From ComingSoon.net:
"Paramount Pictures announced today that it has commenced principal photography on Super 8, directed by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek), from a screenplay by Abrams, based on his original idea.
Steven Spielberg, Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing the Amblin Entertainment/Bad Robot Production. Paramount Pictures will release the film summer 2011.
Starring Emmy-nominated Kyle Chandler ('Friday Night Lights') and Elle Fanning (Somewhere, winner of the 2010 Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion Award), the cast includes veteran actors Ron Eldard [(Black Hawk Down)] and Noah Emmerich [Cellular, The Truman Show], newcomers Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills [(Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium], and Gabriel Basso ('The Big C')."
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"AJ Michalka, actress and one-half of the duo 78violet, announced today that she has been cast in J.J. Abrams' Super 8.
Michalka, who recently had a role in The Lovely Bones and stars in the upcoming Secretariat, will be joining a cast that includes Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills and Gabriel Basso.
Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the [sci-fi] thriller is now shooting for a Summer 2011 release."
Her sister, Aly Michalka, just starred in the hit comedy film Easy A.
Showing posts with label J.J. Abrams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J.J. Abrams. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Neville Page, monster maker, working on SUPER 8
From ComingSoon.net:
"Neville Page, the conceptual artist responsible for designs in Star Trek, Cloverfield, Piranha 3D, [Avatar] and the upcoming TRON: Legacy, teased information to Wired about the creature design in his next big project, Super 8.
Though he's light on details, Page does reveal that he was tasked with designing the creature after the teaser trailer was created and that J.J. Abrams showed him the footage to help get him excited.
'When that door blows open,' he says, 'it's the ultimate reveal. It's Elvis or something.'
What's more, Page hints that Abrams won't resort entirely to computer animation to bring the monster to life and that the writer/director will rely on some classic special effect work.
'I'll bet you anything there's going to be a rubber something or other at some point,' says Page."
So if they're using a rubber monster, they're really serious about making this an old-school movie. Can't wait to see and/or hear more.
"Neville Page, the conceptual artist responsible for designs in Star Trek, Cloverfield, Piranha 3D, [Avatar] and the upcoming TRON: Legacy, teased information to Wired about the creature design in his next big project, Super 8.
Though he's light on details, Page does reveal that he was tasked with designing the creature after the teaser trailer was created and that J.J. Abrams showed him the footage to help get him excited.
'When that door blows open,' he says, 'it's the ultimate reveal. It's Elvis or something.'
What's more, Page hints that Abrams won't resort entirely to computer animation to bring the monster to life and that the writer/director will rely on some classic special effect work.
'I'll bet you anything there's going to be a rubber something or other at some point,' says Page."
So if they're using a rubber monster, they're really serious about making this an old-school movie. Can't wait to see and/or hear more.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
7 MINUTES IN HEAVEN... 2 hour movie
From ComingSoon.net:
"Jack Bender [one of the lead directors of the TV show "Lost", including the infamous series finale] has signed on direct 7 Minutes in Heaven for Paramount.
The film, based on an original idea from Bender, tells the story of two teenagers who, upon returning from a round of the titular game, find all of their friends dead.
J.J. Abrams will produce through Bad Robot, now at the stage of finding a writer to move the idea towards a full script."
If this is anything like Disturbia, this film will work. I know J.J. Abrams won't be involved in anything but the best.
"Jack Bender [one of the lead directors of the TV show "Lost", including the infamous series finale] has signed on direct 7 Minutes in Heaven for Paramount.
The film, based on an original idea from Bender, tells the story of two teenagers who, upon returning from a round of the titular game, find all of their friends dead.
J.J. Abrams will produce through Bad Robot, now at the stage of finding a writer to move the idea towards a full script."
If this is anything like Disturbia, this film will work. I know J.J. Abrams won't be involved in anything but the best.
Friday, May 7, 2010
J.J. Abrams' SUPER 8 trailer mysteriously appears
From ComingSoon.net:
"The teaser for J.J. Abrams' secret project Super 8, which is now playing in theaters with Iron Man 2, [is now online]. An official website for the Steven Spielberg-produced film is also now online at Super8-movie.com. The project starts shooting this fall for a summer 2011 release."
Gives off great vibes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
"The teaser for J.J. Abrams' secret project Super 8, which is now playing in theaters with Iron Man 2, [is now online]. An official website for the Steven Spielberg-produced film is also now online at Super8-movie.com. The project starts shooting this fall for a summer 2011 release."
Gives off great vibes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
UPDATE:
From The Hollywood Reporter:
"What if Stephen King and J.K. Rowling brainstormed an idea together? Just how big would the potential audience be? Cosmic. Well, moviemaking heavyweights J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg began collaborating on a hush-hush project a year ago called Super 8 that they concocted from discussions of their own early filmmaking experiences. Despite Bad Robot's Cheney-level secrecy, bits and pieces about the project (some right, some wrong) started bubbling up last week. Abrams has written the original script and will direct the film this fall for a summer 2011 release through Paramount, where Bad Robot resides. Spielberg is producing the project, along with Abrams and his producing partner Bryan Burk. The film will be in the $45 million-$50 million range. It has nothing to do with Cloverfield and will be shot traditionally (i.e. not hand-held). It's potentially a huge movie for Paramount, despite its midrange budget, which is why it's got a slot during Paramount's already crowded 2011 summer slate.
The studio will have to fit it in with Thor, Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom, Transformers III, [Captain America: The First Avenger].... And [Star Trek: Untitled Sequel] isn't expected until June 29, 2012, with an as-yet-unfinished screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof, so Abrams could still direct that after Super 8 if he chose (which, technically, he hasn't yet).
[The trailer is] 90 seconds long and plays out with utter simplicity. I'll leave it to others to ruin the surprises for the multitudes flocking to see it run in front of Iron Man 2's midnight screenings tonight (the trailer is not actually attached to the IM2 reels, though they are locked away together in combo-locked canisters as they're delivered this morning to theaters at 8 a.m.).
But it's straightforward, effective and very, very enticing. Abrams shot it independently of the actual film shoot about a month ago, and the Bad Robot team cut together the teaser while putting together his new NBC series 'Undercovers' and the trailer for their November release Morning Glory over the past month. In terms of tweaking audience appetite for absolutely having to see the movie, Abrams and Spielberg are masters. This quick, visceral and creepy tease of Super 8 certainly does the trick.
What it doesn't let anyone in on is the plot of the movie or the rest of the context that we had heard actually generated the idea. Namely, the possibility that a group of kids in 1979 are playing around making movies with their Super 8 cameras (as Abrams and Spielberg did as kids) and accidentally capture something ... sinister, on film.
Now, despite all our requests, Abrams and camp have refused to confirm anything about the plot. Abrams has said he doesn't want to comment on this -- he'd rather maintain the mystery and let the images speak for themselves. Fair enough, and certainly expected. So take all these plot descriptions you're reading around the web with a giant heap of salt. But the project is being produced by Amblin along with Bad Robot. So if you can imagine the supernatural styles of current BR and early '80s Spielberg combined, you should have a pretty good idea of where all this is going.
Bad Robot's first feature project, Cloverfield, was rolled out in a similarly out-of-nowhere fashion, its teaser also filmed and cut together independent of the movie shoot. That teaser was thrown on the front of Transformers when it hit theaters in the summer of 2007. That monster movie ultimately grossed $168 million worldwide for Paramount when it opened in January 2008. But again, Super 8 has nothing to do with Cloverfield. And Super 8 is a solo J.J. Abrams movie, something we've never seen before and something sure to play much bigger.
For added pleasure, if you want to get an explanation from Abrams himself about why he handles his creative life with such passionate protectiveness, check out this TED speech [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjVgF5JDq8] he gave two years ago about the Mystery Box. As for Super 8, we're all gonna have to wait another year until that mysterious train pulls into the station."
I do highly encourage people to watch that TED speech (it's 18:03) - he's enormously funny (this guy needs a comedy), informative and has fantastic opinions on great movies.
Brad Bird accepts MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE IV
From ComingSoon.net:
"On Thursday, Paramount Pictures announced that Mission: Impossible IV was being pushed back from May 27, 2011 to December 16, 2011. Now the director has been confirmed as well.
Tom Cruise talked to Empire magazine and said that it is indeed Brad Bird taking on the director's chair, as rumors had suggested. Bird is of course the director of critically-acclaimed movies The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille.
Cruise, who is starring and producing with J.J. Abrams, said 'we're working with Brad right now. I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it but everything's signed... Brad is doing it.'
He added that 'we're having a lot of fun. I like working with people I just love hanging out with, you get to hang out and laugh and talk stories and movies and technology: what are we going to do?'"
Cool!!! This is also good news for The Hangover 2 because now they won't have to deal with Tom Cruise. However, it's gonna be a close race between M:I IV and Alvin and the Chipmunks 3D.
