Club Jade

Star Trek writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtman appeared at a screening of Star Trek for the Writer’s Guild of America.  Amazingly, most in the room hadn’t seen it.  (Really?  Catch up, people!)

Some interesting analysis of why they chose to go the way they did.  And maybe some insight into how they’ll be tackling the next one. (via)

While talking to MTV News, Harrsion Ford dished up a little talk about the fifth Indiana Jones film, but doesn’t elaborate much on George Lucas’ “crazy but good” idea for a new adventure, and concedes that his Extraordinary Measures co-star Brendan Fraser would probably have his Rick O’Connell character from The Mummy franchise beat Indiana Jones to the treasure nowadays.

Variety reports that Paramount released that the next Star Trek film will have its release on June 29, 2012. While J. J. Abrams will be producing, no word yet on whether he will be directing, or just adding lens flare effects. John Cho reports to IGN Movies that he’s hoping for some Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan in the sequel, which could either be Star Trek 2, or Star Trek 12 depending on how you count. Meanwhile SciFiWire finds some Trek fans in Seattle use body paint to make Trek uniforms (warning: NSFW). Maybe they could wear some Star Trek wetsuits.

Baby, why you gotta be so sparkly? There’s actual, serious talk about splitting the fourth Twilight book into two movies. After all, Harry Potter is doing it, and just think of all that squeeful allowance cash beckoning. At this rate, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part I: The Pillowing will be out next Christmas. All signs point to beige, and a possible endorsement deal with the old-timey Gap.

On a more positive Twilight note (Not so! I lie!) there’s Cleolinda’s New Moon in Fifteen Minutes. And for proof that Bella Swan follows a well-worn path, five terrible male role models in guy-centric blockbusters. You’ll never guess who takes the first spot. (Okay, you totally will.) Though alas, Edward is still rather creepy, what with fufilling all those signs of an abusive relationship… By any chance does Breaking Dawn end with him getting pan-fried in lava? That I’d watch.

Moving on… First images from Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Oh baby. (Please don’t suck, movie.)

It is RDJ, after all. The first official poster for Iron Man 2 has arrived, and it looks kind of familiar…. Oh my god. Entertainment Weekly has kindly provided a primer on War Machine for the soon-to-be eager slash fangirls.

Speaking of… A (rather boring) first look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Naturally. Harlan Ellison wants in on Abrams’ Star Trek sequel; The Hobbit script is still a work in progress.

Poor JJ Abrams.  They finally release the latest Star Trek on DVD (which totally rocks, by the way) and people are already pestering him about the next one.

Bottom line, no decisions have been made as to what will be pulled upon next.  So let’s not anticipate Khan before his time.  And JJ won’t commit to directing (sometime in 2012) until he sees a script.  Way too long to wait, people.

Gizmodo has nabbed an unmistakable screengrab Artoo’s cameo in Star Trek. Same scene, as before, but a different frame.

Anything you can do to draw attention to your mouth is good. Clueless director Amy Heckerling is making a vampire romantic comedy. I can’t believe they found a way to actually might make me kind want to see a vampire movie. (No, Alicia Silverstone is not involved – Krysten Ritter is – but I am not one to resist a cheap Photoshop gag.) In related news Saturday Night Live’s Twilight spoof has been burning up the internet.

Oh, James Cameron. The New York Times claims that Avatar’s price tag is a cool $500 mil. Well, at least the latest trailer actually bothers to make it look like an action movie.

Mumble mumble fourth. The Los Angeles Times’ Geoff Boucher looks at the difficulty of making upcoming films for several different franchises: Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, X-Men and Pirates of the Caribbean. On that note, io9 quotes the relevant parts of a /Film podcast where X2 screenwriter Michael Dougherty describes what X3 might have been.

Shocking! ‘Archival footage’ from that cheesy alien abduction movie actually fake. People, did we learn nothing from Blair Witch?

Also… The ‘lost’ cantina scene of Star Trek; Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen talk The Hobbit; New poster for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

Zeus was truly a man before his time. Did you see the picture of Liam Neeson all Zeused up for the Clash of the Titans remake in Entertainment Weekly, a few weeks back? (It’s all very Excalibur.) There are a couple more pictures (though no Neeson) over at Empire, where genre up-and-comer Sam Worthington takes the name of Harryhausen in vain. Tisk tisk: Doesn’t anyone teach these kids film history anymore?

The biggest Trek of all. J.J. Abram’s Star Trek has beat its predecessors at the box office, TrekMovie found. Not too shabby for a near-dead franchise.

Aww hell, why not. Bryan Singer is up for a return to the X-Men. If only he’d thought that way before inflicting that tedious Superman flick upon us all.

Something new and exciting! Roland Emmerich on why there wasn’t an Independence Day sequel. Because really, how many chances does one get to painstakingly destroy major monuments and… Oh.

Okay then. Jon Favreau will not be directing The Avengers and Beyonce is not going to play Wonder Woman.

Any excuse for a gallery, and this time io9’s is concept art that reimagines the greatest space epics. The Star Wars offerings are the best of the bunch, naturally.

Pirates 4 to go steampunk? Disney gave Johnny Depp a (anti?) hero’s welcome at D23 last week and announced the film’s name – On Stranger Tides – but the most interesting thing I’ve heard in connection with the movie is a rumor that the villian may be cribbing from Captain Nemo. On the one hand that could be kind of cool. On the other hand… It’s Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Not sick of steampunk yet? If there’s any truth to this, you will be.

• Just like old times. J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci hint that the next Star Trek movie will deal with “modern-day issues.”

• It’s never too soon for a reboot! Or a prequel. Yes, X-Men: First Class may be next on the Marvel X-Movie slate. Of course, the Fantastic Four are actually getting a reboot, nevermind that they just made two movies. Nobody runs your iconic properties into the ground like Hollywood!
• Twilight. New Moon actually has enough of a plot for it to be given away entirely in the trailer? Kristen Stewart actually attempts to act? Dakota Fanning is in it! Wow, my standards are low for this one…
• Randomly. Nostalgia Chick takes on Armageddon.