Simon Pegg Rewriting STAR TREK 3 Script, Will He GUARDIANS It Up For Paramount?

Deadline reports that Paramount has hired Simon Pegg and Doug Jung (Dark Blue) to rewrite the existing Star Trek 3 script. They might be under the gun as production is expected to being in April. Considering it's projected production start I'm expecting this is more of a punch-up than a page-one rewrite. The extent of the rewrites wasn't revealed in the report.

The studio really doesn't want to push that July 2016 release date as it meets the 50th anniversary of the franchise.

Another angle could be that everything in Roberto Orci's version of the film is getting kicked to the curb. Having two writers coming in to rewrite could mean a complete rewrite wouldn't take as long, but they don't have a huge amount of time to do that. A script by Patrick McKay and John D. Payne was ready to go when Orci was originally hired to direct the third installment but he would be eventually replaced with Fast And Furious franchise director Justin Lin.

Rumors of Roberto blocking other candidates such as Joe Cornish and Rupert Wyatt, to get his way into the director's chair were making the rounds. Let's remember, Orci was a screenwriter without a single directing credit to his name but was hired to direct a huge blockbuster. A move that had a lot of people scratching their heads, since Roberto had plenty of opportunity to direct on the many television shows he wrote for and created.

Will Keenser turn into a wisecracking son of gun?

 Apparently, the original vision for the film involved a new alien race and the rehashing of the time-travel trope to force a William Shatner cameo on audiences. Something I honestly don't want to see since Shatner's Kirk had a great exit in Generations.

Paramount scrapping the script could be happening due to talk of the studio wanting the film to include a lot more comedy using Guardians of The Galaxy as a blueprint. A huge tonal shift for even this version of the Star Trek universe which has some comedic moments but isn't focused on it.

The Guardians comparison isn't that bizarre since it's said hey are trying to make Keenser the Trek version of Rocket Raccoon. He doesn't speak so that's going to be a hard sell unless they give him a voice communicator.

Why spend two movies setting up Klingons not to make them villains?

I'm a bit more shocked that the Klingons aren't going to be our main villains, as far as we know. We've seen J.J. Abrams and the writers basically setup the combative alien warriors in the last two films. At the end of Into Darkness possibly have planted seeds for a full-scale war between The Klingon Empire and The Federation which had been looming for a while.

Considering the script is getting an overhaul or just a punch-up we could see a lot of these rumored elements nixed or just improved. At the very least we can expect some really funny moments via Pegg.

Simon of course having huge comedic screenwriting chops from co-writing Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy which includes Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End. Doug Jung recently wrote the film Diamond for Bad Robot and Paramount which would explain his connection as well.



SOURCE: DEADLINE

BOURNE 4 Gets Out Of The Way For STAR TREK 3 And Release Moves To Late July 2016

Universal has moved the Bourne 4 release date to July 29th, 2016 (via Deadline). The move is to give some breathing-space between the releases of Star Trek 3 directed by Justin Lin and the untitled fourth Jason Bourne film. Paul Greengrass is back as the director after helming the last two sequels.

Funny thing, Justin Lin was aiming to direct the Bourne Legacy sequel with Jeremy Renner but the film was put on hold when Damon returned. There is some talk that Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross could factor into the next installment, mainly to help boost that spin-off franchise.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Justin Lin Replaces Roberto Orci As STAR TREK 3 Director

Director Justin Lin might be apart of Fast And Furious franchise directing the last four installments, but has helped turned that dumb series of films into something fun. We all have to admit those movies have been better with each installment, and Justin is apart of that success. He's been bouncing back and fourth with a bunch of different projects. Lining-up potential directing gigs with projects like Terminator 5, Highlander, The Crow and eventually deciding on the sequel to The Bourne Legacy. The latter project was recently delayed because of Matt Damon returning to the Bourne series, and that film was getting made first.

It looks like he's finally found his next film, as reports he's replaced Roberto Orci as the new director of Star Trek 3. Orci stepped-down recent and Paramount put-out a search that included names such as Rupert Wyatt and Lin. It seemed like Wyatt was the frontrunner, considering being linked before Orci, having the blessing of producer J.J. Abrams and having great success rebooting Planet of The Apes with Rise of The Planet of The Apes. There is even chatter that Roberto Orci is still very much involved as a producer, but won't be contributing to the script.

While audiences seemingly enjoyed the last two films, in the era of blockbusters I'm sure Paramount is a bit disappointed the films haven't broken $500M worldwide. Perhaps, Justin will be able to pump new energy into the franchise which is having problems attracting international audiences. Considering the last film cost $190M+ to make, the studio would likely want a much bigger return.

The release date has also been officially set for July 8th, 2016. A date that will see the film arrive just in time for the 50th anniversary of the original series.

