Items marked with () come from reliable sources who document their facts. Items with () are rumors from outlets that don't name their sources. Items marked with () are opinions expressed by Comics2Film.

Now, Steve Younis of the Superman Homepage has learned the reasons behind the replacement. Going straight to the source, Younis spoke with Ettinger about the switch.

"They told me I was too young and pretty... which you would never guess from seeing how awful I looked in the pilot," joked Ettinger. The producer apparently felt that viewers would believe she could have a child the age of Tom Welling's Clark Kent.

Nevertheless, Ettinger is not bitter about the move. "I was disappointed that I was replaced," the actress told Younis. "However I think Annette O'Toole is a great actress and I think she will be perfect."

Cory tells us that the A-Channel is available in Mantioba, as well Alberta. He also says that the A-Channel has the show's premiere date scheduled before the U.S. premiere on the WB network.

Another reader, Keith, confirms the above. He also adds the following, "GlobalTV is not 'the national broadcaster' in Canada, it is one of several broadcasters and only the 3rd largest. Several local channels will be carrying Smallville, on schedule. Furthermore, most cable markets in Canada now include WB anyway so it really isn't an issue." 

So, it appears our neighbors to the North will be seeing Smallville at the same time as U.S. viewers, if not sooner.

Fans in Alberta are in luck, though. The A-Channel will start broadcasting the show on October 16th, the same as The WB network in the U.S.

Welling revealed to that site that he is completely unschooled in the Superman legacy. The actor said that he's never seen a Superman comic and did not make use of the background material on the character, provided by the network.

 I went into Smallville clear-minded," Welling said. He also stated that he based his performance solely on what was in the scripts.

Welling is also confident that the show will live up to expectations. "I think we've got a great show here. The scripts are solid. I think we've got enough quality and substance that I don't feel the pressure," the actor told Sci Fi. "Also, we're up here in Vancouver, so I'm separated from a lot of the hype. We're just going to do good work and, hopefully, that will speak for itself."

Craig Byrne's excellent KryptonSite posted the artwork for a new advertisement for the upcoming Smallville TV series. The new poster features an image from the pilot which finds series star Tom Welling with a red "S" painted on his bare chest.

KryptonSite also has the word on the creative talent behind episodes 4 and 5 of the show.

The fourth episode is called "Hothead."  It's  written by Greg Walker (The X-Files) and directed by Greg Beeman (Martial Law, Nash Bridges).

Episode 5 is titled "X-Ray."  Comic and movie scribe Mark Verheiden (Timecop) wrote this one. TV vet James Frawley (Ally McBeal, The Fugitive) is the director.

The show is set to make it's debut on The WB Network on October 16.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Mark Snow is providing the music for the upcoming Smallville TV show. Snow may be best known for his work on the X-Files TV show. 

"I'm expecting to do a mix of orchestral and modern-contemporary rhythms. There's going to be acoustic guitar and simple piano, an Americana folk element -- that intimate sound contrasting with the big sound when necessary. Plus, there are going to be a lot of songs geared to the WB's young audience. I don't think it's going to be eclectic; I think it's going to be more like Blink-182 and other contemporary bands. There are music supervisors who are in charge of selecting that music," Snow told The Reporter.

In other Smallville news, the WB network has given the show's website a makeover, and moved it. The redone site is much more extensive than what the network has posted previously. However, WB still seems to prefer an unwieldy URL to the SmallvilleTV.com domain they registered earlier in the year.

Thanks to KryptonSite for the leads.

Thanks to KryptonSite for the lead.

Craig Byrne's Kryptonsite.com has the latest news on the upcoming Smallville show. According to that site episode 2 of the show is called "Metamorphosis" and involves a nerdy bug collector with a crush on Lana. Episode 3 is entitled "Jitters" and features the return of Lex Luthor's father.

KryptonSite also directs fans to Zap2It.com. That site features several downloadable clips from the show, as well as interviews with the actors.

Krypton Site tells fans to watch for the series to premiere on the WB Network on October 16th this year.

Episode two of the show is called "Metamorphosis." It's written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and directed by David Nutter. The site offers an expanded description of the episode for those that don't mind spoilers.

Finally, Krypton Site directs fans to the WB's official Smallville Site for some new, online clips from the show.

