Genre: Comedy/Science Fiction.
Studio:
Buena Vista.
Production Company:
Walt Disney Pictures/My Favorite Martian.
Project Phase: In the Can.
Who's In It:
Christopher Lloyd (Uncle Martin); Jeff Daniels (Tim O'Hara);
Elizabeth Hurley (Brace Channing); Daryl Hannah.
Who's Making It:
Donald Petrie (Director); Deanna Oliver, Sherri Stoner (Screenwriters); Jerry Leider,
Robert Sharpiro (Producers); Barry Bernardi (Executive
Producer); Dayrl Kass (Co-Producer); Amalgamated Dynamics (Special Creature Effects);
Phil Tippett Studios, Station X Studios (Special Visual Effects); Malcolm Campbell (Editor);
Hope Hanafin (Costume Designer); Sandy Veneziano (Production Designer); John Debney (Musical Score);
based on the 1960's television series My Favorite Martian.
Premise: Uncle Ray isn't really from Ohio -- he's from the north. Really far north...closer to the North Star.
Release Date: Early 1999.
Comments: Martians next-door. You'll never look at your neighbors the same way again.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
June 7, 1996... Rumors place Martin Short in the lead role of the Martian (played by Ray Walston in the original series.) [Scoop info sent in anonymously.]
May 18, 1997... Christopher Lloyd has been cast in the role of Uncle Martin, the friendly Martian who crashlands on Earth. Filming is scheduled to start in July. [Scoop sent in by Tommy Lyle, 'Han Solo', 'Fireball', 'jkaminski', 'widgett', Christian, Todd Dupler, 'duckyamuck' and anonymously.]
The new screenwriters are Deanna Oliver and Sherri Stoner, who also wrote Casper. Stoner was also a writer on Tiny Toons and was also the model for animators for either Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast or Arial in The Little Mermaid. [Trivia brought to you by 'duckyamuck'.]
June - July, 1997... The rest of the cast has now solidified. Lloyd's human companion will be Jeff Daniels in the role Bill Bixby had. Rounding out the cast will be the lovely and talented Elizabeth Hurley and Daryl Hannah. [Scoops sent in by these *really patient* people: 'Benny Blueblade', 'Nate', 'tabanger', 'Lillepus01', 'widgett', 'jkaminski', and ZENtertainment.]
Elizabeth Hurley's character will be called Brace Channing, and she'll be ab on-air news personality. [Submitted by Jeff and anonymously.]
July 27, 1997... Ray Walston, the original Martian, may be in the cast. [Sent in by 'widgett'; originally appeared in ZENtertainment.]
July 29, 1997... Sherri Stoner, one of the film's screenwriters, was also a writer/producer/voice talent on Animaniacs - she was Slappy Squirrel's voice. She also may have been the model and voice for Belle's character from Beauty and the Beast, though this scooper is unsure about that. [Mailed in by 'rervin'.]
August 4, 1997... To answer that last scoop's question, this scooper informs us that Sherri Stoner was indeed the model for both Belle and the Little Mermaid but she did not supply the voice for either. That should settle matters for now...barring Sherri's appearance on here. [Scoop handed in by 'Colin #5'.]
April 14, 1998... Phil Tippet Studios is providing CGI work for the Martian's 'alive', self-actuating 'alien' spacesuit. [Beamed from the second moon of Mars by 'Mr. Clark'.]
April 16, 1998... We're told Station X Studios, the company formed by the majority of Digital Domain's NT Group after finishing work on Titanic, is reportedly on board working on a large number of CGI shots. [Anonymous.]
July 28, 1998... Well that July 22nd release date came and went, didn't it? That's because Buena Vista has re-shuffled this picture's release into this coming winter. It'll now come out on December 22nd. [Thanks to our favorite 'Ralphie'.]
November 24, 1998... Now we're told that My Favorite Martian won't be coming out this Christmas after all. Our anonymous scooper tells us that Buena Vista never considered a December release date; instead the studio is favoring a first quarter '99 release, possibly one of the weekend between late February to mid March. Additional crew info also was given: Music's by John Debney, it's edited by Malcolm Campbell, the costumes were designed by Hope Hanafin, the Martian special effects were designed by Tom Woodruff and Alex Gillis, while the production designer is Sandy Veneziano and the DoP is Thomas Ackerman. What the wonders of a film's one-sheet will do for you and your favorite film page...Culled all this from a one-sheet someone sent me. [Anonymous.]