Tom Hanks’ long-awaited and oft-delayed sci-fi animated series Electric City will debut on Yahoo in four minute segments.

When all is said and done approximately twenty episodes of the show will debut online and each will premiere in the spring.

According to the Associate Press the show deals with an apparently peaceful city in a post-apocalyptic world that is dealing with relevant social issues that affect us today.

According to Yahoo’s head of original programming:

“On the surface, the Electric City is utopia and under the surface, Electric City is secrets and heavy-handed state control,” and  ”This is perfect for a lean-forward audience who likes to utilize the medium of the Internet.”

The Tom Hanks produced sci-fi series is the first scripted original programming to arrive at Yahoo. In the past the company has worked to secure mostly reality series and news summaries however they recently built a New York based studio in the hopes of extending their offered content.

Along with working on the project for several years Hanks will provide the voice for one of the characters.

Yahoo will make the new series available both online and through tablet based devices.

Will you be tuning in to see what Tom Hanks has in store for fans of the sci-fi genre?

Tom Hanks Sci-Fi Series ‘Electric City’ To Debut On Yahoo is a post from: The Inquisitr

Like many actors before him, it appears that Bradley Cooper is looking to branch out into screenwriting and, if he gets his wish, directing as well. In an interview on Charlie Rose earlier this week, the actor revealed that he was recently hired to write a screenplay for a film adaptation Hyperion, a Hugo Award-winning science fantasy novel from author Dan Simmons.

“[We] went to [producer] Graham King, who own the rights to Hyperion, and we wrote a treatment on spec,” he revealed. “I said, ‘I know this is a very audacious endeavor, but can you just read this spec we wrote? I think we have a way in to tell the story.’ So now we’re negotiating to write the script for it.”

Cooper, a cinephile at heart, hopes that landing the writing gig will help land him a role as director, a role that he states in the interview to be his “true passion.” While he would love to direct the film adaptation of Hyperion, he admits that it’s not very likely that he’ll be able to sit in the director’s chair for this film. Considering that the movie hasn’t been formally announced, however, nothing is set in stone at the moment.

To watch the interview with Charlie Rose in question, head over to this link where Cooper also talks about filming The Hangover: Part II.

Via Huffington Post

Bradley Cooper Picks Up ‘Hyperion’ Screenwriting Gig; Wants to Direct? is a post from: The Inquisitr

The notion of “deleting” bad memories has been somewhat of a pop-culture wishlist staple for a long time, and was a huge plot point in the Jim Carrey/Kate Winslet film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

In partially encouraging, partially terrifying news, scientists have identified a protein kinase in marine snails that could one day be instrumental in erasing bad memories from our recall, sparing the trauma of reliving the upsetting moments:

Scientists found they could erase long-term memories in the snails by inhibiting the activity of a specific protein kinase called PKM —molecules that chemically modify proteins.

“I think we will be able to alter memories someday to reduce the trauma from our brains,” said the study’s senior author, David Glanzman, a UCLA professor of integrative biology and physiology and of neurobiology.

It may seem that snail memories are far less complex than those of humans, but Glanzman says the similarities indicate promise in similar human circumstances:

“Almost all the processes that are involved in memory in the snail also have been shown to be involved in memory in the brains of mammals,” Glanzman said.

The study was published in the April 27th issue of Journal of Neuroscience.

Study: ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ could become reality is a post from: The Inquisitr

I’ve shared a few really great short films created by unknown film makers here at The Inquisitr and I am adding to that list today with this fantastic 15 minute short film by Polish FX artist Grzegorz ‘Greg’ Jonkajtya.

The film is definitely a dystopian look at a future where we all require some sort of bio-mechanical augmentation in order to survive. So grab a coffee and enjoy.

The 3rd Letter from grzegorz jonkajtys on Vimeo.

via FirstShowing.net

[Short Film] A dystopian film that is worth your 15 minutes is a post from: The Inquisitr

We’ve brought you many really cool cakes in the past but today’s collection is definitely for those geeks needing a sweet tooth infusion. From science fiction to fantasy or even just showing off geek love we bring you another collection of awesome cakes.

via Robot vs Badger

9 awesome cakes to sweeten a geek’s heart is a post from: The Inquisitr

I first started hearing about the Sucker Punch movie about six months ago and my first reaction was meh. Then the one trailer came out and I started to like it a little (well a lot) more.

Now the crew at FirstShowing.net have posted a brand new trailer for the movie and I have firmly placed myself in the I gotta see this one camp.

The very basic premise of the movie is that a young girl finds herself locked up in an insane asylum for her own good but then she finds out that in five days her uncle is going to have her lobotimized. As this is happening she begins to image an alternative reality where she can go to in order to escape the pain; and this is where is starts to get really cool.

Sucker Punch looks awesome enough to sucker punch you is a post from: The Inquisitr

I remember going to see the first Tron movie and loving every second of it. It has to be one of the best geekie sci-fi films made. That is until now, and what better replacement than its own sequel. Here is the second full length trailer that has just made its way onto the web.