Will this be confusing for fans? Nope, says KryptonSite.com. Reason being, O'Toole is set to reshoot the Martha scenes in the pilot. When the general public sees the run of the show, there will be no sign of Ettinger.

A quick look at the DC Comics display at Comic-Con gives fan a peek at some upcoming comic book TV projects.

The publisher's display had a new poster for the upcoming Justice League animated show for Cartoon Network. The image featured the magnificent seven line-up gathered around the Earth they defend.

Also from the Justice League was a maquette of Wonder Woman from the show. The small statue featured the redesigned Amazon princess standing in front of a placard featuring the entire team. Wonder Woman is the first of seven maquettes that will be available next year. The maquette goes on sale in March.

DC also hung a Smallville poster. The poster features young Clark Kent, Lana Lang and Lex Luthor.

Fans looking for a peek at the Smallville TV show can direct their browsers to Zap2It.com. The site is playing a 5 minute promo reel for the upcoming WB show which chronicles the life of young Clark Kent in his Kansas hometown.

The Hollywood Reporter  reports that Annette O'Toole will, indeed, play Martha Kent in the upcoming Smallville TV series. The casting had originally been reported by KryptonSite late last week, but was unconfirmed by official sources until now.

O'Toole has been part of the Superman mythos in the past, starring as Lana Lang in the Superman III movie. She replaces Cynthia Ettinger, who played Mrs. Kent in the Smallville pilot.

Is  Lana Lang Superman's mother? It could be according to KryptonSite, a website dedicated to the upcoming Smallville TV show. KryptonSite told Comics2Film that they've confirmed that there will be a cast change from the pilot of that show. Cynthia Ettinger, who plays Clark Kent's mother, Martha Kent, in the pilot will not resume the role for the regular run of the show.

KryptonSite could not confirm who will replace here. However, they are reporting a rumor that has Annette O'Toole up for the part. O'Toole does have a previous connection with the man of steel, having played Lana Lang in Superman III. 

However, the actress is already starring in USA Network's The Huntress, which may make it difficult to take on a supporting role in Smallville.

Michael Rosenbaum is the latest actor to bring Superman's nemesis to life. Rosenbaum told TV Guide that he's thrilled to be playing the smooth pated Lex Luthor in the upcoming TV show Smallville. Rosuenbaum plans to "reinvent Lex Luthor. Everyone knows he's evil. Now you'll see why," Rosenbaum said.

He's also pleased as punch that Smallville will not find Superman in costume. "That's cool. I just didn't want to do some superhero thing."

The WB is giving fans a brief look at the Smallville TV show on the official web page for the show. The site now features a short clip from the show. The scene opens with Moby's "Porcelain" and has Clark visiting Luthor at his Smallville mansion-home.

Thanks to Kryptonsite for the lead.

Before he gets typecast like Adam West, Lynda Carter and Dean Cain, Tom Welling wants to make one thing clear. "I'm not Superman," Welling tells TV Guide. "I'm Clark Kent, before he was Superman."

The young actor is slated to play young Clark Kent in The WB Network's upcoming series Smallville. The actor told TV Guide that he was initially reluctant to appear in the show for fear of being typecast early in his acting career. "But, then I read the script, and there's so much to it that I'm not worried. It's quality stuff," Welling said.

The stakes are high for the young actor on this high-profile TV show. The show was the subject of an intense bidding war between the WB network and Fox TV, the final outcome of which was a record-setting per-episode fee for a first year drama. It's been closely scrutinized by the genre press and is already the subject of many fan-sites on the internet. Welling, however, seems to be taking it in stride.

"I know that there is a lot of money and a lot of time and concern invested in this by the WB, but I think it's all worthwhile," Welling told TV Guide. "Why should I feel pressure? You only feel pressure if you don't think you can perform. I think this is going to perform."

Kristin Kreuk and Tom Welling

At this point the domain name SmallvilleTV.com, which is owned by Warner Bros., remains unused.

The WB network announced its fall schedule this week. The new Superman based TV show Smallville is on the schedule. The one-hour show will air on Tuesdays a 9pm, following Gilmore Girls at 8pm.

