This is the news for June 24 from Nan Dibble and Helpers' Network Hotline for fans of Beauty and the Beast. To contact me by e-mail, post to ndibble@fuse.net. To stop (or to begin) receiving updates as e-mail, notify me at the above e-mail address. To reach me by phone (evenings/weekends), call (513) 961-4813.The Helpers’ Network website is at http://home.fuse.net/helpnet.

Counting down to convention! Whee! Hope I’ll get the chance to see many of you in Vincent’s home town (as well as mine)….

From the Sci-Fi Wire on Wednesday, June 20, a small glimpse of Ron working on his new picture, Blade 2:

Schulze Sharpens Blade 2

Matt Schulze, who plays a vampire named Chupa in the upcoming Blade 2, told SCI FI Wire that the sequel to 1999's hit Blade features villains that are even worse than bloodsuckers. "I'm the leader of this Vietnam kind of crew that gets hired," he said in an interview. "Five people--me, Ron Perlman and a couple other actors--go in to kill these reapers. A reaper is this half-ghost, devil type creature that has the ability to fly. You have to see it. The story is that they've captured Prague. I'm fighting with Blade because I don't like his leadership, so I'm a rebel in that sense, but I'm actually a good guy in the whole element of the picture."

Chupa gets in on a lot of action scenes, including a martial-arts battle with 20 reapers and a scene where Schulze said Chupa beats Kris Kristofferson's character, Whistler, to death. That makes two deaths for Whistler in as many Blade movies.

Though there is wirework in the film, Schulze did all of his fighting on the ground--either hand to hand or with guns. In one of the gun battles, Schulze said, "There's one scene that I have where I kill 150 people, and the whole place blows up, and it's $100,000 a shot, so it's just amazing." Blade 2 is tentatively set for a February 2002 release.

Also from the Sci-Fi Wire, news of a new project of another B&B person, coordinating producer and writer Alec Gansa:

9:00am ET, 11-June-01

Changes Stir Up Wolf Lake

John Leekley, creator and executive producer of CBS' upcoming SF drama series Wolf Lake, has stepped down, and Alex Gansa has come aboard as an executive producer and showrunner, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The trade paper offered no reason for the change at the series, which is due in the fall.

Rick Kellard also joins the show as an executive producer, and Toni Graphia (Roswell) will co-executive produce, the trade paper reported.
Meanwhile, Stacy Edwards has left the cast, leaving star Lou Diamond Phillips and cast members Tim Matheson and Graham Greene.

Sources told the trade paper that CBS has requested a tweaking of the Wolf pilot to ensure the sustainability of the series' plot line, and the new creative team is reportedly eyeing a new direction for the show. The pilot's main concept remains focused on a string of strange events in a small Northwest town that coincides with an influx of bizarrely behaving wolves in the area, the trade paper reported.

Here are the Sightings through Sunday, July 1.

Monday, June 25
5 a       Christian Clemenson, Tony Jay (Jonathan Gould, "Nor Iron Bars a Cage"; Paracelsus) in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.: Brisco for the Defense (TNT)
7 p       Ellen Geer (Mary) in JAG: the Guardian (TNT)

Tuesday, June 26
6:15 a    Ritch Brinkley (William) in Cabin Boy (ENC)
9 a       Jay Acovone in The Sentinel: Spare Parts (SCI)
5:05 p    Ritch Brinkley in Cabin Boy (ENC)

Wednesday, June 27
9 p       David Clennon ( Cullen, "Fever") in The Thing (SCI)
11 p      Fionnula Flanagan (Jessica) in Some Mother's Son (TMC)

Thursday, June 28
6 p       Joseph Campanella (Dr. Peter Alcott) in Walker, Texas Ranger: Rodeo (USA)
6:30 p    Tony Jay in Golden Girls: The Artist (LIF)
7:30 p    Roy Dotrice in The Scarlet Letter (MAX)
9 p       James Hong, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun (Chang, Dr. Wong, Henry Pei, "China Moon") in Big Trouble in Little China (MAX2)
12 m      Lance Henriksen in Stone Cold (STARZ)

Friday, June 29
5:35 a    Robert Pastorelli (Vic Ramos, "Everything Is Everything") in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (TMC)
9 a       Tony Jay in Golden Girls: The Artist (LIF)
1:45 p    Linda Hamilton in Silent Fall (TMC)
9 p       Robert Pastorelli in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (TMC)

Saturday, June 30
8 a       Lewis Smith (Diana's boyfriend, Mark) in The Heavenly Kid (COM)
7:15 p    Ron Perlman (voice) in Titan A E (HBO)

Sunday, July 1
10 a      Ron Perlman in The Trial of Old Drum (ANPLANET)
10:35 a   Roy Dotrice in Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (SHO)
1 a       Beauty and the Beast: No Way Down (ODY)

If it's news and has to do with Beauty and the Beast, please think of the Hotline and relay. We're all in this together, keeping the dream of Beauty and the Beast alive however we can. Beast wishes, be well, and goodbye.

ndibble@fuse.net
http://home.fuse.net/helpnet