And ya, even though it’s 3D I’m still really excited in seeing Tron Legacy.

via the team at FirstShowing.net

OMG I actually getting stoked for a movie – The Tron Legacy trailer is a post from: The Inquisitr

I realize we aren’t even close to the end of the year yet but that hasn’t stopped Sci Fi Wire from pulling together a list of 20 anticipated science fiction movies for 2011. Personally I think they are pulling at straws to get even twenty and some of their picks don’t even come close to making it onto my radar. So I’m going to rework their list a little bit and come up with my own – from least excitable to the one I can’t wait for.

At number 20: The Green Hornet.

Now granted I am only going by the trailer that I have seen of it but I definitely think this belongs at the bottom of any list and is destined for a Raspberry Award.

Number 19: Transformers 3.

Can we please just declare this one dead and buried. Please.

Number 18: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Okay to be honest this one was a toss up for 19 or even 20 but I figured if I ranked it that low no amount of garlic would save me from the hoards of brain dead fans of the movie. Sorry but jeez instead of gagging me with that silver spoon just stab my eyes out so I don’t have t o see anymore about this movie.

Number 17: Rise of the Apes

Please God no. The original was great in its time but enough already regardless of whether they are calling it a prequel or not.

Number 16: Red Riding Hood

Seriously?!?! Man we really are getting desperate.

Number 15: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part II

Enough already. Hasn’t Harry gone through puberty yet and gone on to better things – like Jersey Shore?

Number 14: Immortals

Okay I realize t hat Mickey is on a roll but enough with the mythology crap already. Clash of the Titans should have been enough of a warning.

Number 13: Real Steel

Should have left the robots in the junk pile. C’mon Hugh baby you can do better than this.

Number 12: The Thing

Yet another prequel – and we know how those things work out. Now if it was the Swamp Thing it might be a different story. Ah Adrienne how we miss you.

Number 11: Cowboys & Aliens

I don’t care if it is Jon “Can Do No Wrong” Favreau directing this it still isn’t going to end.

Number 10: The Night Chronicles: Devil

Hmm .. a group of people stuck in an elevator and one of them is the Devil. How do you think this is going to end up .. me, I’m not all that sure about it.

Number 9: Contagion

Sorry but this sounds like a re-make of Andromeda Strain but with a cast like Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow it might have potential.

Number 8: I am Number Four

Okay we have a bunch of hunted aliens hiding out on Earth from their otherworld bad guys that want to kill them. Eh, it might be alright.

Numbere 7: Sucker Punch

It’s definitely a plot that can make one go – WTH?!? but with Zack Snyder directing it could prove to be very interesting.

Number 6: Super 8

Okay this one is already getting a lot of hype and given that it is a JJ Abrams project and involves escaping aliens I expect that it will do really well. It’s just not my cup of tea.

Number 5: X-Men – First Class

What can I say I am an X-Men fan and I am truly hoping that they manage to rescue the franchise from oblivion with this effort.

Number 4: Captain America

Well on the next three I match up with Sci Fi Wire’s list as this is where they also had the highly anticipated Captain America. There is probably more riding on the success of this movie that most people might realize as it is one of the linchpins of Marvel’s future movie aspirations with the Avengers.

Number 3: Thor

Okay I admit it I am a Thor fan and I am really hoping that they pull this movie off. It could lead to a whole new off-shoot of super hero movies which could be a lot of fun (but then I also have a lot of hope for Dr. Strange).

Number 2: Green Lantern

What can you say other than Please Don’t Suck!

Number 1: Battle Los Angeles

This could be a 2011 action movie dark horse. Almost a Halo but not so far in the future and happening on your street corner.

top image courtesy of Sci Fi Wire

Hopes already flying high for sci-fi movies coming in 2011 is a post from: The Inquisitr

There are definitely some talented people out there and with the increasing availability of affordable was to film, make music or even author a book or two we are seeing more and more of these people coming to the foreground. In film especially we are seeing filmmakers creating theater quality short films that in some cases are leading into full feature films.

I wrote about one such filmmaker before by the name of Federico Alvarez who has gone on to sign a $30 million movie deal and now we have Ricardo de Montreuil, a Peruvian filmmaker, who made a short film called The Raven for $5,000. After watching the short I am really hoping that he to will really get some attention and get the chance to create a full length feature based on the short film. I really want to see it.

An incredible sci-fi short film made for $5,000 is a post from: The Inquisitr

And when I say “A-list,” I REALLY DO MEAN, uh, “B-list.” But B-list is okay, because Mass Effect 2 still boasts a greater range of famous, accomplished actors than 99.9% of videogames can muster.