Smallville tells the story of a 15 year-old Clark Kent (played by Tom Welling) growing up in his Kansas home town. A teenage Lana Lange (Kristin Kreuk) and a 21 year old Lex Luthor ( Michael Rosenbaum) are also among the series regulars. The series deals with Clark coming to terms with his powers, his relationship with Luthor and the general weirdness surrounding Smallville since an meteor crash 15 years earlier.

Fox TV is expected to announce it's fall schedule on Thursday. Fans can keep their fingers crossed that Ball and Chain will be on it. The show is based on Scott Lobdell's comic of the same name. Dan Cortese and Sasha Alexander are set to star as a bickering married superhero team on the brink of divorce. Unfortunately, their powers only work when they're together.

A recent Variety article on the migration of the hit TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer contains some speculation that may be of interest to fans awaiting the Smallville TV show. Fans have probably heard that Buffy is moving from the WB network over to UPN.

The loss of the show leaves a hole in the Tuesday night WB schedule. Speculation is that Smallville may be just the thing to fill the 8-9pm hole. The show may have enough similarities, with it's teenage hero, to recapture the Buffy audience.

Fans interested in some insights in to the Smallville TV production can check out the Planet Krypton website. That site recently posted an interview with one of the show's creators and executive producers, Alfred Gough.

Gough commented on their take on the young Clark Kent character, which will emphasize the teenager over the superhero. "Unlike, say, Batman, Superman has always been the goody two shoes of super-heroes. We wanted our Clark Kent to have angst and edge, without losing the essence of who he grows up to be," Gough told Planet Krypton. " That’s why in the series Clark doesn’t wear the suit, doesn’t wear glasses and can’t fly."

Kal-El's arrival on Earth is also accompanied by a shower of Kryptonite, which figures in to the show's storyline. The otherworldly substance transforms Smallville from an ordinary rural community to something Gough describes as "'Twin Peaks'-like."

Gough also talks about the relationship between Kent and Lex Luthor. "It’s an intriguing relationship to play with because everyone knows where the story ends, but you’ve never really seen how it started out. I think it will be fun to watch."

The producer comments on the various actors and characters in the show. One interesting note is that they hope to include Lois Lane "somewhere down the road."

Checkout the extensive interview for even more details on Smallville.

Earlier this week we reported that the Smallville TV show was "set to go into production soon." Actually, it turns out "soon" happened about three weeks ago. Fabio2 of the Superheroes at the Movies site tells us that the show started production on March 1 with some initial filming done on the Warner Bros. lot. On March 8 the production then moved to British Columbia for the long haul. Thanks to Fabio2 for setting this right.

Internet domain names: are they indicators of future projects or just investments in cyber-real estate? As we do on a regular basis Comics2Film has done some checking for likely comic book movie domains. Here's what we found.

Warner Bros. has grabbed up SmallvilleTV.com. Quite obviously this would make a good home for a website promoting the Smallville TV show. The show recently completed casting and is set to go into production soon for a fall start.

We also found that GhostRiderMovie.com has been purchased by Miramax. Ghost Rider is currently in development with Crystal Sky Productions. In August of last year, Crystal Sky struck a deal with Dimension Films, the genre arm of Miramax to share in the development effort. The domain name was registered about the same time.

Meanwhile, Artisan has purchased a number of interesting domain names. We found IronFist-TheMovie.com registered to them. That movie is currently in development with Ray Park set to star.

The company has also registered ThePunisher-TheMovie.com and Punisher-TheMovie.com. These two are somewhat intriguing as The Punisher has previously been announced as a direct-to-video effort.

Similarly, Artisan owns Thor-TheMovie.com, Thor-Movie.com and ThorMovie.com. These are also somewhat puzzling. Thor was announced, and so far has only been talked about as a potential TV show. So one wonder's what the significance is, if any, of the movie themed domains. Does it signify a new direction for the Thor project or were these domains simply purchased early on to protect Artisan's options?

Although all of the aforementioned domains have been purchased, none of them are currently active. As fans may know, domain names are often purchased long before any websites are activated in order to protect the studios from domain squatters.

Thanks to Greg Dean Schmitz of Upcomingmovies.com for sending us down this road.

Steve Younis of the Fandom: Superman posted even more Smallville casting this week again citing "inside sources". 

According to the latest report and actor named Sam Jones III will be playing Pete Ross in the show. Jones is set to appear in two upcoming features, one of which is David Goyer's Zigzag with John Leguizamo and Wesley Snipes.

