay.”
Battlestar Galactica Online will feature the character likenesses of:
William “Admiral” Adama portrayed by Edward James Olmos
Number Six portrayed by Tricia Helfer
Kara “Starbuck” Thrace portrayed by Katee Sackhoff
Number Eight portrayed by Grace Park
Lee “Apollo” Adama portrayed by Jamie Bamber
Number One (John Cavil) portrayed by Dean Stockwell
Galen “Chief” Tyrol portrayed by Aaron Douglas
Number Two (Leoben Conoy) portrayed by Callum Keith Rennie
Heiko Hubertz will hold a keynote on Tuesday (August 17, 2010, 11:20am-12:10pm) at GDC Europe with the topic “Dominating Europe and North America (The keys to International Success with Online Games: Culturalization , Targeted Games and Understanding Local Players)”. Therein he’ll also go into the talents in BGO.
Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Star Trek) has signed on to reprise his role as Benji Dunn for Mission: Impossible 4.
THR reports that while the project has yet to be officially greenlit, director Brad Bird has been reading actors this week and production will likely begin in early September 2010.
Paramount Pictures signed Tom Cruise to reprise his role as Ethan Hunt in M:I-IV earlier this year, where he will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt.
Mission Impossible 4 is being developed for an announced December 16th 2011 release.
Paramount Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 and you can check it out below. ”Paranormal Activity 2″ is being directed by Tod Williams and is set for a October 22nd, 2010 release. If you want to keep up to date with all things on this film, be sure to check out their official website.
The Science Fiction Museum at Seattle’s Experience Music Project has announced a very special exhibit coming this October:
Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum (EMP|SFM) is proud to announce its latest exhibition, Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition. Organized by EMP|SFM and in partnership with Universal Cable Productions and Syfy, Battlestar Galactica features three stunning, full-size prop spaceships, iconic costumes, new exhibition films, music and other props from the original and reimagined series. Battlestar Galactica opens to the public Oct. 23, 2010 and runs through March 4, 2012 at EMP|SFM in Seattle.
“The museum is honored to be organizing the first exhibition devoted to both series,” said Brooks Peck, Curator of Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition. “Battlestar Galactica is one of those rare science fiction shows that appeals to a wide range of people because it combines high adventure with very personal drama. It explores what it means to be human, and has a lot of fun doing so.”
Opening weekend (Oct. 22-24, 2010) will include museum member and public events with some of Battlestar Galactica’s most popular personalities.
“Over its four season run on Syfy, Battlestar Galactica became an iconic series that not only entertained, but fulfilled the promise of all great science fiction. It provoked us into examining our world and ourselves through its politically-charged, socially-relevant, religious and technological themes,” said Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, Syfy, and Co-head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. “It is an honor for us to partner with EMP|SFM in this one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience BSG in an up-close and personal way.”
The exhibition will be presented in the Milestones Gallery on EMP’s third level. Battlestar Galactica will become a traveling exhibition in 2012 after its premiere at EMP|SFM.
About Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition:
Battlestar Galactica is an epic drama of interstellar proportions. The last vestiges of humanity flee a cybernetic Cylon horde, traversing the stars in search of the fabled promised land of Earth. The setting of Battlestar Galactica may be rife with spaceships and inhuman adversaries, but ultimately the show is a complex narrative about how we attempt to retain our humanity under desperate circumstances. The series acts as a science-fictional lens through which to examine difficult questions that we may encounter in our own lives.
Exhibition sections:
Creation of Battlestar Galactica Explores the genesis of the two versions of the show (1978 and 2003) and introduces the story and central conflicts.
The Search Focuses on one of the central elements of the shows, the human quest to find the lost colony of Earth. The Search is also a spiritual one, as the humans seek meaning in a dangerous galaxy and grapple with issues of religion, fate and freedom.
The Ships Three life-size spacecraft from the later series—two human and one Cylon— are the exhibition show stoppers. Concept art, storyboards, props and films complement the ships.
Humans and Cylons This section presents the major characters from the shows including: Commander Adama, Starbuck, Boomer, Number Six and the Imperious Leader. Costumes are featured, along with props and concept art.
Battlestar Galactica Online is coming to a Web browser near you this fall and the war between the humans and Cylons is far from over! Check out the trailer for the highly anticipated game below and be sure to swing by the official site at www.battlestar-galactica.bigpoint.com to register for updates!
As previously reported, the MMO (massively multiplayer online game) will debut on Syfy Channel’s site first, as a 30-day exclusive, and will use browser-based 3-D software Unity.
Though situated in a cross-platform Web browser, the game features full 3D graphics and sees players assuming the role of either humanity’s remnants or the Cylons.
As for gameplay, Battlestar Galactica Online will include tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based quests, which flesh out the game’s overarching storyline. The game will also feature assets taken directly from SyFy’s Emmy Award-winning TV show.
