Doctor Who Film & TV

And Yet... It May Happen: Our best information suggests that the Doctor Who film may indeed be announced as early as this summer. A major Hollywood studio has indeed optioned a script in conjunction with BBC Films, as has been confirmed to us through our sources. While any casting or other information is jumping the gun at best, Outpost Gallifrey can indeed confirm that a film project is now closer than it has ever been to fruition. We'll keep you posted.

Even More Film Rumors... Shot Down: Britain's Sunday Telegraph paper on January 21 leads off with an article "Dr Who spearheads BBC's Ј50m bid for film success" by writer Oliver Poole. Says the article: "A LAVISH dramatisation of the early years of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a feature-length updated version of Dr Who will be among the highlights of the BBC's multi-million bid to become a big player in the film industry, The Telegraph can reveal... David Thompson, the head of BBC films, confirmed rumours that there would be a Dr Who film, with a budget expected to be Ј40 million, and said that filming would start next year. He said: 'We are talking to a famous American director and hope to announce his name in the next few months. A British actor will definitely play the Doctor but we have not decided who yet.'" However, on January 25, SFX Magazine reports that a spokesperson for the BBC's "fledgling" film department says that these reports were "optimistic at best.... The Sunday Telegraph got it wrong." The spokesperson told SFX that plans for a film version have indeed been in development, but that there has been no further progress with them. We have also been told by a correspondent who works for BBC Worldwide that there is considerable belief within the BBC that the film project has stalled beyond hope of repair, and that it is seen as the sole obstacle to reestablishment of discussions over a possible return to television. We'll keep you posted with more details soon!