Also on board for Smallville is Cynthia Ettinger who will play Martha Kent. Ettinger has many screen credits and recently appeared in the TV movie Fail Safe.

Finally, rounding out the cast of regulars is Allison Mack. Mack will play Chloe Sullivan, a friend of Clark Ken and Pete. Sullivan's father runs the Luthor Corp. fertilizer plant the Lex Luthor has been exiled to Smallville to make profitable. Mack has appeared in the direct-to-video release Honey We Shrunk Ourselves.

Steve Younis of the Fandom: Superman website reports that two more roles have been cast in the upcoming Smallville TV series. According to the report Michael Rosenbaum has been cast in the role of young Lex Luthor.  Rosenbaum has appeared in the feature film Urban Legends and also had a lead role in the TV series Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane. Comic movie fans may also recognize his voice as Ghoul in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and Agent West in The Zeta Project.

Also said to be cast in the show is John Schneider of Dukes of Hazzard fame. Schneider is said to be playing the Johnathan Kent.

Both casting scoops are attributed to "an inside source."

Younis also reports that shooting is set to begin March 8th in Vancouver. The towns of Merritt and Cloverdale are said to be stand-ins for Smallville.

Director David Nutter recently spoke with Edward Gross of RetroVision about directing the pilot episode of the upcoming Smallville TV series. Nutter has worked on shows like The X-Files and Millennium and his credentials also include The Adventures of Superboy.

Nutter told Gross fans can expect Smallville to be fun and also surprising. "What I want to do with Smallville is do it in a way that’s hip; in a way that’s smart, in a way that’s fun and also do it in a way that is compelling storytelling," Nutter is quoted as saying. "The script is fantastic and I think it’s kick-ass, very smart, a lot of fun and very involving for the audience."

Nutter also described a quirky quality that  the show might have. "I think it’s a situation where, suffice to say, when the meteor shower hit Smallville, Clark Kent was not the only thing that landed," Nutter told Gross. " I don’t mean other people or other characters, but I think the meteor shower definitely made some odd things happen. Many odd and different things will blossom throughout the series."

Nutter said that the trademark Superman costume will not make an appearance in the pilot. It sounds as if there are no specific plans to use the costume in series, although it could always be introduced later. "Remember there are a lot of dramatic situations to explore," Nutter said. " Back in Smallville, Clark Kent was in love with Lana Lang and it was an unrequited love. There’s lots of those situations in the show that definitely involve the audience, as well as the relationship between Clark and Lex Luthor, who’s a bit older in this show."

Check out the complete interview for more of Nutter's remarks on the show.

Thanks to Dark Horizons for the lead.

Fandom's Smilin' Jack Ruby posted a pair of script reviews on comic book movie fare last  week. One review covers the pilot episode of Smallville while the other is the more intriguing Catwoman feature.

It's been over two years since we've heard anything about a Catwoman movie. One had been discussed after Michelle Pfeiffer's turn in Batman Returns but the project had seemed to have been permanently stalled. However, Ruby's review is of a new script dated November of 2000. The script is by Kate Kondell, who did an uncredited re-write on Valentine, revising a draft by Theresa Rebeck (Gossip). Denise Di Novi is named as a producer on the project.

The script sounds like a bizarre take on the character, which is only loosely connected to the big screen Batman. Ruby characterizes the script as being more Scooby Doo than Dark Knight. The character is not Selina Kyle, but a young orphan who is apparently inspired by the now-dead Kyle to take on a Robin-Hood-like role in Gotham City.

Likewise, Smallville does not adhere closely to the Superman storyline. Although Ruby seemed to enjoy the script, it does sound more like Roswell than Superboy. Check out Ruby's reviews for complete comments on both scripts.

In other Smallville news, today's Daily Variety confirms that Kristin Kreuk (Snow White) will play the part of Lana Lang in the show.

Steve Younis of Fandom: Superman reports that there's been additional casting in the upcoming Smallville TV show. According the his report, actress Kristin Kreuk will play Lana Lang in the show. Kruek has a few TV credits under her belt, including a starring from in the CBC TV series Edgemont and the title role in the upcoming ABC TV movie Snow White. No word was given as to the source of the news.