"On Thursday, Paramount Pictures announced that Mission: Impossible IV was being pushed back from May 27, 2011 to December 16, 2011. Now the director has been confirmed as well.
Tom Cruise talked to Empire magazine and said that it is indeed Brad Bird taking on the director's chair, as rumors had suggested. Bird is of course the director of critically-acclaimed movies The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille.
Cruise, who is starring and producing with J.J. Abrams, said 'we're working with Brad right now. I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it but everything's signed... Brad is doing it.'
He added that 'we're having a lot of fun. I like working with people I just love hanging out with, you get to hang out and laugh and talk stories and movies and technology: what are we going to do?'"
Cool!!! This is also good news for The Hangover 2 because now they won't have to deal with Tom Cruise. However, it's gonna be a close race between M:I IV and Alvin and the Chipmunks 3D.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
J.J. Abrams mystifying audiences again?
From ComingSoon.net:
"Does anyone remember when a mysterious teaser for a new J.J. Abrams movie appeared in front of Michael Bay's Transformers three years ago? We do, and at the time, it was one of the most exciting and surprising things to happen in quite some time, because it effectively kicked off an intense viral campaign that had many people playing a guessing game about every aspect of a movie that turned out to be Cloverfield.
Apparently, J.J. Abrams and Paramount are at it again, and thanks to the detecting skills of Drew McWeeny at HitFix--yes, the former 'Moriarty' from Ain't It Cool is now playing 'Sherlock Holmes'--we can expect another 'secret' teaser trailer in front of Iron Man 2 on Friday.
Except this time, not even the theater projectionists will be able to have a look at it before Thursday because Paramount has sent all the trailers for the movie in a locked mystery can that requires a combination code they won't even receive before Thursday afternoon.
The HitFix story even has a picture of the instruction letter that comes along with the reels received at some theaters:
UPDATE 2:
From ComingSoon.net:
"Vulture was able to catch up with J.J. Abrams last night and asked him about his secret trailer that is attached to prints of Iron Man 2 this weekend.
Abrams said, 'You have to check [out the trailer]. But it has nothing whatsoever to do with Cloverfield, despite your expert reporting.' So what is Super 8 about? 'I won't be able to tell you until it's done,' he said."
Well, Abrams has successfully kept everybody in the dark. If you haven't seen Cloverfield, take a look. It's not as scary as it looks (except for one REALLY scary scene).
"Does anyone remember when a mysterious teaser for a new J.J. Abrams movie appeared in front of Michael Bay's Transformers three years ago? We do, and at the time, it was one of the most exciting and surprising things to happen in quite some time, because it effectively kicked off an intense viral campaign that had many people playing a guessing game about every aspect of a movie that turned out to be Cloverfield.
Apparently, J.J. Abrams and Paramount are at it again, and thanks to the detecting skills of Drew McWeeny at HitFix--yes, the former 'Moriarty' from Ain't It Cool is now playing 'Sherlock Holmes'--we can expect another 'secret' teaser trailer in front of Iron Man 2 on Friday.
Except this time, not even the theater projectionists will be able to have a look at it before Thursday because Paramount has sent all the trailers for the movie in a locked mystery can that requires a combination code they won't even receive before Thursday afternoon.
The HitFix story even has a picture of the instruction letter that comes along with the reels received at some theaters:
The card says that the secrecy is to 'protect the film from any possible piracy issues' except that the movie will already have been playing internationally for a week and it very specifically says that it contains only the first and last reels of the movie plus the trailers.
According to McWeeny, the reason for this secrecy is because Paramount has included the first teaser trailer for an Abrams project called Super 8, which looks to be at least thematically some sort of sequel to the 2008 monster movie Cloverfield. Although the movie hasn't even begun to film yet, it's doubtful Abrams will direct it. Cloverfield director Matt Reeves is currently busy with the vampire movie Let Me In, so theoretically, it could be his next project."
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
Vulture has more on the trailer which definitely goes into SPOILER territory. Read the following only if you want to know what's shown in the trailer...
Insiders familiar with the trailer tell us that it shows a bunch of kids who are shooting a movie with a Super 8 camera in the seventies or eighties. When they develop the film, they notice that there's an alien creature in the frame. Our sources also say that Super 8 is absolutely connected to 2008's Cloverfield (possibly a prequel, but not a sequel).
UPDATE 2:
From ComingSoon.net:
"Vulture was able to catch up with J.J. Abrams last night and asked him about his secret trailer that is attached to prints of Iron Man 2 this weekend.
Abrams said, 'You have to check [out the trailer]. But it has nothing whatsoever to do with Cloverfield, despite your expert reporting.' So what is Super 8 about? 'I won't be able to tell you until it's done,' he said."
Well, Abrams has successfully kept everybody in the dark. If you haven't seen Cloverfield, take a look. It's not as scary as it looks (except for one REALLY scary scene).
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Abrams & Spielberg team up!
From ComingSoon.net:
"Vulture reports that J.J. Abrams will next direct a project that will be 'both a tribute to and a collaboration with Steven Spielberg'. According to the site, the script is a 'a tip of the hat to [Spielberg's] movies of the 70's and early 80's'.
If the project moves forward, Abrams would direct from his own script starting early fall for Paramount Pictures.
The project reportedly 'will deal with everyday people whose personal relationships are tested when they are thrown up against extraordinarily fantastic - and possibly other-worldly - events.'
The movie is expected to have a low budget, but won't have shaky cam like Cloverfield."
Sounds great. Sounds wonderful. Especially if it reflects '70s-'80s Spielberg which combined mystery and wonder with a little bit of humor.
DON'T GIVE UP STAR TREK!!!!!
"Vulture reports that J.J. Abrams will next direct a project that will be 'both a tribute to and a collaboration with Steven Spielberg'. According to the site, the script is a 'a tip of the hat to [Spielberg's] movies of the 70's and early 80's'.
If the project moves forward, Abrams would direct from his own script starting early fall for Paramount Pictures.
The project reportedly 'will deal with everyday people whose personal relationships are tested when they are thrown up against extraordinarily fantastic - and possibly other-worldly - events.'
The movie is expected to have a low budget, but won't have shaky cam like Cloverfield."
Sounds great. Sounds wonderful. Especially if it reflects '70s-'80s Spielberg which combined mystery and wonder with a little bit of humor.
DON'T GIVE UP STAR TREK!!!!!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
From INCREDIBLE to IMPOSSIBLE?
From ComingSoon.net:
"Heat Vision is reporting that [two time Academy Award-winning] The Incredibles helmer Brad Bird is a contender to direct Mission: Impossible IV, to again star Tom Cruise and to be produced by J.J. Abrams and Cruise.
Paramount Pictures is targeting a summer start for a May 27, 2011 release.
Cruise and Abrams have been meeting with helmers including Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World director Edgar Wright.
Bird's credits also include The Iron Giant and Ratatouille. While he's never directed a live-action movie before, he has long been developing 1906, set around the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. That project is set up at Warner Bros. and is reportedly stalled because of budgetary reasons.
Plot details for Mission: Impossible IV are being kept a secret but Abrams worked on the story with screenwriters Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum, who have written the script."
SOUNDS WONDERFUL!!! Maybe after this one, he'll do 1906.
By the way, notice the shirt he's wearing reads "Slusho!" "Slusho’s" origins go back to being mentioned in the second episode of J.J. Abrams' television series Alias. "Slusho" was also referenced again in Star Trek, another J.J. Abrams project. So maybe it is true?
"Heat Vision is reporting that [two time Academy Award-winning] The Incredibles helmer Brad Bird is a contender to direct Mission: Impossible IV, to again star Tom Cruise and to be produced by J.J. Abrams and Cruise.
Paramount Pictures is targeting a summer start for a May 27, 2011 release.
Cruise and Abrams have been meeting with helmers including Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World director Edgar Wright.
Bird's credits also include The Iron Giant and Ratatouille. While he's never directed a live-action movie before, he has long been developing 1906, set around the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. That project is set up at Warner Bros. and is reportedly stalled because of budgetary reasons.
Plot details for Mission: Impossible IV are being kept a secret but Abrams worked on the story with screenwriters Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum, who have written the script."
SOUNDS WONDERFUL!!! Maybe after this one, he'll do 1906.
By the way, notice the shirt he's wearing reads "Slusho!" "Slusho’s" origins go back to being mentioned in the second episode of J.J. Abrams' television series Alias. "Slusho" was also referenced again in Star Trek, another J.J. Abrams project. So maybe it is true?
Friday, February 26, 2010
SAMURAI JACK: The Movie!
From ScreenRant:
"According to longtime media executive Fred Seibert, former head of Hanna-Barbera and current head of Frederator films, Genndy Tartakovsky’s popular animated show, Samurai Jack, is headed to the big screen with J.J. Abrams as a co-producer. The film, which is budgeted at $20 million, will combine traditional 2D animation with stereoscopic 3D. It is being produced by Fredarator Films and Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot Productions.