SOURCE: VARIETY

STAR TREK 3 Directors Short-List Has Abrams Approved Rupert Wyatt As Paramount's Top Choice

Now that we've seen Paramount come to their senses and Roberto Orci step-down as director of Star Trek 3, more potential replacements have been revealed. Deadline is reporting that directors like Rupert Wyatt (The Gambler, Rise of The Planet of The Apes), Morten Tyldum (Intimidation Game, Headhunters), Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Snabba Cash, Child 44), Justin Lin (Fast And Furious 3-6) and Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code, Warcraft) are new names on a studio short-list. Wyatt reportedly being the top choice for the gig.

Previously mentioned candidate Edgar Wright isn't named in this grouping.

While my first pick here would be sci-fi savy Duncan Jones. I can understand why the studio would want Rupert Wyatt to direct. Considering, he's already helped Fox reboot their Planet of The Apes franchise. It's possible that he could help push the Trek franchise past a trilogy.



This isn't the first time his name has been in the mix for the third installment. Originally, he had been in the rumormill as a possible candidate. J.J. Abrams spoke to HitFix in 2013, about the potential of hiring Rupert to replace him as director. It also doesn't hurt he just worked with Paramount for his remake of The Gambler.

"I know Rupert and he's incredibly talented and we'd be lucky to have someone as talented as Rupert. But there are things we're focusing on right now before the director, which is just sort of the fundamentals of where the story is gonna go."

Justin Lin would be interesting as well, only problem he's played this game before. Lin attaching himself to projects like Highlander, Terminator 5 and others just to jump-ship. He's currently lined-up to helm the Bourne Legacy sequel with Jeremy Renner, but it's been delayed due to Matt Damon's return to the franchise. That said, he's helped build-up the Fast And Furious franchise to new levels of fandom and is said to be returning for it's finale.





SOURCE: DEADLINE

Tom Cruise Courted For Ramirez Role In HIGHLANDER Reboot

TheWrap reports that Summit is looking to cast Tom Cruise in the Ramirez role in their Highlander reboot. The Japanese sword wielding Spanish immortal mentor of protagonist MacLoead, who was bizarrely played by Scottish actor Sean Connery. They are quick to point-out this is Summit reaching out to Cruise, and talks haven't started.

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan will be make his feature debut with the film, with Neal H. Mortiz and former director Justin Lin acting as producers. Ryan Reynolds was attached for the longest time for the lead role, but Jeff suggests Dan Stevens (The Guest) for the part instead, I can't help but agree with him.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

Matt Damon And Paul Greengrass Will Return To Make Fourth BOURNE Installment

Universal is doubling-down on it's Bourne franchise. We've been hearing rumblings that Matt Damon could be returning to the Bourne role for a year or so. In 2013, Twitch originally reported talks between Matt and the studio to reprise the super-spy. His return is now being confirmed by Deadline. There had been chatter that Jeremy Renner and Matt Damon could share screen time in an installment, but that idea was never confirmed by the studio. LatinoReview scooped this story back in June being the reason for delays on Justin Lin's sequel, but met with nothing denials.

After the success of Bourne Ultimatum,  Matt and director Paul Greengrass tried to put together a fourth film. This pitch didn't go-over well at Universal, as they rejected it. The two went-off to make Iraq-War thriller Green Zone instead, and Greengrass earned some acclaim for Captain Philips. Universal, unfazed by this move put forward a reboot of sorts with Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross in Bourne Legacy. While the film was set within the same Bourne universe, it failed to make a huge impact with audiences. A sequel was still put into motion with Justin Lin (Fast and Furious, Fast Five) set to direct and a very busy Renner attached to star. The new report suggests that Renner's sequel might be put on-hold. Lin was recently linked for directing a couple of episodes of True Detective for HBO, this delay could allow him time to make that commitment.

The Bourne Legacy sequel which was being aimed for a July 16th, 2016 release date. However, it seems like the Damon flick will try to take that spot instead. There is some doubt when Renner's spin-off will shoot, as the project is still in development. Matt is about to begin production on the Ridley Scott science fiction film The Martian, so they'll have some time to get that script ready for production.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW DEADLINE

RUMOR: Matt Damon Teaming-Up With Jeremy Renner For BOURNE 5?

Sometimes when a rumor is too good and extremely likely, it has a very hard time going away. We've been hearing for years that Matt Damon has been considering returning to Universal's Bourne franchise. There were even rumblings that Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross could be paired-up with Bourne in future films. Well that talk has resurfaced, and it's coming from a very creditable source.

LatinoReview is reporting that the reason Universal has delayed Justin Lin's (Fast And Furious 6) Bourne 5, is to include Matt Damon in the film. THR reported the fifth installment was originally set for August 14th, 2015, the film is being delayed and is now being released on July 15th, 2016. LR believes this new delay is to allow Damon join the production.

