Sci-Fi Invades Hollywood

But the growing pace of technology puts a burden on sci-fi creators. ''We can't think far enough ahead any more,'' says screenwriter Ron Shusett (Total Recall, Alien). ''Nothing is inconceivable. Studio executives used to say, 'Oh, come on, audiences will never buy that!' But not anymore.''

As mainstream America's visions of the future grow more sophisticated (an acid-bleeding alien that pops out of a human chest? Seen it, done that), an interesting side phenomenon has developed: sci-fi nostalgia. Like some strange Trek-ian time-travel paradox, a generation weaned on cheesy old space operas has grown misty about stories of the future from the past. Thus, the proliferation of sci-fi remakes: Marlon Brando has signed on for a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau; Oliver Stone is making a new Planet of the Apes film; Godzilla will get a big-budget makeover from Speed director Jan De Bont; and even the hoary standby Lost in Space, sci-fi's Gilligan's Island, is being revived by New Line Cinema as a feature film.

''Science fiction has its own legacy,'' notes sci-fi observer Pen Densham, a producer on the upcoming Showtime series The Outer Limits, based on the classic '60s show. ''We're trying to take the groundswell of interest in old science fiction and those original Outer Limits episodes and continue on that journey.'' Densham is also producing the upcoming Tank Girl, a postapocalyptic thriller starring Lori Petty and based on a cult comic book.

In fact, the apocalypse has become a hot topic in sci-fi, which possibly bespeaks another, deeper psychological reason for resurgent interest in the future. ''I believe the end of the millennium has a lot to do with this current boom,,'' says fantasist Clive Barker, who just finished directing the horror feature Lord of Illusions. ''It is almost upon us. This is a big landmark in our animal history. There is some anxiety about the year 2000, and our imaginations respond to that''

So maybe people are atremble at the thought of the end of the world. Or perhaps sci-fi is just the final profitable frontier. Whatever the cause, everyone and his brother from another planet seems to have a sci-fi project in the works. William Shatner's popular TekWar novels will be a series on USA Network in January. Not to be outdone, Leonard Nimoy has created Primortals, a gothic-space-drama comic book, which, if all goes well, will soon turn into a syndicated series. These days, you can't even trust your own first officer.

But there's one golden sci-fi property lurking out there that could overshadow all the others. ''I'm writing the Star Warsscreenplays,'' declares George Lucas, signaling the advent of the much-awaited sequels — actually three prequels — to the biggest-grossing movie trilogy of all time. Lucas' recent pronouncement instantly sent a collective shiver through sci-fi fans and studio execs alike.

Of course, Lucas has occasionally made noises about starting work on the Star Wars prequels, only to back away when confronted about actual timetables. But this time, all signs point to a real return of the Jedi: Director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) has said he's been tapped to help write the scripts; Kenneth Branagh has said he'd be interested in playing the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (''I love those films,'' says Branagh. ''Em (Emma Thompson, his wife) is a fan of them. She might want me to do Star Wars''; and to whet the public's appetite even further, Lucas plans to rerelease Star Wars in 1997 (its 20th anniversary), restoring previously unreleased footage and adding new digital effects. Most significantly, Lucas has outlined a tentative schedule for the prequels. ''I'll take a year to write them, a year to prepare them, and a year to shoot them,'' he has said. ''And I'll shoot them all at once.''

Although nothing is certain, there has definitely been a great disturbance in the Force. Lucas received more than 75,000 calls last year asking when he'd revive the sprawling Skywalker saga, yet another sign of the current sci-fi feeding frenzy. "Lucas will be back with those prequels," says the Sci-Fi Channel's Schulman, "and that's a billion-dollar business in itself. When you consider that, science fiction definitely hasn't peaked."

In other words, to paraphrase a certain Dark Lord of the Sith, you ain't seen nothin' yet. (Additional reporting by Gregg Kilday, Cynthia Littleton, Ken Neville, Cindy Pearlman, Daneet Steffens and Michael Walker)