Samurai Jack was a four-time Emmy award winning animated series that ran on Cartoon Network from 2001 to 2004. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, who was also the [developer] behind Dexter’s Laboratory and Star Wars: Clone Wars, Samurai Jack revolved around.... a noble warrior who is cast into the future by the evil Aku, 'the shape-shifting Master of Darkness'. Each episode involved Jack’s attempts to return to the past to defeat Aku once and for all."
Okay, this has been around since November of last year but I just NOW got around to hearing it. This is extraordinary news!! I loved "Samurai Jack" and always felt that the audience who left "Samurai Jack" went to "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Both are similar in action (though "Avatar" is more light-hearted) and both feature Mako (in "Jack", he is the villainous Aku; in "Avatar", he is the kind-hearted Iroh, uncle to the antagonist Zuko). The only bad thing is, Mako won't be a part of the film having passed away in 2006 (his final film was TMNT).
"According to longtime media executive Fred Seibert, former head of Hanna-Barbera and current head of Frederator films, Genndy Tartakovsky’s popular animated show, Samurai Jack, is headed to the big screen with J.J. Abrams as a co-producer. The film, which is budgeted at $20 million, will combine traditional 2D animation with stereoscopic 3D. It is being produced by Fredarator Films and Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot Productions.
Samurai Jack was a four-time Emmy award winning animated series that ran on Cartoon Network from 2001 to 2004. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, who was also the [developer] behind Dexter’s Laboratory and Star Wars: Clone Wars, Samurai Jack revolved around.... a noble warrior who is cast into the future by the evil Aku, 'the shape-shifting Master of Darkness'. Each episode involved Jack’s attempts to return to the past to defeat Aku once and for all."
Okay, this has been around since November of last year but I just NOW got around to hearing it. This is extraordinary news!! I loved "Samurai Jack" and always felt that the audience who left "Samurai Jack" went to "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Both are similar in action (though "Avatar" is more light-hearted) and both feature Mako (in "Jack", he is the villainous Aku; in "Avatar", he is the kind-hearted Iroh, uncle to the antagonist Zuko). The only bad thing is, Mako won't be a part of the film having passed away in 2006 (his final film was TMNT).
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tom Cruise accepts MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE IV
From ComingSoon.net:
"Paramount Pictures announced today that it is making Mission: Impossible IV. The film, which will be produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) and Bad Robot Productions and will star Cruise, will be released Memorial Day weekend 2011 [officially May 27, 2011].
'Tom and J.J. are great talents and we are excited to be working with them to re-launch this legendary franchise,' said Paramount Pictures Chairman & CEO Brad Grey.
Screenwriters Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec are attached to write the script, from an original idea by Cruise and Abrams.
The studio, Cruise and Abrams are in now the process of identifying a director for the film. Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise has grossed over 1.4 billion globally.
Mission: Impossible IV will be co-financed by David Ellison's Skydance Productions.
The move puts the fourth installment up against The Hangover 2, while Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens a week earlier on May 20th."
Ooh. That'll be a photo finish. Who will win in a three-legged race between the gang from The Hangover, Tom Cruise (playing his most famous character) and J.J. Abrams (coming back to produce a sequel to his first film), and Johnny Depp (playing his most famous character)?
"Paramount Pictures announced today that it is making Mission: Impossible IV. The film, which will be produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) and Bad Robot Productions and will star Cruise, will be released Memorial Day weekend 2011 [officially May 27, 2011].
'Tom and J.J. are great talents and we are excited to be working with them to re-launch this legendary franchise,' said Paramount Pictures Chairman & CEO Brad Grey.
Screenwriters Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec are attached to write the script, from an original idea by Cruise and Abrams.
The studio, Cruise and Abrams are in now the process of identifying a director for the film. Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise has grossed over 1.4 billion globally.
Mission: Impossible IV will be co-financed by David Ellison's Skydance Productions.
The move puts the fourth installment up against The Hangover 2, while Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens a week earlier on May 20th."
Ooh. That'll be a photo finish. Who will win in a three-legged race between the gang from The Hangover, Tom Cruise (playing his most famous character) and J.J. Abrams (coming back to produce a sequel to his first film), and Johnny Depp (playing his most famous character)?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
J.J. Abrams' Next Movie?
From Slashfilm:
"We’ve known that Paramount would be making new Star Trek and Mission: Impossible movies at some point, and that JJ Abrams, director of the last installment in each franchise, would likely be involved as producer, though possibly not as director. We also knew that the studio had picked up a couple of other options for Abrams to produce and possibly direct. Now a cryptic statement by Paramount chief Brad Grey suggests that the next film for Abrams will indeed not be Trek or M:I, but something else altogether.
The New York Times has a small profile on Grey and his vision for Paramount, which boils down to: 'make fewer movies that make more money'. Grey describes the mood at the studio as ‘wildly ambitious’, which to me doesn’t jibe at all with shutting down Paramount Vantage and focusing entirely on a smaller slate of films that all have tentpole potential.
Regardless, Abrams has been a big part of Paramount’s recent success, though a much greater share of the load has been shouldered by DreamWorks projects like the two Transformers movies. But after Trek opened huge this year, no doubt the studio is giving Abrams another big movie to play with. As the NYT reports:
'As for J. J. Abrams, a producer and the director of Star Trek, Mr. Grey is looking for Star Trek 2. And Mission: Impossible IV. And possibly before either, what he called another 'tentpole' film to be directed by Mr. Abrams, and yet to be announced.'
So what is the film? There are a couple of easy guesses to make. With the studio happy to hand the reigns of old franchises to Abrams, one possibility is the new Jack Ryan film. That’s also an obvious guess based on the fact that Star Trek’s Chris Pine has been cast as Ryan. Grey says the film is an unannounced tentpole. The Ryan film fits the latter condition, and as it currently has no title or formal green light, it could fit the former as well.
Abrams has talked up his possible producing gig with Micronauts, and hopeful fans might want that to be his next diretorial project, but that’s now a Hasbro property and therefore could end up Universal, which signed a six-year, four-picture deal with the toy company. So while that would be a lot of fun, it’s not the most likely.
What about Mystery on Fifth Avenue, based on the NYT article Paramount optioned for Abrams to produce that told of a Manhattan house reworked to be packed full of wild puzzles? It seems like an unlikely tentpole, but position the film as basically a cross between Home Alone and Night at the Museum and it could be as close to a family hit as Paramount and Abrams are likely to come up with."
I like the sound of Mystery on Fifth Avenue.
"We’ve known that Paramount would be making new Star Trek and Mission: Impossible movies at some point, and that JJ Abrams, director of the last installment in each franchise, would likely be involved as producer, though possibly not as director. We also knew that the studio had picked up a couple of other options for Abrams to produce and possibly direct. Now a cryptic statement by Paramount chief Brad Grey suggests that the next film for Abrams will indeed not be Trek or M:I, but something else altogether.
The New York Times has a small profile on Grey and his vision for Paramount, which boils down to: 'make fewer movies that make more money'. Grey describes the mood at the studio as ‘wildly ambitious’, which to me doesn’t jibe at all with shutting down Paramount Vantage and focusing entirely on a smaller slate of films that all have tentpole potential.
Regardless, Abrams has been a big part of Paramount’s recent success, though a much greater share of the load has been shouldered by DreamWorks projects like the two Transformers movies. But after Trek opened huge this year, no doubt the studio is giving Abrams another big movie to play with. As the NYT reports:
'As for J. J. Abrams, a producer and the director of Star Trek, Mr. Grey is looking for Star Trek 2. And Mission: Impossible IV. And possibly before either, what he called another 'tentpole' film to be directed by Mr. Abrams, and yet to be announced.'
So what is the film? There are a couple of easy guesses to make. With the studio happy to hand the reigns of old franchises to Abrams, one possibility is the new Jack Ryan film. That’s also an obvious guess based on the fact that Star Trek’s Chris Pine has been cast as Ryan. Grey says the film is an unannounced tentpole. The Ryan film fits the latter condition, and as it currently has no title or formal green light, it could fit the former as well.
Abrams has talked up his possible producing gig with Micronauts, and hopeful fans might want that to be his next diretorial project, but that’s now a Hasbro property and therefore could end up Universal, which signed a six-year, four-picture deal with the toy company. So while that would be a lot of fun, it’s not the most likely.
What about Mystery on Fifth Avenue, based on the NYT article Paramount optioned for Abrams to produce that told of a Manhattan house reworked to be packed full of wild puzzles? It seems like an unlikely tentpole, but position the film as basically a cross between Home Alone and Night at the Museum and it could be as close to a family hit as Paramount and Abrams are likely to come up with."
I like the sound of Mystery on Fifth Avenue.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
What if... William Shatner was in STAR TREK?
