Geeks unite: 21-year old Scottish actress Karen Gillan has been chosen to become the next Doctor Who companion, according to BBC, who is also replacing the Doctor himself with 26-year old Matt Smith when the show returns next spring.
Gillan has starred on various shows like Rebus, Coming Up and the movie Stacked. Quite interestingly, she had a role as one of the chanting female soothsayers in last year’s ancient Rome-set Doctor Who episode “The Fires of Pompeii”.
Both she and Smith are relatively unknown actors who will now headline one of BBC’s most popular shows. The new season will be filmed starting this summer for release next year.
The Telegraph reports that David Tennant, the current Doctor, is in negotiations for a new film version of Doctor Who. The actor, who is currently only contracted for five more episodes, has reportedly agreed to reprise his role as the tenth Doctor in a full fifth season in 2010 if the big-screen role goes through.
BBC managers are currently seeking funding for the film, with outgoing producer Russell T. Davies revealing that he would like to see Catherine Zeta Jones to play the Doctor’s companion in the film.
Two films in the series have been made already – one in 1965 and the other in 1996.
The first part of the two-part season finale for Doctor Who will air in the UK this weekend, but TV previews for the episode are already online. Dubbed “The Stolen Earth”, the episode will feature all the previous companions since the show restarted back in 2005 – Rose Tyler, Donna Nable, Sarah Jane-Smith, Captain Jack Harkness and Martha Jones are all there, joining forces to fight off the rise of the new Dalek empire.
Chracters from Torchwood, Luke from “The Sarah Jane Chronicles”, former PM Harriet Jones, and various members of the Tyler, Jones and Noble families are also set to appear. Finally, Davros, the scientist who created the Daleks, will also appear in the episode, playing a key role.
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