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Japanese TV shows that inspired 'Power Rangers' are coming to YouTube
Many millennials grew up watching Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and the similar shows that followed in its popularity, but they most likely have never seen the source material from Japan that was used to create the action-heavy battle scenes. TOEI -- the studio behind many of those shows -- wants to change that. The company will upload subtitled versions of classic special effects shows to its new YouTube channel, TOEI Tokusatsu World Official, starting on April 6th. The channel will feature tokusatsu -- sci-fi shows that rely on miniature models, special effects shots and over-the-top costumes -- that were adapted by western studios, such as Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and Space Cop Gavan, as well as other classics like National Kid and Combattler V.
Sci-fi series 'Altered Carbon' returns to Netflix on February 27th
Netflix's Emmy-nominated sci-fi saga Altered Carbon is returning for a second season, two years after the first batch of episodes. You won't have to wait much longer to delve back into its dystopian cyberpunk world, as season two hits Netflix February 27th.
The 'Stargate' streaming service is closing shop and moving to YouTube
After less than two years in operation, Stargate Command, the sci-fi series' official streaming service and fan hub, is shutting down at the end of the year. It's not a total loss though; original shows like Dialing Home and Recon will be available for free on YouTube in 2020. Stargate aficionados are sure to be disappointed by the news, but this seemed like a weird pull from the beginning. Even a dedicated Star Trek streaming service sounds dubious, despite Star Trek having a far broader audience.
‘The Orville’ will return for a third season on Fox
The adventures of the USS Orville will continue, as Fox has renewed The Orville for a third season. Seth MacFarlane's show concerns the crew of the eponymous spaceship, as it explores the depths of space. The show's second season was not a ratings winner, and viewing numbers dwindled as time went on. But, Fox's close relationship with MacFarlane, and a hefty tax credit from the state of California, made a third season a cheaper proposition.
The anime adaptation of mobile game 'Ingress' is now on Netflix
More than a year ago, we were told Niantic, Inc. was working on an Ingress: The Animation streaming series. Today, the anime show, a sci-fi adventure thriller, is available on Netflix, and you can watch the trailer below.
Watch the trailer for George R. R. Martin's new sci-fi horror show
Game of Thrones is one of the most beloved, watched and pirated TV shows in recent history, but it's not the only George R. R. Martin tale being adapted for the small screen. The author's sci-fi horror novella Nightflyers was first published in 1980 before being turned into a movie later that decade, and now a new TV adaptation airing this fall on Syfy in the US and Netflix in other regions. A brief teaser for the show's first, ten-episode season caught our attention a few months ago, and now we have a full trailer that debuted at this year's San Diego Comic-Con to sink our teeth into.
Joss Whedon returns to TV with HBO’s sci-fi drama, 'The Nevers'
Joss Whedon's next show has been ordered by HBO, which reportedly beat out other bidders including Netflix, per The Hollywood Reporter. The Nevers is a science fiction drama about a group of Victorian women with unusual abilities who have to fight enemies and complete their world-changing mission -- in other words, typical Whedon fare. He will write, direct, executive produce and serve as showrunner. At this point, there's no release date.
Sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison dies at 84
Sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison has died at 84. Ellison, who was an author of novellas and short stories, wrote for shows including Star Trek, Babylon 5, The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. He passed away in his sleep early Thursday.
'Halo' is actually, really, finally coming to TV
It's happening. The Halo television show that Microsoft and Steven Spielberg have been talking about for five years is actually heading into production in early 2019. The show's working title is simply Halo and details about the plot are scarce, though it'll feature the franchise's classic storyline about a futuristic war between the human race and enemy aliens known as the Covenant. Showtime has ordered a 10-episode season of Halo, and episodes are set to be one hour long.
‘Babylon 5’ is great, so why does it look so bad?
When the histories of this golden age of television are written, they will likely begin with The Sopranos. But that would be a mistake because the template a lot of modern-day TV copies was instead created by Babylon 5. A decade before The Wire would be hailed as a "novel for television," B5 was a hyper-serialized grand story that was conceived as a single five-year epic.
PS4 exclusive 'Detroit' is a flawed depiction of race in America
Detroit: Become Human begins with a warning: "This is not a story, this is our future." Writer-director David Cage's follow-up to Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls weaves a tale about robots attempting to transcend their programming. But rather being a thoughtful, philosophical examination of consciousness, Detroit, instead, is a tone-deaf look at race.