Yes, of course he was in the TV show and seven feature films of 'Star Trek', the franchise, but what about the new movie?
From TrekMovie:
"Most fans can remember that one of the biggest debates around J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie was about if it would (or should) include William Shatner. The film makers spoke of how they tried to find a way, but in the end felt it wouldn’t work. However, J.J. Abrams revealed that Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman did write a scene for Shatner, and today we have that scene for you to read.
Putting Shatner into Star Trek
TrekMovie received the scene below from one of our trusted sources and it has been verified to be the scene written for Shatner (but never shown to Shatner). The 'Alternate Scene B' actually creates alternative versions two scenes from the end of the movie: the moment between Spock Prime (Nimoy) and Spock (Quinto) in the hangar, plus the award ceremony with Kirk (Pine), Pike (Greenwood) and the Commandant (Tyler Perry).
Shatner would have played Kirk, but would have appeared as a recording. The timing of the recording is not stated, but would have have been before Star Trek Generations and therefore not violate the canon that Kirk was killed in Generations. J.J. Abrams has often noted that dealing with Kirk’s death was one of the hindrances of including him in the new Star Trek.
The Scene
Here it is…
—————————
ALTERNATE SCENE B
SPOCK PRIME
Then I ask that you do yourself a
favor… put away logic, and do what
feels right. The world you’ve inherited
lives in the shadow of incalculable
devastation… but there’s no reason you
must face it alone.
And from around his neck, he removes the PENDANT that
until now, we’ve only caught glimpses of. Places it on
the table beside his younger self. The feeling in his
eyes is profound…
SPOCK PRIME (CONT’D)
This was a gift to me. Representing…
a dream. One we were unable to fulfill.
(softly)
The way you can now.
And moves to the door. Stops. Offers the VULCAN SALUTE:
SPOCK PRIME (CONT’D)
As my customary farewell would appear
oddly self serving, I will simply say…
good luck.
Their eyes hold. Spock turns, disappearing into the
corridor. Young Spock stares at the empty doorway a
beat, his mind a jumble of thoughts. Looks to the
pendant… and realizes it’s a HOLO-EMITTER. After
considering a beat, he hits an activation button and a
MOVING HOLOGRAPHIC MESSAGE materializes before him:
CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK. WILLIAM SHATNER. As always,
brash, wry, confident — and SINGING:
KIRK/ SHATNER
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to
you…
(stops, grins)
I know I know, it’s illogical to
celebrate something you had nothing to do
with, but I haven’t had the chance to
congratulate you on your appointment to
the ambassadorship so I thought I’d seize
the occasion… Bravo, Spock — they tell
me your first mission may take you away
for awhile, so I’ll be the first to wish
you luck… and to say…
(beat, emotional)
I miss you, old friend.
… and we’re PUSHING IN on Young Spock, taking in the
image of Kirk’s future self, the message, but above all —
the clear, unquestionable friendship these two men had…
INT. CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
As Spock Prime walks off down the corridor, he passes
right by a man conferring with a nurse — the man pauses,
turns… it’s SAREK. Suddenly overcome by a feeling that
the stranger who’s just passed him is… oddly familiar.
KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I suppose I’d always imagined us…
outgrowing Starfleet together. Watching
life swing us into our Emeritus years…
INT. STARBASE ONE – HANGAR – ETERNAL NIGHT
MUSIC BUILDING — glass walls reveal THE ENTERPRISE at
dock, UTILITY CRAFTS floating around it, repairing.
Standing at attention in rows, THE ENTERPRISE CREW —
over four hundred of them wearing DRESS UNIFORMS — TRACK
DOWN the faces, all proud:
KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I look around at the new cadets now and
can’t help thinking… has it really been
so long? Wasn’t it only yesterday we
stepped onto the Enterprise as boys?
That I had to prove to the crew I
deserved command… and their respect?
And we STOP ON YOUNG KIRK. Composed, focused, proud. A
man. And to every fan’s delight, finally wearing his
YELLOW SHIRT. The FEDERATION COMMANDANT stands at a
podium:
COMMANDANT
This assembly calls Captain James
Tiberius Kirk…
Kirk breaks from formation, pivots, marches down the
hangar — past UHURA… SULU… CHEKOV… SCOTTY. All
Beaming. Notably absent, is Spock. Kirk ascends the
stairs, snaps to attention:
COMMANDANT (CONT’D)
Your inspirational valor and supreme
dedication to your comrades are in
keeping with the highest traditions of
service and reflect utmost credit to
yourself, your crew, and the Federation.
By Starfleet Order 28455, you are hereby
directed to report to Commanding Officer,
USS Enterprise, for duty as his relief.
Kirk turns. Walks to… PIKE. In a wheelchair now,
wearing an ADMIRAL’S UNIFORM. Overnight, his hair’s
turned totally grey — but despite his trauma, his
pride’s overwhelming. They SALUTE each other:
KIRK
I relieve you, Sir.
PIKE
… I am relieved.
He opens a BOX in his lap — glorious in repose, a MEDAL:
PIKE (CONT’D)
And as Fleet Admiral, for your… unique
solution to the Kobayashi Maru, it’s my
honor to award you with a commendation
for original thinking.
Pike containing a smirk, pins the medal to Kirk’s
chest…
PIKE (CONT’D)
(a touch choked)
Congratulations, Captain.
KIRK
Thank you, Sir.
Kirk turns to the crowd. Eyes shining. WILD APPLAUSE.
OUR MUSIC SOARS. Bones leans in to Sulu, rolling his
eyes:
BONES
… Same ship, different day.
As Kirk rejoins his crew for hugs and congratulations, we
go to the BACK of the hangar… SPOCK PRIME. Watching.
Moved beyond words. He turns and leaves them to it… as
he goes…
KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I know what you’d say — ‘It’s their turn
now, Jim…’ And of course you’re
right… but it got me thinking:
INT. STARFLEET HOSPITAL – EARTH – DAY
Our montage comes full circle as we END on Kirk’s
transmission:
KIRK/SHATNER
Who’s to say we can’t go one more round?
By the last tally, only twenty five
percent of the galaxy’s been chartered…
I’d call that negligent. Criminal even —
an invitation. You once said being a
starship captain was my first, best
destiny… if that’s true, then yours is
to be by my side. If there’s any true
logic to the universe… we’ll end up on
that bridge again someday.
Stops, grins. Because this is the part he needs to say
most…
KIRK/SHATNER
Admit it, Spock. For people like us, the
journey itself… is home.
Young Spock’s face. Lost in feelings that flood through
him.
—————————
But would Bill have done it?
Even if the Abrams team had decided to go ahead with this scene, there is no guarantee that Shatner would have done it. He had stated he 'does not do cameos' and the above scene appears to fall into the cameo category. Abrams had also stated that this 'no cameos' position of Shatner’s was part of their decision process not to include him in the film. Now that the scene is public, maybe Bill will make another one of his video blogs about it. One thing is for sure, this is not the last word on Shatner and the new Star Trek… there is still the sequel."
'No cameos'? Huh? What about Showtime and Fanboys? You're telling me those are starring roles?
From TrekMovie:
"Most fans can remember that one of the biggest debates around J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie was about if it would (or should) include William Shatner. The film makers spoke of how they tried to find a way, but in the end felt it wouldn’t work. However, J.J. Abrams revealed that Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman did write a scene for Shatner, and today we have that scene for you to read.
Putting Shatner into Star Trek
TrekMovie received the scene below from one of our trusted sources and it has been verified to be the scene written for Shatner (but never shown to Shatner). The 'Alternate Scene B' actually creates alternative versions two scenes from the end of the movie: the moment between Spock Prime (Nimoy) and Spock (Quinto) in the hangar, plus the award ceremony with Kirk (Pine), Pike (Greenwood) and the Commandant (Tyler Perry).
Shatner would have played Kirk, but would have appeared as a recording. The timing of the recording is not stated, but would have have been before Star Trek Generations and therefore not violate the canon that Kirk was killed in Generations. J.J. Abrams has often noted that dealing with Kirk’s death was one of the hindrances of including him in the new Star Trek.
The Scene
Here it is…
—————————
ALTERNATE SCENE B
SPOCK PRIME
Then I ask that you do yourself a
favor… put away logic, and do what
feels right. The world you’ve inherited
lives in the shadow of incalculable
devastation… but there’s no reason you
must face it alone.
And from around his neck, he removes the PENDANT that
until now, we’ve only caught glimpses of. Places it on
the table beside his younger self. The feeling in his
eyes is profound…
SPOCK PRIME (CONT’D)
This was a gift to me. Representing…
a dream. One we were unable to fulfill.
(softly)
The way you can now.
And moves to the door. Stops. Offers the VULCAN SALUTE:
SPOCK PRIME (CONT’D)
As my customary farewell would appear
oddly self serving, I will simply say…
good luck.