Martin Sheen is probably the biggest and most excellent newcomer – he’ll star as the Illusive Man in BioWare’s science-fiction epic for Xbox 360 and PC. There’ll also be speaking parts for Tricia Helfer and Michael Hogan from Battlestar Galactica (the new Normandy and Captain Bailey, respectively).

Then there’s Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin from NBC’s Chuck, and Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Michael “Worf” Dorn as Gatatog Uvenk. House of Saddam star Shohreh Aghdashloo joins in the fun, while The Matrix‘s Carrie-Anne Moss plays a crime lord who rules an entire planet. A couple of stars also return from the first game, including Seth Green (as Joker), and The Chronicles of Riddick‘s Keith David (as Admiral David Anderson).

Will any of them top Liam Neeson’s memorable performance in Fallout 3? [Via press release]

Mass Effect 2 voice cast packed with A-list stars is a post from: The Inquisitr

I came across this great sci-fi movie short over at the Quiet Earth blog via a post by Alex Billington at FirstShowing.net. Now Alex isn’t all that hot over the video that has been getting a lot of web-play since being dropped on the web but I thought it was really cool and wanted to share.

It should also be mentioned that the director of this little gem, Federico Alvarez, has just signed a movie deal worth $30 to $40 million with Ghost House Picture for a script yet to be written. Who says good things can’t happen to people with imagination eh.

One of the best sci-fi short movies yet [VIDEO] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A series of “Google doodles” and cryptic tweets by the geeks at Google set the internet off on one of its favorite pastimes, speculating and concocting wacky theories.

Crop circles, strange geographic coordinates, a decoded “all your base are belong to us” message fueled discussion and guesses as to what Google was marking or hinting at with the seemingly connected elements. Last night, Google finally gave users the answer, and I’m not sure it’s one anyone would have guessed- H.G. Wells 143rd birthday.

Herbert George Wells was a prolific sci-fi author, with notable works such as The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Google expressed delight at the flurry of debate and interest in the logo change, and on their blog, explained the choice to honor Wells on the internet’s most trafficked webpage:

Inspiration for innovation in technology and design can come from lots of places; we wanted to celebrate H.G. Wells as an author who encouraged fantastical thinking about what is possible, on this planet and beyond. And maybe have some fun while we were doing it.

The invasion of the logo by alien crafts and pods makes our series complete, but you’ll have to read the book to find out how Wells’ story really ends.

Google explains logo mystery, just in time for 143rd birthday of H.G. Wells is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Sci-Fi channel is remaking 80s television series Alien Nation.

The original series (which was loosely based on the movie of the same name) aired on Fox for one season in 1988-89 before being cut due to funding issues. The series was popular though, and a number of made for television specials were produced during the 1990′s.

Fox 21 head Chris Carlisle (Fox is producing the show) told Variety that he believed Alien Nation could be the next big franchise revival for Sci Fi. “It’s absolute perfect timing for this type of show,” Carlisle said. “They’re looking for more grounded sci-fi and close-ended episodes, and at the heart of ‘Alien Nation,’ it’s a cop movie. It’s grounded. And it has a tremendous amount of dramatic possibilities and humor.”

Today’s 80s remake is presented by Alien Nation is a post from: The Inquisitr

The latest spin-off in the Stargate franchise, Stargate Universe started filming in February, and Sci-Fi has released the first teaser video for the series.

Lou Diamond Phillips (Colonel Telford) says in the promo that it’s “real stories and real people with real concerns”, that will be “sexier and grittier” than previous Stargate series. Ming-Na (Camille Wray) says “We have really dramatic turns with these characters and having audience really root for them and feel for them.” The series also stars Robert Caryle and Brain J. Smith.

A date hasn’t been set for the show’s premier, but is scheduled for the northern autumn (fall.)

First look at Stargate Universe is a post from: The Inquisitr

There are all kinds of people who would consider themselves to be die-hard fans of everything Star Trek, even though others might have different words used to describe them. They go to all the Star Trek conferences decked out in their best Star Trek clothes. They can probably recite every line from every show. They will get into heated battles over which was the best series and just how much of an idiot Shatner is and Picard is the best USS Enterprise captain bar none.

However they all pale in comparison to Tony Alleyne. Not happy with just wearing the best Star Trek costume around he also has turned his apartment in Hinckley, Leicestershire England into the coolest homage to Star Trek. As you can see from the photo above and the ones below he hasn’t missed a trick.

[hat tip to My Modern Metropolis]

This is what you call a serious Star Trek addiction is a post from: The Inquisitr

The change of name was defended by network president Dave Howe in a statement.

“It gives us a unique word and it gives us the opportunities to imbue it with the values and the perception that we want it to have…It made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip, which was kind of bang-on what we wanted to achieve communication-wise,” he continued.

Hip to be square? I’m going to be sick. Imagine Greater as a tag line? WTF?

Naturally fans aren’t all that amused. THR has a rundown of some of the criticism here.

Sci Fi Channel changing its name to Syfy is a post from: The Inquisitr