Amazon Prime lands futuristic love story ‘Zoe’
Sundance film festival darling Drake Doremus' futuristic love story, Zoe, is one of the more anticipated titles of the year. The director of Like Crazy, Douchebag and Breathe In will premier his eighth film on Saturday as the Tribeca Film Festival's headlining title. According to Deadline, Amazon has acquired the exclusive rights to the movie, and will bring it to Prime Video this summer.
Amazon is turning William Gibson’s ‘The Peripheral’ into a series
It's about time we got a serious attempt at adapting William Gibson's work to the small screen. With the success of Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon and Philip K Dick's The Man In The High Castle, streaming studios with an eye on originals can only benefit from Gibson's seminal take on the future. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, the creative team behind HBO's Westworld reboot, are taking on The Peripheral, Gibson's 2014 sci-fi thriller, for Amazon Studios.
First look at SyFy's 'Nightflyers' is equal parts 'Aliens' and 'Psycho'
If you're getting a little antsy waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish the next book in his Game of Thrones series, you can always turn to another television project based on one of his older books. Instead of dragons, however, this one has spaceships. Nightflyers, based on Martin's novella of the same name, is a 10-part, sci-fi-flavored horror series that's set to launch on SyFy later this Fall.
The original 'Dead Space' is free... on EA Origin
Beloved horror survival game Dead Space is now available completely free on PC. The 2008 sci-fi hit is the newest addition to EA's "On the House" offering, and as long as you grab it directly from Origin it's yours without charge, to play and keep forever. That said, it's not clear how long the promotion will run for, so you should probably download it sooner rather than later.
Get a glimpse of Netflix's latest sci-fi movie, 'Mute'
February will hopefully be rewarding for sci-fi fans who subscribe to Netflix. In addition to Altered Carbon's debut this week, later in the month we'll finally get a peek at director Duncan Jones' Mute. The movie has been floating around for about as long as Jones has been a filmmaker (he previously directed Moon, Source Code and Warcraft), and now we finally have a look at it. The movie follows a mute bartender caught up in a jam, and features as much neon, mustachioed Paul Rudd and as many flying cars as you'd hope. If this was enough to stoke your curiosity, the movie premieres February 23rd.
Apple signs ‘Battlestar Galactica’ developer for new space drama
Apple has ordered yet another TV series to add to its growing list of star-backed original productions. The company signed network sci-fi luminary Ronald D. Moore, veteran of several Star Trek series and developer of the Battlestar Galactica reboot, to create a completely new space drama. The show will explore what would have happened if the space race between the United States, Soviet Russia and the rest of the world hadn't ended.
‘Altered Carbon,’ Netflix’s answer to ‘Blade Runner,’ debuts in February
Looking for something to sate your Blade Runner appetite until this year's 2049 hits Blu-ray? Then take a look at the first trailer for Netflix's upcoming sci-fi serial Altered Carbon. The quick look has it all: grimy retro-futuristic flying cars, lots of rain, at least one trench coat and a neon-drenched market scene. As far as actual story goes, the series is based on Richard K. Morgan's books of the same name and follows protagonist Takeshi Kovacs as he investigates a murder. The twist? Human consciousness has been digitized and Kovacs was dead for a few centuries prior to being resurrected to take the case. Yeah.
'Star Trek: Discovery' season one resumes January 7th
Star Trek: Discovery is doing pretty well, it seems, with CBS All Access bringing in record numbers of subscribers. In fact, the network has given the go-ahead for a second season of the latest Star Trek series. According to a report over at Deadline, CBS has set a premiere date for the second half of the first season, unofficially known as "Chapter 2," with the tenth episode, "Despite Yourself" to air on January 7th of next year, with a Season One finale set for February 11th.
Netflix film 'Tau' will feature an evil smart house
Netflix's sci-fi offering just got better, following the announcement that it's acquired the global rights (excluding China) to Tau, the directorial debut of Marvel animatics supervisor Federico D'Alessandro. Having worked on the likes of Doctor Strange, Ant-Man and Avengers: Age of Ultron, D'Alessandro's first foray into directing tells the story of a former street grifter named Julia (played by Maika Monroe) who is kidnapped by sadistic Alex (Ed Skrein) and held captive by an advanced artificial intelligence named Tau. In a classic tale of man versus machine, Julia needs to outsmart Tau in order to escape the same grizzly end that befell her predecessors. Gary Oldman makes an appearance, too.
