Robert K. Weiss Chat at Scifi.com on December 03, 1999
Question: Is there anything we can do to help you with the movie?
RK Weiss: I appreciate the offer of help, but there really is nothing to do at this
early stage of development. I am fashioning a story that would be satisfying to old and
new fans... nothing to do but sit tight and wait for the vortex to open up.
Question: When do you think production will begin, if you've planned that out
thus far?
RK Weiss: Best guess would be optimistically late 2000-early 2001
Question: Who owns the publishing rights to Sliders at the moment Your company
or Universal?
RK Weiss: Almighty Universal
Question: In the movie, would you want to use any of the original actors or
chatacters?
RK Weiss: Yes.
Question: Which season of Sliders will this movie most resemble?
RK Weiss: Season 1.75 :-)
Question: What is the procedure/cost of obtaining a Sliders "right to
use" license from Universal?
RK Weiss: Uni has a fully staffed licensing dept. Can't discuss rights/costs here.
Question: Have you decided for sure whether this will be a feature,
straight-to-video or made-for-TV?
RK Weiss: Theatrical Feature app 2000 theater release.
Question: When you do start the movie, where would you pick up?
RK Weiss: Great question. One of the big issues I'm wrestling with... [We] must do
exposition for those new to Sliders without boring those already familiar. The trick is to
layer it appropriately so that exposition is interesting, then move forward with story.
Question: What's the average actor salary for a project like this?
RK Weiss: I don't usually discuss salaries publicly. Actors are paid based on their
experience, talent, size of budget, etc... different pay scale than TV.
Question: What are the chances of a Sliders spin-off down the line? And would
you listen to any fan ideas, if they went through an agent?
RK Weiss: I am not considering any spinoff notions as I am concentrating on [the]
feature.
Question: How do you feel about the cancellation of the show?
RK Weiss: Mixed... I'm sorry for the fans but it enables theatrical film
possibilities.
Question: Have any cast members shown interest in the movie?
RK Weiss: Have not discussed with cast members yet. It's too early in the process.
Question: How is Tracy Tormé to work with?
RK Weiss: Tracy is great. We had a lot of fun.
Question: Are you planning on resolving issues like which Professor slid or
right Earth Prime etc.? Or is that not an issue at the moment?
RK Weiss: There are questions arising out of the series that would be fun to
answer. But that is hard in the context of a single film. Also won't necessarily work with
movie goer who hasn't seen series.
Question: How do you feel about Sliders in its present form?
RK Weiss: I want to do some retrofitting for the movie.
Question: Which did you prefer: Fox or Sci-Fi, and why?
RK Weiss: Hmmm, a loaded question. Each had benefits. Fox spent the money to launch
a novel show. SciFi spent the money to keep it on. I am grateful to each.
Question: Do you ever visit the on-line sites of sliders? If you do what do you
think of things?
RK Weiss: Very occassionally and not recently. What I have seen i like. I know
there's a creative story site, but i don't go there to protect my interests.
Question: Was there ever a plan for Logan St. Clare (Quinn's female double) to
reappear? A second episode with her scripted or planned? If so, what's the short on what
the story would have been?
RK Weiss: Don't know. [I] was not involved with later convolutions of the
characters/story. I like St. Clare as a name though.
Question: Have you thought about making a St. Clare productions site?
RK Weiss: No I haven't. I am no longer active in St. Clare. My partners have
continued to use the name and keep the company going.
Question: Why the change of look for the Kromaggs?
RK Weiss: I don't know. There ahve been a lot of changes or revised rules or looks
that i thought were ill advised and some downright irresponsible. But that's just my
opinion on the show.
Question: What's your favorite Sliders episode? And the Pilot doesn't count!
Everyone loves that one!
RK Weiss: Thanks. The pilot was a labor of love. I wish the show still had the
comic and cross cultural touches we tried to do in the pilot and the first season. As for
my favorite episode, I can't pick one or even two...let's just say I prefer the earlier
seasons.
Question: Did you or Tracy at the beginning ever think or dream Sliders would
back so popular?
RK Weiss: We did dream that it would be this popular. When I originally conceived
of the show, I was trying to design a concept that would last a 100 shows. To do that,
you've got to be good and popular.
Question: Are the Kromaggs going to be in the movie?
RK Weiss: Don't know about the Kromaggs. What do y'all think?
Question: What about bringing back characters like Bennish for the movie?
RK Weiss: Loved Bennish. A character like him or him very very possible.
Question: What were your original intentions regarding the Quinn and Wade
relationship?
RK Weiss: We were trying to set up some ongoing romantic tension between the
characters and twist it around on the different Earths. Comment: I think the type
of stuff you were doing in the first seasons is the important part...intelligent alternate
history with nice twists and comedy, like the Judge Wapner thing and People's
Court...priceless!
RK Weiss: Yes, like the Wapner thing!
Question: What did you thik of the first cast change wherein John Rhys-Davies
left?
RK Weiss: I was very sorry to see John go. I loved his character.
Question: Any hopes to get Rhys-Davies in the movie?
RK Weiss: I'm not telling... :-)
Question: Do you feel that a good possibility exists that this movie will start
a series of movies or a spin-off TV series?
RK Weiss: It's possible. It's a natural for sequels. As for more TV, we'll have to
see.
Question: Is the script completely written, what's the next step you have to
take?
RK Weiss: We are in story development stage. Once that's done we try and set the
powers that be to Slide with us.
Question: What are the chances that you will team up with Tracy again on this
movie?
RK Weiss: I'd like to. We have to synchronize our schedules.
Question: How much research into science aspects of sliding did you or tracy do
before start of show?
RK Weiss: I was already interested in the "new" physics. Things like the
Einstein Podolsky bridge were an innate part of the concept... the ERP bridge.
Question: Were there other character designs left on the drawing board? Were
there any characters changes before filming the pilot?
RK Weiss: The story was originally set in a boarding house with some other folks.
Question: Can you expand on the boarding house early story?
RK Weiss: Not in this forum. But there were more characters who lived there and got
sucked into the original slide. Too many to service.
Question: Are you going to try and have a "happy ending" or are you
going to leave it open for possible sequels?
RK Weiss: I don't know about a "happy" ending, but it will be both
satisfying and tantalizing vis a vis sequels.
Question: Where did you get the idea of a timer?
RK Weiss: The timer was born of the need to have a dramatic ticking clock in each
episode [to] naturally move the story along. Thank you all... Keep Sliding. Let's do it
again some time.