Rumor Roundup:

LOTR-Return of the King: Spy Reports over at The One Ring.Net is reporting info on details of the upcoming film.  'Destined to be even more incident-packed than The Two Towers, The Return of the King will see Frodo and Sam battle the giant CGI spider Shelob and Aragorn travel the Paths of the Dead in an attempt to forge an army capable of vanquishing Sauron's hordes. And as Andy Serkis reveals, the third film will provide audiences with a chance to see how Smeagol became Gollum. "You see me on-screen transformed into Gollum once he kills his best mate Deagol," enthuses the actor. "You see this whole descent into madness."'

Star Wars III: Chewie to return! Uncle George's official STAR WARS website has informed fans that another classic character from EPISODES IV - V will be appearing in EPISODE III. Chewbacca the Wookiee, the 200-year-old co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, will make an appearance in this final chapter of the prequels. The role will again be played by the man who originated the part, Peter Mayhew. "I'm delighted to return as Chewbacca," Mayhew was quoted as saying on Lucasfilm's website. "I think his re-appearance in this film is a fitting way to tie the whole saga together, especially for Wookiee fans." Also confirmed for EPISODE III were Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Kenny Baker as R2-D2.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The rumor first appeared last week on Dark Horizons that 20th Century Fox changed the title of THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN to simply THE LEAGUE. A day later the Horizons story was shot down by a source speaking with IGN FilmForce who said the title of the film hasn't changed. Technically, that's right but the promotional strategy for the film has been altered. Speaking on the promise of anonymity, one of Coming Attractions' sources said that Fox will no longer be promoting the film as THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN; instead, the studio will be pushing (yup, you guessed it) THE LEAGUE as the buzz for the masses. The studio will still be using LXG in some cases to promote the film but otherwise it will be known as THE LEAGUE.

24: Check out the 24 sounds page over at Is It On Yet. Lots of great .wavs from the show. Here are the TV GUIDE previews for the upcoming episodes!

April 29th episode: 4:00 AM-5:00 AM.

Tony and Chappelle face off over the chip, the status of which Jack reports to Palmer, whose earlier actions regarding the bomb come to bear in a meeting with his cabinet; Kim is returned to the scene of a crime after speaking with Jack.

May 6th episode: 5:00 AM-6:00 AM.

Backdoor dealings, back stabbings and an actual stabbing convolute matters in this piercing hour, as Jack comes face-to-face with a pair of key players. One can prove the Cyprus recording is a fake; the other knows enough to blow the entire case wide open. But both begin to question their mutual trust when Jack tries to play each against the other. Meanwhile, a shakedown at CTU puts Jack's quest to rest once staffers are informed of a major shake-up in DC; Tony learns he has something in common with Palmer, who lobbies for an ally and talks with a turncoat; and Jack encourages Kim to put a definitive end to the source of her problems.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: There's a weird story coming out of Australia this morning that actress-turned-pop
singer Holly Valance is in discussions to take over Sarah Michelle Gellar's role in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. The report originated in the Daily Star newspaper and has been picked up by News.com.au, an Aussie-based online news service. According to the Star, an unnamed source at UPN told the paper that Valance had been approached and was interested in inheriting the Slayerhood from Gellar's character. Trying to determine if this is fanboy speculation or spin from someone in Valance's camp to heat up her buzz, News.com.au contacted a representative from Valance's record company, WEA London Records. "We are waiting to hear from the people who make BUFFY" said the rep. "I do not know anything about Holly taking over."

King Kong: Peter Jackson's next project after he wraps up the DVD version of Return of the King, due out next summer, will be another remake of the classic King Kong.

Matrix 2 and 3: Matrix 2 has been moved up a day to be released on May 14 with 10pm shows. Also, both films will be released in IMAX format - Matrix 2 will be released a few weeks after the opening, and Matrix 3 will be released in IMAX format on the same day as its theatrical release, November 5th, an industry first.

Reviews and Rumors: 24. Angel and Enterprise

Angel: review to come, and info on possible renewal for next season.
Spike and Giles to join Angel cast? The gossip around the Mutant Enemy campfire is that the characters of Spike and Giles from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER may be winding up on ANGEL next season. According to reports first published this week at the Dark Horizons website, actor James Marsters told attendees last weekend at a convention that there was the possibility of him joining the cast of ANGEL after this year's final season of BUFFY was complete.

Enterprise:As ENTERPRISE continues warping ahead to its second season finale, new details are emerging about the last episode of the season -- and how it will alter the course of the series. "The Expanse", as the episode is known, has the Enterprise returning to Earth after a devastating attack from a new alien species leaves millions dead on the home planet. The NX-01 is then diverted to a region of space known as the Delphic Expanse to pursue the enemy. The Expanse is a region of space that even the Vulcans wish to avoid. The episode is set to have lasting reprocussions with the show's premise and with its cast of characters. "We'll be dealing with a different group of aliens, [and] we're going to be dealing with some new, non-Starfleet people coming on the ship to add a little muscle for the potentially violent situations our crew will be coming up against," explained series co-creator Rick Berman to Sci-Fi Wire. For at least the first part of the third season the starship will remain in the Expanse. No details have emerged about who the new secondary characters are but it is known that the Vulcan Subcommander T'Pol will have to make a decision whether to remain on the Earth vessel or depart back to her own people.As well, the attack on Earth will affect one of the show's seven primary characters more deeply than the others, as one of the victims will be somehow connected to them. The final episode of ENTERPRISE's second season is set to air May 21. There is also a persistant rumor that the Borg will make an appearance in an upcoming episode.

In the News:

Death Defying Dog - more news on the Dog that Cannot be Killed.