Their eyes hold. Spock turns, disappearing into the
corridor. Young Spock stares at the empty doorway a
beat, his mind a jumble of thoughts. Looks to the
pendant… and realizes it’s a HOLO-EMITTER. After
considering a beat, he hits an activation button and a
MOVING HOLOGRAPHIC MESSAGE materializes before him:
CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK. WILLIAM SHATNER. As always,
brash, wry, confident — and SINGING:
KIRK/ SHATNER
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to
you…
(stops, grins)
I know I know, it’s illogical to
celebrate something you had nothing to do
with, but I haven’t had the chance to
congratulate you on your appointment to
the ambassadorship so I thought I’d seize
the occasion… Bravo, Spock — they tell
me your first mission may take you away
for awhile, so I’ll be the first to wish
you luck… and to say…
(beat, emotional)
I miss you, old friend.
… and we’re PUSHING IN on Young Spock, taking in the
image of Kirk’s future self, the message, but above all —
the clear, unquestionable friendship these two men had…
INT. CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
As Spock Prime walks off down the corridor, he passes
right by a man conferring with a nurse — the man pauses,
turns… it’s SAREK. Suddenly overcome by a feeling that
the stranger who’s just passed him is… oddly familiar.
KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I suppose I’d always imagined us…
outgrowing Starfleet together. Watching
life swing us into our Emeritus years…
INT. STARBASE ONE – HANGAR – ETERNAL NIGHT
MUSIC BUILDING — glass walls reveal THE ENTERPRISE at
dock, UTILITY CRAFTS floating around it, repairing.
Standing at attention in rows, THE ENTERPRISE CREW —
over four hundred of them wearing DRESS UNIFORMS — TRACK
DOWN the faces, all proud:
KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I look around at the new cadets now and
can’t help thinking… has it really been
so long? Wasn’t it only yesterday we
stepped onto the Enterprise as boys?
That I had to prove to the crew I
deserved command… and their respect?
And we STOP ON YOUNG KIRK. Composed, focused, proud. A
man. And to every fan’s delight, finally wearing his
YELLOW SHIRT. The FEDERATION COMMANDANT stands at a
podium:
COMMANDANT
This assembly calls Captain James
Tiberius Kirk…
Kirk breaks from formation, pivots, marches down the
hangar — past UHURA… SULU… CHEKOV… SCOTTY. All
Beaming. Notably absent, is Spock. Kirk ascends the
stairs, snaps to attention:
COMMANDANT (CONT’D)
Your inspirational valor and supreme
dedication to your comrades are in
keeping with the highest traditions of
service and reflect utmost credit to
yourself, your crew, and the Federation.
By Starfleet Order 28455, you are hereby
directed to report to Commanding Officer,
USS Enterprise, for duty as his relief.
Kirk turns. Walks to… PIKE. In a wheelchair now,
wearing an ADMIRAL’S UNIFORM. Overnight, his hair’s
turned totally grey — but despite his trauma, his
pride’s overwhelming. They SALUTE each other:
KIRK
I relieve you, Sir.
PIKE
… I am relieved.
He opens a BOX in his lap — glorious in repose, a MEDAL:
PIKE (CONT’D)
And as Fleet Admiral, for your… unique
solution to the Kobayashi Maru, it’s my
honor to award you with a commendation
for original thinking.
Pike containing a smirk, pins the medal to Kirk’s
chest…
PIKE (CONT’D)
(a touch choked)
Congratulations, Captain.
KIRK
Thank you, Sir.
Kirk turns to the crowd. Eyes shining. WILD APPLAUSE.
OUR MUSIC SOARS. Bones leans in to Sulu, rolling his
eyes:
BONES
… Same ship, different day.
As Kirk rejoins his crew for hugs and congratulations, we
go to the BACK of the hangar… SPOCK PRIME. Watching.
Moved beyond words. He turns and leaves them to it… as
he goes…
KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I know what you’d say — ‘It’s their turn
now, Jim…’ And of course you’re
right… but it got me thinking:
INT. STARFLEET HOSPITAL – EARTH – DAY
Our montage comes full circle as we END on Kirk’s
transmission:
KIRK/SHATNER
Who’s to say we can’t go one more round?
By the last tally, only twenty five
percent of the galaxy’s been chartered…
I’d call that negligent. Criminal even —
an invitation. You once said being a
starship captain was my first, best
destiny… if that’s true, then yours is
to be by my side. If there’s any true
logic to the universe… we’ll end up on
that bridge again someday.
Stops, grins. Because this is the part he needs to say
most…
KIRK/SHATNER
Admit it, Spock. For people like us, the
journey itself… is home.
Young Spock’s face. Lost in feelings that flood through
him.
—————————
But would Bill have done it?
Even if the Abrams team had decided to go ahead with this scene, there is no guarantee that Shatner would have done it. He had stated he 'does not do cameos' and the above scene appears to fall into the cameo category. Abrams had also stated that this 'no cameos' position of Shatner’s was part of their decision process not to include him in the film. Now that the scene is public, maybe Bill will make another one of his video blogs about it. One thing is for sure, this is not the last word on Shatner and the new Star Trek… there is still the sequel."
'No cameos'? Huh? What about Showtime and Fanboys? You're telling me those are starring roles?
Anyways, this would've been a poignent scene, if Shatner had shot it. Not that the actual ending of the movie is not as good or better. I think the one you see is better, faster and leaves the viewer (especially non-Trek fans) wanting more (ala Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).
Friday, November 6, 2009
J.J. Abrams and the MICRONAUTS
From ComingSoon.net:
"The Wall Street Journal is reporting that J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, 'Lost', 'Alias') is in talks to produce a movie about the Japanese interchangeable toys Micronauts, which Hasbro just acquired.
First released in Japan in 1974 (under the name Microman), the toys were imported to the U.S. by the Mego Corporation in 1976. The line consisted of 3.75-inch tall toys which used a universal, five millimeter inter-connective design. Mego cancelled the Micronauts line in 1980. In 2002, Palisades Toys bought the rights to reproduce Micronauts.
The Micronauts comic books were published by Marvel Comics, Image Comics, and Devil's Due Publishing. Their first comic appearance was in 'Micronauts #1' (Marvel, Jan. 1979) with characterizations created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden.
Abrams tells the newspaper that those who doubt whether a board game or science-fiction toy should be accorded star status will be proved wrong.
'Sometimes, when someone is not a celebrity and you are casting them in a role, everyone who is in a seat of authority voices questions about that actor's talent, sex appeal, looks, ability -- their everything,' he says. 'But then they get the role, and suddenly they are on the cover of every magazine, and nobody questions those things again. In retrospect, everyone says, 'Of course that person is a star.'"
Let's hope Abrams can spread his magic on this toy that no Gen-X kid knows about.
"The Wall Street Journal is reporting that J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, 'Lost', 'Alias') is in talks to produce a movie about the Japanese interchangeable toys Micronauts, which Hasbro just acquired.
First released in Japan in 1974 (under the name Microman), the toys were imported to the U.S. by the Mego Corporation in 1976. The line consisted of 3.75-inch tall toys which used a universal, five millimeter inter-connective design. Mego cancelled the Micronauts line in 1980. In 2002, Palisades Toys bought the rights to reproduce Micronauts.
The Micronauts comic books were published by Marvel Comics, Image Comics, and Devil's Due Publishing. Their first comic appearance was in 'Micronauts #1' (Marvel, Jan. 1979) with characterizations created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden.
Abrams tells the newspaper that those who doubt whether a board game or science-fiction toy should be accorded star status will be proved wrong.
'Sometimes, when someone is not a celebrity and you are casting them in a role, everyone who is in a seat of authority voices questions about that actor's talent, sex appeal, looks, ability -- their everything,' he says. 'But then they get the role, and suddenly they are on the cover of every magazine, and nobody questions those things again. In retrospect, everyone says, 'Of course that person is a star.'"
Let's hope Abrams can spread his magic on this toy that no Gen-X kid knows about.
Friday, October 9, 2009
J.J. Abrams talks new TREK
From ComingSoon.net:
"With projects like 'Lost', 'Alias', Mission: Impossible III and 'Fringe' on his resume, J.J. Abrams clearly knows the value of keeping secrets and maintaining an air of mystery. But the producer-writer-director also knows the value of a tantalizing tease.
To that end he recently indulged in some intriguing details regarding his highly anticipated future projects, including a sequel to his blockbuster re-imagining of the Star Trek franchise, a fourth Mission: Impossible film and Leonard Nimoy's ongoing involvement in 'Fringe'.
ComingSoon.net was there to hear just what Abrams was willing to reveal.