It's not surprising since Bourne Legacy didn't set the world on fire, and Matt's last few movies haven't done too well at the box office. Damon returning to the series that allowed him to make the jump to the world of action films, might be just what he needs to reenergize himself. I doubt that Renner will be stepping-aside, since he's about to take a big role in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

SAW's James Wan Will Direct FAST AND FURIOUS 7

Deadline adds another name to the list of possible directors for Fast And Furious 7. They say that Universal is very interested in James Wan (Saw, Insidious) and are currently in finalizing talks. James even has franchise director Justin Lin backing him up. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are expected to return with a rather large action star playing the villain. The film set for a Summer shoot might not have Dwayne Johnson or a few others returning.

Wan's horror smash-hit Saw is still one of the more unique films of the genre in the last fifteen years, making it a favorite of mine. Hopefully he can bring the Fast And Furious franchise full circle to awesome thriller from over the top action fest. It will be interesting to see who Universal gets to replace Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans and possibly Gina Carano.

LONE WOLF AND CUB Next For Director Justin Lin?

It was revealed by THR this week that director Justin Lin won't be making Fast And Furious 7 leaving a bit of a window for him to make one his many projects he's attached himself to. One of the them being his recent involvement with a western take on the classic Japanese manga tale Lone Wolf And Cub. Which was revealed that Janet and David Peoples were tasked write the film's script back in March 2012. The screenwriting pair are best known for writing the scripts for Twelve Monkeys, Blade Runner and Unforgiven. David is also currently working with Ridley Scott and Alcon Entertainment on a sequel to Blade Runner. At one point Darren Aronofsky was also trying to make a version the adaptation but ultimately they lost the rights. I expect that Lin might be able to make Lone Wolf next if the script is completed.



The manga series was turned into a very successful string of gory samurai exploitation films in Japan. One of them with the American title Shogun Assassin which would influence Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. There hasn't been an update in a while but it's possible that more talk on it's development will be sparked during the press tour for Fast And Furious 6. Considering the massive amount of material that led to five original films there's a strong possibility this could be another franchise for Justin. I assume this one will be based on Sword of Vengeance and could even take the title. Since Lin's strong relationship with Universal I wouldn't be shocked to see them pickup distribution rights for the film.

"Ogami Itto, the Shogun’s elite executioner. In an attempt to take his position, the rival Yagyu clan falsely accuses Itto of a crime and murders his wife. Disgraced, Itto is forced to wander Japan with his three-year-old son Daigoro as an assassin for hire, earning the title 'Lone Wolf and Cub.' Ultimately, Itto and Daigoro seek revenge on the Yagyu clan."

Three Directors In The Mix For FAST AND FURIOUS 7, Expected To Shoot This Summer For 2014 Release Date

Universal sees a way to expand it's franchise beyond Fast And Furious 6 but will have to do it without director Justin Lin. As Justin is walking away from making the seventh installment to focus on many other developing projects. Universal on the other hand is looking to shoot the next sequel this Summer without Lin for Summer 2014 release date according to THR. LatinoReview also reports the first three names linked to the director search. Which includes Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2), Brad Furman (Lincoln Lawyer, Runner Runner) and Harald Zwart (Karate Kid Remake). The former seems to have already impressed the studio with his action heavy sequel to Kick-Ass. Which might make Wadlow the standout so far but could slow down plans to release Kick-Ass 3. Dwayne Johnson will be shooting Hercules this Summer so it's unknown if he'll be among the cast for this next one or will have to make due with a cameo. Johnson revealed to Empire that it's possible his character Luke Hobbs could end up getting a spin-off.

I assume that Justin might be getting tired of having to dropout of films like Terimator 5 and The Highlander because of his commitments to Fast And Furious. He'll also be busy with post on the sixth film while pre-production work on the next film will be have to be underway for it's Summer shoot. This could be mean he might end up jumping into a another film not to soon after the release. Lin still has his Lone Wolf And Cub adaptation that could go next if the script is ready to go.

Theatrical Trailer For FAST AND FURIOUS 6, This Time It's Vehicular Warfare

RUMOR: Actor Star To Be A Supervillain Of FAST AND FURIOUS 7?

Universal is really starting to put scale, money and talent behind their Fast And Furious franchise. The sixth installment looks to be more entertaining this round with a bonus addition of having The Hobbit's Luke Evans as the villain and Gina Carano of Haywire kicking ass alongside Dwayne Johnson. It seems the changes in the quality is appealing enough to get another action heavy actor involved for the next sequel. AICN has learned the identity of the Fast And Furious 7 villain and it's going to be played by a very well known action star.