“‘Battlestar Galactica’ has a huge and passionate fan base,” CEO and Bigpoint founder Heiko Hubertz said. “We are proud to be able to publish such an internationally famous title as one of our online games. For the first time ever, we’re relying completely on Unity in order to offer our users fantastic game graphics right in their browsers.”
Battlestar Galactica Online is hardly SyFy’s only venture into the gaming market of late. In 2008, the television network announced a deal with Trion Worlds to develop massively multiplayer online games that integrate with its broadcasts. Last month, SyFy entered into a joint development deal with game-publishing heavyweight THQ that sees the two collaborating on adapting existing franchises and creating new properties for cross-media use.
Stephenie Meyer, creator of the ‘The Twlight Saga’, has announced that she will release a novella titled ‘The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner’ before the big screen adaptation of ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ hits theaters on June 30th, 2010.
‘Second Life of Bree Tanner’ is the riveting story of Bree Tanner, a newborn vampire first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the world she inhabits. The novella chronicles the newborn vampire army’s journey as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion. The character Bree not only features prominently in the book Eclipse, but in the upcoming movie from Summit Entertainment. “Stephenie was gracious enough to let me read a draft of the novella while we were prepping the movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” said Director David Slade. “I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it gave us great insight and inspired location choices and the tailoring of scenes. I think fans are going to love the fascinating details involved in the loves, fears and actions of an emerging vampire.”
“I’m as surprised as anyone about this novella,” said Stephenie Meyer. “When I began working on it in 2005, it was simply an exercise to help me examine the other side of Eclipse, which I was editing at the time. I thought it might end up as a short story that I could include on my website. Then, when work started on The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide, I thought the Guide would be a good fit for my Bree story. However, the story grew longer than I anticipated, until it was too long to fit into the Guide.”
The 192-page book will be released in a hardcover edition on June 5, with $1 from every purchase going to benefit the American Red Cross. It will also be available for free online at breetanner.com from June 7 to July 5.
Building on the success and brand awareness of the After Dark Horrorfest 8 Films To Die For ® brand, After Dark Films, in cooperation with Lionsgate and NBC Universal’s Syfy, has created a new series, After Dark Originals (ADO).
Tapping into the vast and innovative talent of directors and filmmakers from Horrorfest’s acquisitions over the past 4 years, After Dark has taken the horror festival concept to a higher level. After Dark Originals showcases eight new cutting edge horror films spanning the genre. The mission is to create high quality horror films that provide After Dark full control from script concept through final editing. The first installment of ADO includes Husk, Fertile Ground, Scream Of The Banshee, Prowl, The Task, Re-Kill, Seconds Apart and 51. Notable directors and writers include Brett Simmons, whose short film Husk took Sundance by storm several years ago, Steven C. Miller of Automaton Transfusion fame, and previous After Dark writer/director Adam Gierasch (Autopsy). All ADO films were shot in the US and Bulgaria.
“The writers and directors in our After Dark Originals line are outstanding. We are excited to showcase their work and to give a home to all this fresh young talent that we will continue to develop over time”, says After Dark Films owner and CEO, Courtney Solomon.
Currently seven of the eight films have been filmed and are in post-production. The eighth to slated to start production this month. All eight Originals will be released in Third Quarter 2010 with a new and innovative marketing and release strategy. Additionally, the second set of Originals has already been green lit and will start production in July 2010.
Battlestar Galactica Online is coming to a Web browser near you this fall. Bigpoint and Unity Technologies announced on Tuesday that Battlestar Galactica Onlinewill be released this Fall. The MMO (massively multiplayer online game) will debut on Syfy Channel’s site first, as a 30-day exclusive, and will use browser-based 3-D software Unity.
Though situated in a cross-platform Web browser, the game features full 3D graphics and sees players assuming the role of either humanity’s remnants or the Cylons.
As for gameplay, Battlestar Galactica Online will include tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based quests, which flesh out the game’s overarching storyline. The game will also feature assets taken directly from SyFy’s Emmy Award-winning TV show.
“‘Battlestar Galactica’ has a huge and passionate fan base,” CEO and Bigpoint founder Heiko Hubertz said. “We are proud to be able to publish such an internationally famous title as one of our online games. For the first time ever, we’re relying completely on Unity in order to offer our users fantastic game graphics right in their browsers.”
Battlestar Galactica Online is hardly SyFy’s only venture into the gaming market of late. In 2008, the television network announced a deal with Trion Worlds to develop massively multiplayer online games that integrate with its broadcasts. Last month, SyFy entered into a joint development deal with game-publishing heavyweight THQ that sees the two collaborating on adapting existing franchises and creating new properties for cross-media use.
Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Star Trek) has signed on to reprise his role as Benji Dunn for Mission: Impossible 4.
Stephenie Meyer
Building on the success and brand awareness of the After Dark Horrorfest 8 Films To Die For ® brand, After Dark Films, in cooperation with Lionsgate and NBC Universal’s Syfy, has created a new series, 