On whether he's in for shepherding the Star Trek franchise for the long haul, or planning a movie-by-movie involvement:
J.J. Abrams: 'That's a wonderfully optimistic question and I appreciate that, but the answer is that it's obviously just movie-to-movie. The fact that we are now actively discussing the second film is surreal and very nice, and I'm thrilled. I hope that that results in something worthy of your time. But it's one of those things that you just don't know. And so I cannot presume it's gonna be a series that goes beyond those. Do we have ideas for a few movies and have we discussed them? Of course. You can't help but go 'Oh, it would be really cool if we could do this or if we can set that up there!' You throw those things around. But we can't presume it's going to be anything more than now another film that we're lucky enough to do.'
On whether he plans to bring further elements of established Star Trek lore into the re-imagined franchise:
Abrams: 'Going forward, the fun of this movie series is that we will have the opportunity - given its alternate timeline - to cross paths with any of the experiences, places and characters that existed in the original series. We have to be really careful, obviously, doing that. I don't want to do something that is so inside that only die-hard fans will appreciate. We're just now working on the script and just beginning the process of story-breaking, but I guarantee you whatever the story is and whatever the final movie ends up being, I know it will be something that will work on its own terms and be something that you don't need to know and study Star Trek to get. But if you are a fan, there will hopefully be gift after gift of connections, references, characters that you hold near and dear. At least, that's the intent.'
On the possibility of shooting the Star Trek sequel in 3D:
Abrams: 'Paramount talked to me about doing the first one in 3D and, having it only be my second film, I was petrified just at the addition of it. I thought it would be another dimension of pain-in-the-[rear]. I was just like, 'I want to make a decent 2D movie.' I was so worried that instead of being a decent 2D movie it would have been a bad 3D one. I'm open to looking at it because now I feel a little bit more comfortable. And, if I, in fact, direct the Star Trek sequel, 3D could be really fun, so I'm open to it. What I've seen of Avatar makes me want to do it because it's so crazy-cool looking.'
On revisiting the notion of including William Shatner in the sequel:
Abrams: 'The Shatner thing comes up quite a bit. As someone who was a William Shatner fan, in a huge way, just because of 'The Twilight Zone' episodes he did, and then completely appreciating what he did in 'Star Trek', but not really becoming a fan until I started working on this movie, it was a foregone conclusion that we wanted Shatner in the movie. The problem was that his character died on screen in one of the Trek films [Generations], and because we decided very early on, that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon as best we could - which was a huge challenge, because even the original series in many ways didn't always adhere to Trek canon - the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do, given the story we wanted to tell, and also to give him the kind of part that he would be happy with. It was this thing where it would have felt like a gimmick, in order to get Shatner in the movie, which would have honestly, to me, been distracting. Having said that, would it have been fun to have him in the movie? Of course. Would it be great to work with him? No doubt. I was as excited to work with him as I was Mr. Nimoy, who we luckily did have in the film… In terms of moving forward, I am open to anything. I would love to figure out something, given the challenge of introducing these new characters and given the burden of having to cast these people. I feel like the first movie did some of the heavy lifting that needed to be done, in order to free us to continue, going forward. Maybe there's less of a burden and there's going to be more opportunity to work with him again. I would love to work with him. We speak. We actually have a lunch date planned. I'm a fan. I'm a friend of his. Or, he's at least a friend of mine. He may say otherwise on his blog today. I have no idea. But, I really couldn't like him more and would love to work with him.'
On the potential for incorporating Star Trek's tradition of current events allegories and philosophical metaphors into the storyline of the sequel:
Abrams: 'It's hard to give a blanket answer to that question. I do think that, whether it's Star Trek or anything - whatever is being investigated, created or produced now, in movies or TV needs to consider the context in which it is being distributed. It's not a vacuum. There are certain universal themes of love, conflict, loyalty or family that are everlasting and that need to be presented in a way that makes it feel relevant, even if it's a period piece. You need to consider what context that film, that story and those characters are being seen in. But having said that, with Star Trek it's not like we're looking to make the second movie some kind of heavy political allegory. I think that it's important that there is metaphor to what we know and that there is relevance, and I think allegory is the thing that made shows like 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Star Trek' resonate and still be vital today. But because the first movie was so much about introducing these people and it was very much a premise movie about how to bring these people together, it made it difficult to also have the film go as deep as it could, about certain conflict, certain relationships and the heart of who some of these characters are. I think it was successful in what it needed to do to introduce these people, but I feel like now that we've done that, it is the job of the next film to go a little bit deeper. It shouldn't be any less fun or take itself too seriously, but consider who these people are now and grow with them, and just examine them a little more closer, now that we've gotten through the pleasantries and introductions.'
On Leonard Nimoy's recent suggestion that future 'Star Trek' films just might not need him anymore:
Abrams: 'I can't imagine a Star Trek movie not needing him. I'm sure that what he's saying is a combination of modesty and honesty. He may actually feel that way. But, the truth is, we could never have made this movie without him, and working with him again would be a joy. It is clearly too early, given that we are just now talking story, to conclude whether or not Spock Prime is in the film or not. Do I want to work with him again? Of course, one hundred percent. I'd love to.'
On what to expect from Nimoy in his role on the Abrams-produced TV series 'Fringe':
Abrams: 'In terms of his role as William Bell, none of us could believe our luck that we convinced him to say yes to being on the show. He is wonderful on the show. And, I will say that this is not the last you will see of his character… I don't want to give anything away, but this is not the last you'll see of him. He is so good and so wonderful to work with that I wouldn't limit the possibilities of what he'll get to do.'
On the notion of having Nimoy reprise his '60s TV role of Paris in a fourth Mission: Impossible film – and possibly other original cast members as well:
Abrams: 'How cool would that be? I just got a call that Peter Graves is in great shape, which would be a very bizarre bend in the space-time continuum, for obvious reasons. I almost feel like you could make him serious again and bring him back. Whether it's Nimoy, who I have an incredible affinity for, or Graves or anyone, we'll see. I actually tried to get Martin Landau in Mission III, in a very small little moment just for fun, and was told that he had no interest in doing it. But then, when I met him, after the movie came out, it was the greatest thing. We were at this restaurant in New York for one of the TV Upfront parties, and someone introduced me to Landau. They took me over and Martin Landau came over to me, extended his hand, and [pretended to lift a false face off]. That was the greatest thing I'd ever seen!'
On the rest of his future plans in film and TV:
Abrams: 'Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman are running 'Fringe' very well. We're still very involved in that, but they're running that. We have a new series that we just sold to NBC that we're going to be producing. It's a pilot. And there's a movie that I'm writing that I would love to direct, early next year, so we'll see if that comes to fruition. There's a movie [I'm producing] called Morning Glory that's coming out next year – with Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton – that's being edited now. Roger Michell directed that. And we're obviously hard at work on Star Trek 2 and Mission: Impossible IV. There's a LOT that we're working on.'
Star Trek hits DVD and Blu-ray on November 17."
"With projects like 'Lost', 'Alias', Mission: Impossible III and 'Fringe' on his resume, J.J. Abrams clearly knows the value of keeping secrets and maintaining an air of mystery. But the producer-writer-director also knows the value of a tantalizing tease.
To that end he recently indulged in some intriguing details regarding his highly anticipated future projects, including a sequel to his blockbuster re-imagining of the Star Trek franchise, a fourth Mission: Impossible film and Leonard Nimoy's ongoing involvement in 'Fringe'.
ComingSoon.net was there to hear just what Abrams was willing to reveal.
On whether he's in for shepherding the Star Trek franchise for the long haul, or planning a movie-by-movie involvement:
J.J. Abrams: 'That's a wonderfully optimistic question and I appreciate that, but the answer is that it's obviously just movie-to-movie. The fact that we are now actively discussing the second film is surreal and very nice, and I'm thrilled. I hope that that results in something worthy of your time. But it's one of those things that you just don't know. And so I cannot presume it's gonna be a series that goes beyond those. Do we have ideas for a few movies and have we discussed them? Of course. You can't help but go 'Oh, it would be really cool if we could do this or if we can set that up there!' You throw those things around. But we can't presume it's going to be anything more than now another film that we're lucky enough to do.'
On whether he plans to bring further elements of established Star Trek lore into the re-imagined franchise:
Abrams: 'Going forward, the fun of this movie series is that we will have the opportunity - given its alternate timeline - to cross paths with any of the experiences, places and characters that existed in the original series. We have to be really careful, obviously, doing that. I don't want to do something that is so inside that only die-hard fans will appreciate. We're just now working on the script and just beginning the process of story-breaking, but I guarantee you whatever the story is and whatever the final movie ends up being, I know it will be something that will work on its own terms and be something that you don't need to know and study Star Trek to get. But if you are a fan, there will hopefully be gift after gift of connections, references, characters that you hold near and dear. At least, that's the intent.'
On the possibility of shooting the Star Trek sequel in 3D:
Abrams: 'Paramount talked to me about doing the first one in 3D and, having it only be my second film, I was petrified just at the addition of it. I thought it would be another dimension of pain-in-the-[rear]. I was just like, 'I want to make a decent 2D movie.' I was so worried that instead of being a decent 2D movie it would have been a bad 3D one. I'm open to looking at it because now I feel a little bit more comfortable. And, if I, in fact, direct the Star Trek sequel, 3D could be really fun, so I'm open to it. What I've seen of Avatar makes me want to do it because it's so crazy-cool looking.'
