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

Oscar Nominated Composer Steven Price To Score ANT-MAN

Marvel is finally upping their game, concerning the composers of their films. I recent spoke to my opinion on their films having weak scores. Considering that these films will be affectionately compared to Star Wars by a generation, the scores are below the standard (for films of this size) and are pedestrian at best. My thoughts on that might change as Tyler Bates (300, Watchmen) is set to score James Gunn's Guardians of The Galaxy. Another promising name is being added to the Phase Three launch title Ant-Man.

Edgar Wright confirmed today on his Twitter account that BAFTA winner and Oscar nominated composer Steven Price (Gravity) will score Ant-Man. Price has previously worked with Wright on The World's End and Scott Pilgrim. Steven also worked on films such as The Lord of The Rings (Two Towers/Return of The King) and Batman Begins.

Another giant bonus for the project, which recently landed Oscar winner Michael Douglas (The Game, Wall Street, Black Rain ) to play Dr. Hank Pym. It seems Marvel and Edgar are swinging for the fences with everyone involved with Ant-Man. I'm still holding out hope Marvel approaches Michael Giacchino (Star Trek 1-2, Up) and Paul-Leonard Morgan (Dredd) to score future Marvel films, since they need that caliber of composer going forward.




SOURCE: EDGARWRIGHT

Edgar Wright Is Developing A New Horror Project

Edgar Wright confirms to ThePlaylist and ScreenRant that he's currently developing a horror film. Don't get your hopes up it will be a feature-film version of his Grindhouse trailer Don't. He says it's a straight horror film and won't be a comedy. Killing hopes it would be similar to the dark comedy Sightseers which Wright produced. This project won't be Night Stalker which he's putting together for Disney with Johnny Depp attached as the lead. At the very least Don't proves that Edgar has an eye for horror and could deliver a terrifying film on the level of friends Eli Roth and Ben Wheatley.

"I’m actually developing a horror film that’s not funny in the slightest. It’s funny, when people ask me, ‘Are you ever going to do a feature of Don’t!?’ I say I’d rather do a straight horror film, to be honest.”

“Yes, I am [working on that]. I’m actually developing it with Big Talk and Film 4. It’s something I’ve been doing a lot of research on and I want to write at some point once I’m stopped with this crazy promotion for this movie. I want to do something that’s very visual and has very little dialogue. All of my films have been very dialogue heavy and that’s great. It always makes it more of a challenge to market in other countries. I like watching films that can play in any language because they’re essentially silent.”

SPECULATION: ANT-MAN Script Is Done And Could Benedict Cumberbatch Be In The Running For The Lead?

Edgar Wright confirms to DigitalSpy that Ant-Man script he co-wrote with Joe Cornish (Attack The Block) is finally completed. It's expected that casting will be underway soon with the release of World's End on the horizon. Edgar will likely begin production as soon as Guardians completes it's UK production. As previously rumored that Ant-Man would need extra post-production for the effects-heavy film. Giving enough time to get the special effects right for it's November 2015 release date. It's expected that Ant-Man will begin shooting before Avengers 2, so casting could be already underway over in the UK. We've heard previously names like Armie Hammer, Bradley Cooper, Joel Edgerton and Nathan Fillion being linked before, but I have an idea who might actually be already in mind (yet, not announced by outlets). 

While nothing has exactly concretely linked Benedict Cumberbatch to Ant-Man in previous reports, he's been on Marvel's radar for a while. Ben has a large international following which would be needed to give Ant-Man the giant promotional push it would need to get audiences excited for the new property. He also has previous history of working with a high volume of Marvel alumni such as Tom Hiddleston/Loki (War Horse),  Scarlett Johansson/Black Widow (The Other Boleyn Girl), Natalie Portman/Jane Foster (The Other Boleyn Girl), Toby Jones/Zola (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy/Amazing Grace), Anthony Mackie/Falcon (Fifth Estate), Dominic Cooper/Howard Star (Starter For 10), Rebecca Hall/ (Starter For 10), James McAvoy/Charles Xavier (Atonement), Michael Fassbender/Magneto (12 Years A Slave), Scarlet Witch hopeful Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) and almost Iron Man 3 actress Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak). Below are few more tidbits linking him to both Edgar Wright and the production. 

Edgar quietly revealed shooting an action sequence in Star Trek Into Darkness (pictured above) which had people thinking it was Ant-Man or Iron Man 3 related (which it wasn't). The scene in question was John Harrison (Cumberbatch) and the Enterprise crew facing a unit of Klingons in a heated battle scene. Marvel has been gaga over actors from J.J. Abrams' Star Trek franchise. Hiring Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Zoe Salanda (Gamora in Guardians of The Galaxy) for lead roles, while Chris Pine and Alice Eve have been linked for tests.

Edgar and Joe Cornish have previously worked with Sherlock creator/show runner Steven Moffatt on Peter Jackson's The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn. Ben and Martin Freeman just happen to star in that series. Wright is also friends with Peter Jackson who produced the film (expected to direct it's sequels) who directs both Ben and Martin in the Hobbit Trilogy.

Ben's Sherlock and Hobbit co-star Martin Freeman is close friends with Edgar taking roles in his cornetto trilogy (Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and a leading role in The World's End).

Ben visited Edgar during the editing of World's End, which is rumored to be the same time he's quietly taking early meetings with potential actors for Ant-Man.

Steven Moffatt and Benedict visited the Marvel offices to do an interview about Sherlock. Before leaving he playfully posed with Avengers cut-outs, a possible hint to his future? At the time everyone thought this meant he was going to play Strange.

Large Group Of Posters For Edgar Wright's WORLD'S END

New UK Poster For Edgar Wright's WORLD'S END

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Wouldn't Mind Taking A Role In ANT-MAN To Work With Edgar Wright Again

While Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Smashed, Scott Pilgrim, Death Proof, Die Hard 4) has been on Marvel's radar for years but hasn't landed a role yet. MEW had been in the running for the role of Agent Maria Hill in Avengers along with an unofficial link to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. IFC asked on the Spirit Awards Red Carpet if the actress would like to reunite with Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright. She said she'd jump at the chance and even leaves the door open for a role in Ant-Man.

“Sure, I can be in ‘Ant-Man.’ Why not?” she said. “I love him and hopefully we’ll work together again.”

Ant-Man is expected to begin production when Guardians of The Galaxy wraps up in London. The extensive post-production needed for the film would likely mean it could start shooting even before Avengers 2. Her possible role? Considering she's been linked for leads it's very possible that The Wasp is a strong candidate. However, there are rumblings that Wasp "might" show up in Iron Man 3 but nothing has been confirmed.

Empire Releases Two New Images From Edgar Wright's WORLD'S END

Martin Freeman And Eddie Marsan Join THE WORLD'S END

HeatVision reports that Martin Freeman (Hitchhiker's Guide, The Hobbit, Sherlock) and Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, Alice Creed, Happy Go-Lucky) have joined the cast of The World's End. The final installment of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's comedy/genre trilogy. End focuses on a group of friends reconnecting during an epic pub crawl (ala The Big Chill). Meanwhile, there could be an alien invasion happening around them. Pegg and Nick Frost star in the film alongside new additions Rosamund Pike and Paddy Considine.