Last week newcomer Tom Welling was cast in the role of Clark Kent. Pictures of the model/actor were found on a website for a German modeling agency called Louisa Models.

Comics2Film spoke with a representative at Louisa who confirmed that their model is, in fact, the same actor who is cast in the show. This led to us getting into contact with Welling's publicist. We learned that Welling gained attention for Smallville due to a recurring role he has on the CBS hit show Judging Amy. Welling is also listed as having a recurring part in the "Untitled Judd Apatow Project".

An announcement in today's Hollywood Reporter indicates that the lead role in the Smallville TV show has been cast. An unknown actor by the name of Tom Welling will play the 15 year old Clark Kent in the show. 

The article indicates that networks are trying to step up production on shows in an effort to outrun the anticipated actor and writer strikes.

Last September the WB network announced that it was ordering up 13 episodes of a TV show featuring and teenage Superman. Comics2Film has uncovered some information about the characters that will occupy the show, and town, named Smallville. A source close to the project provided this background information for the main players:

Clark Kent is, of course, the main character in the show. Kent is depicted as a 15 year-old. Jonathan and Martha Kent found the boy at the crash site of a strange metallic craft. The 3 year old escapes the crash unharmed. As Clark's strength quickly grew, the Kents encouraged him to keep it a secret in order to avoid scrutiny by the authorities. In order to keep up the charade, Clark avoided sports and excelled in academics. At 15, new powers have started to emerge and it's a struggle for Clark to control them. The Kents have come clean about the boy's origins. Clark fears that he my be responsible for a string of weird occurrences that have plagued his small town since his arrival on Earth. Because he feels responsible, Clark uses his powers to stop these occurrences.

Lex Luthor is the 21 year-old son of Lionel Luthor the pesticide king of Metropolis. Lionel is a driven businessman who neglects his family. Lionel tries to connect with young Lex by including him on a business trip when the boy is nine years old. During the trip an accident causes Lex to lose all his hair. The guilt ridden Lionel tries to restore the boy's hair but fails. Instead he showers Lex with money and gifts, but eventually sends him off to boarding schools. An academic overachiever, Lex faced constant ridicule due to his baldness. Ridicule led to altercations, which had Lex bouncing from school to school. Eventually he graduated from Metropolis University at the top of his class. However, rather than taking Lex under his wing, the senior Luthor sends him to Smallville to turn a struggling fertilizer plant around. It's supposed to be a one-way ticket to failure but Lex vows to succeed and the take the corporation from his father.

Lex and Clark become friends after Clark saves his life. Clark looks at Lex as a big brother, while Lex feels Clark is a confidant. Neither can imagine that one day they'll be bitter enemies.

Lana Lang is Clark's 15 year-old love interest. Like Clark, she's an orphan, but she's overcome that by being outgoing. She's the most popular girl in school and dates the high school's star quarterback. Lana feels a closeness with Clark, but that's usually thwarted by his strange behavior. When Lex Luthor comes to town, Lana is intrigued by his big-city mystique which appeals to her desire to escape the confines of the small town.

A posting on the WizardWorld website indicates that Warner Bros has issued a casting call for the young Clark Kent show. The show is now referred to as Smallville. According to the write us, agents have been asked to refer actors for the roles of Ken and Lana Lang at age 16. Calls are also out for a 21-year-old Lex Luthor. David Nutter (Dark Angel) is set to direct the pilot from a script by producers Miles Millar and Alfred Gough.

Thanks to Joe Hendren for the lead.

A late breaking story from Daily Variety indicates that the WB network has ordered 13 episodes of a new Superman TV show to debut in the 2001-2002 season. The hour drama would detail the adventures of a 15 year old Clark Kent.

If this sounds a bit like the often rumored Bruce Wayne TV show, it should come as no surprise that the same producers are behind both projects. Michael Tollin and Brian Robbins are executive producers. Miles Millar and Alfred Gough (Shanghai Noon) have been tapped to write it.

According to the write-up, the series will track young Kent as he "comes to grips with his emerging superpowers." Lex Luthor and Lois Lane will figure into the show as well.

The article mentions that competition was hot between WB and the Fox network. WB won the day with the 13-episode commitment and what is said to be a record setting per-episode fee for a first-year drama.