On revisiting the notion of including William Shatner in the sequel:
Abrams: 'The Shatner thing comes up quite a bit. As someone who was a William Shatner fan, in a huge way, just because of 'The Twilight Zone' episodes he did, and then completely appreciating what he did in 'Star Trek', but not really becoming a fan until I started working on this movie, it was a foregone conclusion that we wanted Shatner in the movie. The problem was that his character died on screen in one of the Trek films [Generations], and because we decided very early on, that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon as best we could - which was a huge challenge, because even the original series in many ways didn't always adhere to Trek canon - the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do, given the story we wanted to tell, and also to give him the kind of part that he would be happy with. It was this thing where it would have felt like a gimmick, in order to get Shatner in the movie, which would have honestly, to me, been distracting. Having said that, would it have been fun to have him in the movie? Of course. Would it be great to work with him? No doubt. I was as excited to work with him as I was Mr. Nimoy, who we luckily did have in the film… In terms of moving forward, I am open to anything. I would love to figure out something, given the challenge of introducing these new characters and given the burden of having to cast these people. I feel like the first movie did some of the heavy lifting that needed to be done, in order to free us to continue, going forward. Maybe there's less of a burden and there's going to be more opportunity to work with him again. I would love to work with him. We speak. We actually have a lunch date planned. I'm a fan. I'm a friend of his. Or, he's at least a friend of mine. He may say otherwise on his blog today. I have no idea. But, I really couldn't like him more and would love to work with him.'
On the potential for incorporating Star Trek's tradition of current events allegories and philosophical metaphors into the storyline of the sequel:
Abrams: 'It's hard to give a blanket answer to that question. I do think that, whether it's Star Trek or anything - whatever is being investigated, created or produced now, in movies or TV needs to consider the context in which it is being distributed. It's not a vacuum. There are certain universal themes of love, conflict, loyalty or family that are everlasting and that need to be presented in a way that makes it feel relevant, even if it's a period piece. You need to consider what context that film, that story and those characters are being seen in. But having said that, with Star Trek it's not like we're looking to make the second movie some kind of heavy political allegory. I think that it's important that there is metaphor to what we know and that there is relevance, and I think allegory is the thing that made shows like 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Star Trek' resonate and still be vital today. But because the first movie was so much about introducing these people and it was very much a premise movie about how to bring these people together, it made it difficult to also have the film go as deep as it could, about certain conflict, certain relationships and the heart of who some of these characters are. I think it was successful in what it needed to do to introduce these people, but I feel like now that we've done that, it is the job of the next film to go a little bit deeper. It shouldn't be any less fun or take itself too seriously, but consider who these people are now and grow with them, and just examine them a little more closer, now that we've gotten through the pleasantries and introductions.'
On Leonard Nimoy's recent suggestion that future 'Star Trek' films just might not need him anymore:
Abrams: 'I can't imagine a Star Trek movie not needing him. I'm sure that what he's saying is a combination of modesty and honesty. He may actually feel that way. But, the truth is, we could never have made this movie without him, and working with him again would be a joy. It is clearly too early, given that we are just now talking story, to conclude whether or not Spock Prime is in the film or not. Do I want to work with him again? Of course, one hundred percent. I'd love to.'
On what to expect from Nimoy in his role on the Abrams-produced TV series 'Fringe':
Abrams: 'In terms of his role as William Bell, none of us could believe our luck that we convinced him to say yes to being on the show. He is wonderful on the show. And, I will say that this is not the last you will see of his character… I don't want to give anything away, but this is not the last you'll see of him. He is so good and so wonderful to work with that I wouldn't limit the possibilities of what he'll get to do.'
On the notion of having Nimoy reprise his '60s TV role of Paris in a fourth Mission: Impossible film – and possibly other original cast members as well:
Abrams: 'How cool would that be? I just got a call that Peter Graves is in great shape, which would be a very bizarre bend in the space-time continuum, for obvious reasons. I almost feel like you could make him serious again and bring him back. Whether it's Nimoy, who I have an incredible affinity for, or Graves or anyone, we'll see. I actually tried to get Martin Landau in Mission III, in a very small little moment just for fun, and was told that he had no interest in doing it. But then, when I met him, after the movie came out, it was the greatest thing. We were at this restaurant in New York for one of the TV Upfront parties, and someone introduced me to Landau. They took me over and Martin Landau came over to me, extended his hand, and [pretended to lift a false face off]. That was the greatest thing I'd ever seen!'
On the rest of his future plans in film and TV:
Abrams: 'Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman are running 'Fringe' very well. We're still very involved in that, but they're running that. We have a new series that we just sold to NBC that we're going to be producing. It's a pilot. And there's a movie that I'm writing that I would love to direct, early next year, so we'll see if that comes to fruition. There's a movie [I'm producing] called Morning Glory that's coming out next year – with Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton – that's being edited now. Roger Michell directed that. And we're obviously hard at work on Star Trek 2 and Mission: Impossible IV. There's a LOT that we're working on.'
Star Trek hits DVD and Blu-ray on November 17."
Friday, July 17, 2009
Where No DVD Has Gone Before...
From TrekMovie.com:
"This year audiences thrilled at the triumphant voyage of the Starship Enterprise and her young and vibrant crew in movie theaters across the planet - and on November 17, 2009, the world will go where no man has gone before when Star Trek debuts as a... two-disc DVD with digital copy and a single-disc DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment. Bursting with 'spectacular action' (Hollywood Reporter) and 'pure filmmaking exhilaration' (Rolling Stone) director J.J. Abrams' sensational reinvention of the Star Trek franchise was hailed by critics and embraced by long-time and new fans alike, earning over $375 million at the worldwide box office. Starring a hot young cast inclding Chris Pine (Carriers), Zachary Quinto ('Heroes'), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), Karl Urban (The Bourne Supremacy), John Cho (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Anton Yelchin (Terminator Salvation) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), the global smash hit also features seasoned actors such as Eric Bana (Munich), Bruce Greenwood (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), Winona Ryder (Girl, Interrupted) and the original Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.
'I cannot wait for fans of Star Trek to check out the home entertainment release of the film. The behind-the-scenes features on the DVD... give a wonderful look at the crazy hard work and incredible fun that went into making this movie,' said J.J. Abrams. 'The cast and crew were truly extraordinary to work with - watching these special features, you'll see why. And for people who didn't catch Star Trek in the theater, I hope they do now, as Paramount has done with this release; the picture and sound quality are both excellent.'
The Star Trek DVD... will boast out-of-this-world features to take viewers even further into the new universe of the rousing space adventure. The two-disc DVD... include in-depth explorations of the reimagining of the franchise, the phenomenal cast, the spectacularly real action sequences, the powerful score and the captivating aliens, commentary by J.J. Abrams, the writers and producers, a gag reel and a digital copy of the film. Additionally, the discs feature compelling deleted scenes that reveal a side story involving Nero with a first-ever look at Abrams' version of the infamous warrior Klingons.
DVD:
The Star Trek two-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Special features are as follows:
Disc 1:
* Commentary - by director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Bryan Burk
* A New Vision - J.J. Abrams' vision was not only to create a Star Trek that was bigger, more action-packed spectacle, but also to make the spectacle feel real. Every aspect of production - from unique locations to the use of classic Hollywood camera tricks - was guided by this overall objective
* Gag Reel - Bloopers featuring the entire principal cast
Disc 2:
* Digital Copy
* Deleted Scenes with optional commentary:
*Spock Birth
*Klingons Take Over Narada
*Young Kirk, Johnny and Uncle Frank
*Amanda and Sarek Argue After Spock Fights
*Prison Interrogation and Breakout
*Sarek Gets Amanda
*Dorm Room and Kobayashi Maru (original version)
*Kirk Apologizes to the Green Girl
*Sarek Sees Spock
* To Boldly Go - Taking on the world's most beloved science fiction franchise was no small mission. Director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof, and executive producer Bryan Burk talk about the many challenges they faced and their strategy for success
* Casting - The producers knew their greatest task was finding the right cast to reprise these epic roles. The cast, for their part, talk about their experience of trying to capture the essence of these mythic characters. The piece concludes with a moving tribute to Leonard Nimoy
* Aliens - Designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about the hurdles they faced creating new alien species, recreating the Romulans and Vulcans, and designing the terrifying creatures on Delta Vega for the new Star Trek
* Score - As a fan of the original series, composer Michael Giacchino embraced the challenge of creating new music for Star Trek while preserving the spirit of Alexander Courage's celebrated theme
The Star Trek single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. The single-disc DVD includes the commentary, 'A New Vision' and the gag reel."
