Walter Koenig ("Chekov") will be a special guest at the 2006 Comic-Con being held July 20-23 at the San Diego Convention Center, to help celebrate Star Trek's 40th anniversary at the huge genre event. In addition, a panel called "Star Trek: Year 41 and Counting" has been added to the schedule. That panel will include Trek authors and former art department personnel Michael and Denise Okuda, who will talk about the upcoming Christie's auction. In addition, representatives from Pocket Books, CBS Consumer Products, STARTREK.COM and others will share information about ongoing activities and future plans to keep the Trek franchise alive.

The panel will take place Friday, July 21, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (subject to change). The time of Koenig's appearance has not yet been announced.

As previously reported, Nichelle Nichols will be present at Comic-Con on Saturday, July 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., to promote new action figures from Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles. Once the convention has posted its schedule, we will bring you a full preview of Trek-related activities and speakers at Comic-Con. In the meantime, stay tuned to www.comic-con.org for updates.

Takei Named Grand Marshal of Chicago Pride Parade

Next Sunday, June 25, George Takei ("Sulu") will be in Chicago to serve as Grand Marshal of the 37th Annual Pride Parade there. He was named in recognition of his recent activism on behalf of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Takei and partner Brad Altman will ride in the front vehicle of the parade, which kicks off at 12:00 noon from the corner of Halsted & Belmont. Last year the Chicago pride parade attracted almost 450,000 spectators. For more information visit www.chicagopridecalendar.org.

Nichols Plays Madam in Action-Comedy

Filming wrapped Wednesday in Nevada on "Lady Magdalene's" in which Nichelle Nichols ("Uhura") plays the title role. Nichols is also listed as executive producer, and involved in creating the movie's original songs. The low-budget feature is co-produced by Sky Douglas Conway, head of PlanetXpo and producer of the "Roddenberry on Patrol" short film.

The movie's website describes the story thusly: "In this action comedy, an IRS agent on loan to the Federal Air Marshal Service is relieved of field duty after insulting a powerful U.S. Senator, and finds himself exiled to a humiliating desk job in Nevada as the federal receiver managing a legal brothel in tax default, where — with the help of the brothel Madam, Lady Magdalene — he uncovers an Al-Qaeda plot to unload a nuclear-bomb-sized crate at Hoover Dam."

The film is scheduled to premiere September 25 at the High Desert International Film Festival in Pahrump, Nevada, where much of the action was shot. Visit www.ladymagdalenes.com for more info.

Other Showbiz News: Logan, Flanagan, Madsen, Plummer, etc.

A script by John Logan — who wrote "Star Trek Nemesis" — is being put on the fast track by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks with Tim Burton attached to direct. The project is "Sweeney Todd," which Logan adapted for the screen from the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical. Reportedly Burton is talking to — who else? — Johnny Depp to star.

With a title appropriate to Star Trek, "Slipstream" — a surreal comedy written and directed by Sir Anthony Hopkins — has added Fionnula Flanagan ("Juliana Tainer," "Enina Tandro," "V'Lar") to its cast. The movie, which began filming Monday, stars Christian Slater, who made a cameo in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country."

A computer-animated family comedy called "Happily N'Ever After" with voices by Wallace Shawn ("Grand Nagus Zek") and Andy Dick ("EMH-2" in "Message in a Bottle") has been picked up for distribution by Lionsgate. Expected to premiere next February, the film is a satirical retelling of the classic Cinderella story.

An upcoming Comedy Central series featuring Sarah Silverman ("Rain Robinson" in "Future's End") has been delayed due to executive changes on the show. Originally scheduled to premiere in August, The Sarah Silverman Programme has been bumped to either late this year or early 2007. In the half-hour scripted comedy, Silverman plays herself, dealing with life through comedy and song.

Virginia Madsen ("Kellin" in "Unforgettable") will serve as an honorary festival chair — along with Harrison Ford, Christina Applegate and others — for the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival, taking place June 22 to July 2. Madsen, with Aiden Quinn, will announce narrative and documentary winners on June 28 at the Spirit of Independence event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

If you're taking a date out to the movies this weekend, you'll likely be seeing "The Lake House" with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Be sure to watch for Christopher Plummer ("General Chang") in the role as father to Reeves' character who, according to a review in THR, "delivers a lecture on the quality of light with a mad-artist twinkle in his eye."