Alright, I know what you’re thinking: “but Jon, doesn’t SyFy already technically make films?” and in theory, you’re right. Every week, SyFy releases an “Original Movie” about mutated somethings or other (fish, crocodile, hamster, whatever), usually created by the lovely folks at Asylum.However, the network isn’t content with just saying they have “Original Movies”; instead, they want to make them and moreso, they want them in theaters.
Deadline reports that SyFy Ventures has teamed with Universal Pictures to create SyFy Films. SyFy Films will act as a genre arm for Universal, with the movies bearing the “SyFy” name but being distributed by the movie giant. With this joint venture, Universal hopes to tap into SyFy’s expertise in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Supernatural, and other genres that apparently they can’t do themselves. The plan calls for SyFy Films to release two movies a year by 2012, so logic dictates they are already hard at work at what the first release will be.
I’m not big on the SyFy Channel, but from what I’ve heard from super nerdy friends, the channel isn’t exactly a beacon for good sci-fi and all the other genres mentioned previously. Sure, Battlestar Galactica was great but that’s more of an exception than the rule. Still, if that means I get a movie about a hybrid of a crocodile and a puma on the big screen and with a real budget…I’m willing to give it a shot. Pumadile has box office gold written all over it.
Do you think SyFy should be making movies, or should they concentrate on sucking less as a TV station? Also, will you help me finance Pumadile?