NOOO!! I have to wait till November?!! NOOO!!
"This year audiences thrilled at the triumphant voyage of the Starship Enterprise and her young and vibrant crew in movie theaters across the planet - and on November 17, 2009, the world will go where no man has gone before when Star Trek debuts as a... two-disc DVD with digital copy and a single-disc DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment. Bursting with 'spectacular action' (Hollywood Reporter) and 'pure filmmaking exhilaration' (Rolling Stone) director J.J. Abrams' sensational reinvention of the Star Trek franchise was hailed by critics and embraced by long-time and new fans alike, earning over $375 million at the worldwide box office. Starring a hot young cast inclding Chris Pine (Carriers), Zachary Quinto ('Heroes'), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), Karl Urban (The Bourne Supremacy), John Cho (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Anton Yelchin (Terminator Salvation) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), the global smash hit also features seasoned actors such as Eric Bana (Munich), Bruce Greenwood (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), Winona Ryder (Girl, Interrupted) and the original Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.
'I cannot wait for fans of Star Trek to check out the home entertainment release of the film. The behind-the-scenes features on the DVD... give a wonderful look at the crazy hard work and incredible fun that went into making this movie,' said J.J. Abrams. 'The cast and crew were truly extraordinary to work with - watching these special features, you'll see why. And for people who didn't catch Star Trek in the theater, I hope they do now, as Paramount has done with this release; the picture and sound quality are both excellent.'
The Star Trek DVD... will boast out-of-this-world features to take viewers even further into the new universe of the rousing space adventure. The two-disc DVD... include in-depth explorations of the reimagining of the franchise, the phenomenal cast, the spectacularly real action sequences, the powerful score and the captivating aliens, commentary by J.J. Abrams, the writers and producers, a gag reel and a digital copy of the film. Additionally, the discs feature compelling deleted scenes that reveal a side story involving Nero with a first-ever look at Abrams' version of the infamous warrior Klingons.
DVD:
The Star Trek two-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Special features are as follows:
Disc 1:
* Commentary - by director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Bryan Burk
* A New Vision - J.J. Abrams' vision was not only to create a Star Trek that was bigger, more action-packed spectacle, but also to make the spectacle feel real. Every aspect of production - from unique locations to the use of classic Hollywood camera tricks - was guided by this overall objective
* Gag Reel - Bloopers featuring the entire principal cast
Disc 2:
* Digital Copy
* Deleted Scenes with optional commentary:
*Spock Birth
*Klingons Take Over Narada
*Young Kirk, Johnny and Uncle Frank
*Amanda and Sarek Argue After Spock Fights
*Prison Interrogation and Breakout
*Sarek Gets Amanda
*Dorm Room and Kobayashi Maru (original version)
*Kirk Apologizes to the Green Girl
*Sarek Sees Spock
* To Boldly Go - Taking on the world's most beloved science fiction franchise was no small mission. Director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof, and executive producer Bryan Burk talk about the many challenges they faced and their strategy for success
* Casting - The producers knew their greatest task was finding the right cast to reprise these epic roles. The cast, for their part, talk about their experience of trying to capture the essence of these mythic characters. The piece concludes with a moving tribute to Leonard Nimoy
* Aliens - Designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about the hurdles they faced creating new alien species, recreating the Romulans and Vulcans, and designing the terrifying creatures on Delta Vega for the new Star Trek
* Score - As a fan of the original series, composer Michael Giacchino embraced the challenge of creating new music for Star Trek while preserving the spirit of Alexander Courage's celebrated theme
The Star Trek single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. The single-disc DVD includes the commentary, 'A New Vision' and the gag reel."
NOOO!! I have to wait till November?!! NOOO!!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
J.J. Abrams accepts the MISSION again
From ComingSoon.net:
"Star Trek director J.J. Abrams tells TV Guide that he will be producing the fourth Mission: Impossible film. 'I am incredibly honored that Tom has invited me back as a producer on Mission: Impossible IV,' said Abrams, who directed 2006's Mission: Impossible III, but hasn't yet committed to directing the fourth. 'Tom and I have come up with a really cool idea we are pursuing,' he added. The third film cost about $150 million to make and earned $397.8 million worldwide. The first pic pulled in $457.7 million worldwide on a $80 million budget and the second took in $546.3 million on a $125 million budget. Abrams' credits include TV shows "Fringe," "Lost," "Alias" and "Felicity."
Well, I saw the third film. Really, really good but not as awesome and cool as Star Trek. Listen here, Tom Cruise - DO NOT INTERFERE WITH STAR TREK: UNTITLED SEQUEL! THERE ARE PLENTY MORE STAR TREK FANS THAN THERE ARE OF YOU!
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"Variety adds that Paramount Pictures is targeting a 2011 release for the sequel. The trade adds that work on Mission: Impossible IV would inevitably be delayed by the busy schedules of the participants. Abrams will be responsible for guiding the Star Trek sequel, while Cruise recently committed to an untitled film (formerly called Wichita) for 20th Century Fox that will be directed by James Mangold and co-star Cameron Diaz."
That's right! Don't mess with Abrams!
"Star Trek director J.J. Abrams tells TV Guide that he will be producing the fourth Mission: Impossible film. 'I am incredibly honored that Tom has invited me back as a producer on Mission: Impossible IV,' said Abrams, who directed 2006's Mission: Impossible III, but hasn't yet committed to directing the fourth. 'Tom and I have come up with a really cool idea we are pursuing,' he added. The third film cost about $150 million to make and earned $397.8 million worldwide. The first pic pulled in $457.7 million worldwide on a $80 million budget and the second took in $546.3 million on a $125 million budget. Abrams' credits include TV shows "Fringe," "Lost," "Alias" and "Felicity."
Well, I saw the third film. Really, really good but not as awesome and cool as Star Trek. Listen here, Tom Cruise - DO NOT INTERFERE WITH STAR TREK: UNTITLED SEQUEL! THERE ARE PLENTY MORE STAR TREK FANS THAN THERE ARE OF YOU!
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"Variety adds that Paramount Pictures is targeting a 2011 release for the sequel. The trade adds that work on Mission: Impossible IV would inevitably be delayed by the busy schedules of the participants. Abrams will be responsible for guiding the Star Trek sequel, while Cruise recently committed to an untitled film (formerly called Wichita) for 20th Century Fox that will be directed by James Mangold and co-star Cameron Diaz."
That's right! Don't mess with Abrams!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
J.J. Abrams tells "Trek purists" to hit the stars
From IMDB.com:
"While the new Star Trek movie is receiving mostly approving reviews from film critics, director J.J. Abrams is apparently bracing for an onslaught of criticism from those he calls 'Star Trek purists.' In an interview with Australia's AAP wire service, Abrams has this advice for them: 'Don't waste your time.' He indicated that he has already heard from some who were particularly critical of the fact that he did not find a slot for William Shatner, the original Capt. Kirk, in the movie. 'For them I say, 'Don't see the movie. You'll just get angry. It is not Shatner playing Kirk, so I do apologize.' And actor Chris Pine, who plays Kirk in the new film, indicated that he went out of his way to avoid watching Shatner movie and TV appearances. 'I know how I work and by watching a lot of Mr. Shatner's performances as Captain Kirk I knew by osmosis I would get on set and try and impersonate Mr. Shatner,' he said. 'It was not my job. I didn't want people to start paying attention to whether I was doing a perfect William Shatner.'"
I was hoping to get the "hit the stars" to mean "hit the road" as in "hit the road, Jack". I'd like to see Chris Pine on some talk show or maybe even Saturday Night Live and have him do the spoken-word version of Elton John's "Rocket Man" as Shatner did before him. Or even the "Get a Life" skit.
"While the new Star Trek movie is receiving mostly approving reviews from film critics, director J.J. Abrams is apparently bracing for an onslaught of criticism from those he calls 'Star Trek purists.' In an interview with Australia's AAP wire service, Abrams has this advice for them: 'Don't waste your time.' He indicated that he has already heard from some who were particularly critical of the fact that he did not find a slot for William Shatner, the original Capt. Kirk, in the movie. 'For them I say, 'Don't see the movie. You'll just get angry. It is not Shatner playing Kirk, so I do apologize.' And actor Chris Pine, who plays Kirk in the new film, indicated that he went out of his way to avoid watching Shatner movie and TV appearances. 'I know how I work and by watching a lot of Mr. Shatner's performances as Captain Kirk I knew by osmosis I would get on set and try and impersonate Mr. Shatner,' he said. 'It was not my job. I didn't want people to start paying attention to whether I was doing a perfect William Shatner.'"
I was hoping to get the "hit the stars" to mean "hit the road" as in "hit the road, Jack". I'd like to see Chris Pine on some talk show or maybe even Saturday Night Live and have him do the spoken-word version of Elton John's "Rocket Man" as Shatner did before him. Or even the "Get a Life" skit.
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