Extended First Look For FAST AND THE FURIOUS 6

FAST AND FURIOUS 6 Super Bowl Spot Makes It Finally Look Like A Fun Ride

'TERMINATOR 5' Shooting In 2013 And Picks Up After 'TERMINATOR SALVATION' ?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in full force as he's already got three large action films heading to theaters with Expendables 2, The Last Stand and The Tomb. He's now talking up his involvement with Terminator 5 that had director Justin Lin (Fast Five) attached. Arnie confirms to ActionEffects (via MovieHole) that the fifth installment will shoot sometime in 2013 which will lead into a sixth and final film. It's revealed for the first time the next movie will be a continuation of Termination Salvation even though the people involved weren't happy with McG's work. The mentioning of Terminator Salvation could mean that Christian Bale might be returning as John Connor. However, take this "news" with a grain of salt as the original source has deleted the page. There had been rumblings of the fifth film bringing back the time-travelling element back to the franchise. While I didn't love Salvation it had some great set design minus the terrible Terminator designs.

“I can’t say to much they want it held in secret if you know what I mean, but I will say that next year I will start filming it and it’s going to be one of the hardest films I have ever done I can tell you that already for sure”, Schwarzenegger said “… they have six months set aside just for filming, so I will be training and getting into the best physical shape I possibly can before filming starts. It does follow Salvation although some of the producers and franchise owner were not too happy about the job McG did with it but they felt it was good enough to continue on and they want the fifth and sixth installments to be the closing of the franchise.”

Ryan Reynolds Frontrunner For 'HIGHLANDER'

ShowBlitz has interesting casting news today as Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is now the frontrunner for the lead in the Highlander reboot. No official offer has been made but it's looking good and Ryan doesn't often turn down these type of roles. The assumption is that Ryan will play Colin, a Scottish highlander who discovers he's an immortal while fatally wounded on the battlefield only to be resurrected. Under the guidance of an elder immortal he's taught the rules and limits of his new powers. He chugs along for hundreds of years living through the highlights and downsides of history, until the president day story begins. The immortals are locked in a struggle to become the only one left alive. An immortal can only be killed by their head being cut-off. When the duel is over the winner absorbs the fallen immortal's energy which in-turn increases their power/strength and immortality. Some immortals like Colin keep a close group of immortals as friends instead of hacking their heads off for power.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) is set direct and replaced Justin Lin (Fast Five) who had to drop out of the project to focus on Fast Six. Iron Man scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway came on to do rewrites but the quality of the film won't be known until we get a trailer. It's an interesting choice considering Ryan's massive Green Lantern flop and negative buzz surrounding his next comic book project R.I.P.D. However, he did have a number one hit with Safe House that co-starred Denzel Washington. Hopefully it light another fire under 20th Century Fox to finally get Deadpool made. It's unknown at this point if this will be a complete reboot of the franchise or stay faithful to same beats of the original film. A villain hasn't been named but it's possible a new super-immortal could be introduced along with non-villainous immortals that Colin plays nice with.

David Tennant Wanted For 'FAST SIX'?

LatinoReview has word British actor David Tennant (Harry Potter, Doctor Who) is in talks with director Justin Lin for a role in Fast Six. His role is currently unknown but with the film heading to London it would make sense to sprinkle the sequel with local talent. Luke Evans is being linked for the villain role so it's possible David could be aligned with Evans or apart of Scotland Yard.

Luke Evans Offered Villain Role In 'FAST SIX'

Universal seems to be aiming high for Fast And The Furious 6. Twitch reports that Welsh actor Luke Evans has been offered the villain role which had previously Jason Statham turned down. The budding actor has all over the place lately with roles in Clash of The Titans, Robin Hood, Blitz (with Statham), Three Musketeers, Immortals, The Raven and the two Hobbit films. According to Dwayne Johnson the film will be shooting in London and Berlin. It will be starring Dwayne, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and possibly Haywire's Gina Carano.

Gina Carano In Talks For 'FAST SIX'

HeatVision reports that MMA fighter turned action star Gina Carano (Haywire) is in talks to take a role alongside Dwayne Johnson in Fast Six. The sixth film in the Fast And The Furious franchise is said to be shooting in London and Berlin. Previously the last film has gone in a more serious/gritty direction so it will be interesting to see how adding more "real" action stars to the cast plays out. Jason Statham had been rumored for a role but has since shot down the project.

Terminator 5 Will Be Rated R

Expendables 2 has been confirmed to be wussing out and pushing for a PG-13 to get a slightly boosted box office return. It seems like a terrible move that had been made by Warner Bros. with Terminator Salvation. The film was a failure due to it's weak rating and the writers' strike hurting the script. Oddly, enough there is word on Terminator 5 from Megan Ellison (Annapurna Pictures) who currently owns the rights. She tweeted (via AICN) confirmation that the fifth film will be R. Last word was that Justin Lin (Fast Five) was attached to direct with the possible inclusion of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"We can't really tell you guys anything about Terminator BUT it will be an R rated film as God and James Cameron intended."