Sci-Fi Storm

Simon Pegg isn’t just a comedian and an actor with a penchant for playing zombie chased and starship engineer Scotsmen…he’s also written a number of screenplays. Now he may be co-writing the biggest one of his career – he is teaming up with Doug Jung, the creator of series Dark Blue, to write the script for Star Trek 3 for director Justin Lin, who himself took over from Roberto Orci.

Not much else is know as they are reportedly just getting started. But perhaps we’ll see even more Scotty this time?

I did resist saying that he was “pegged” to co-write the script… 🙂

The director’s chair isn’t even broken in for Justin Lin yet, but he has a deadline for the new Star Trek film – Paramount has set the release date to the currently empty weekend of July 8th, 2016. The closest genre competition at this point that I am aware of would be Captain America 3: Civil War, which opens a full 2 months prior.

After the abrupt departure of Roberto Orci as heir-apparent of the Star Trek franchise, the Enterprise has a new skipper at the helm in the form of Justin Lin, who revived the Fast & Furious franchise and directed four of the films.

Lin was in line to direct the next Bourne Legacy installment, but that was temporarily shelved in favor of a returning Matt Damon and another Bourne Identity film, opening up Lin’s schedule.

I only hope that he doesn’t end up continuing the high-speed improbable action sequences…I want a return to thought-provoking Trek.

The droid BB-8 (or as I call him, “soccer ball”) that rolled around in the teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, seemed almost certainly CGI…we’ve never seen anything real like it.

But it turns out, as part of J.J. Abrams return to practical effects and models, this little ball was real – at least in the sense that it was a physical model that actually DID roll around.

According to this article, Mark Hamill saw in it action, and even got to play with it. “And when they were demonstrating how they did this thing, live on set — because it’s not CGI, that’s a live prop — I was just amazed,” he said. “They let me play around with it. I was running it all around at the creature shop up in Pinewood. I’m telling you, it’s an absolute delight.”

And now I will be seriously disappointed if I can’t buy this thing for Christmas next year.

Here is the latest trailer for Insurgent, the second in the Divergent Series starring Shailene Woodley.

In Theaters 3/20/15

Deadline reported last evening and then Variety seems to have confirmed that Paramount is kicking Roberto Orci out of the director’s chair for the Star Trek franchise.

The heir-apparent to J.J. Abrams, who left one franchise to take on Star Wars for Disney/Lucasfilm, apparently continued to butt heads with the studio over plans for the direction of the film/franchise (in one rumor I heard it involved a time machine gimmick that could have invalidated the events of the first two movies). He will remain on as a producer.

Paramount now needs to scramble to fill the center seat if they hope to still make a planned 2016 release. Rumors swirl about a short list already, with Trek fan Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) at the top of the list.

In the “Marvel but someone else is in charge” department…

The X-Men franchise spinoff Deadpool movie is finally moving forward, and Ryan Reynolds will reprise the role he originated in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In that film, the character of Wade Wilson, an amoral expert in martial arts, particularly with a pair of katanas he can wield fast enough to defend against bullets, is believed to be killed but instead is turned into Deadpool by Striker, having absorbed the ability of other mutants including Wolverine’s healing. Wolverine and Sabretooth appear to kill him, but some DVD materials imply he somehow survives.

The rumors can end now, because they are true…Benedict Cumberbatch, who has suddenly become the quintessential British actor who is everyone’s first choice for any role that needs to be cast, except perhaps for female roles, and even then…is now going to step into the comics media world on the side of Marvel.

The actor, best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock as well as the evil Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness, and most recently as the voice and mo-cap actor behind the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit films and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate, will attempt to keep Disney/Marvel’s streak of hits alive in Phase 2 by taking on the role of Doctor Strange.

It took over a month, but reports are that the deal is done and producer Kevin Feige has scored another superstar to be a superhero.

Despite that the name “Benedict Cumberbatch” comes up in every dream casting call (Fred Flintstone? Benedict Cumberbatch! Lassie? Benedict Cumberbatch!), the role seems almost meant for him. From our earlier description:

The character of Doctor Strange is a former egotistical neurosurgeon who after becoming severely injured in a car crash to the point he could no longer conduct surgery and falls into bankruptcy trying to repair his hands, finds his way tho a hermit known only as the Ancient One – who after a selfless act by Strange teaches him the mystic arts. Strange then becomes the Sorcerer Supreme — the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats.

Benedict Cumberbatch!

Doctor Strange is scheduled for November 4th, 2016, and will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe…so crossovers are possible.

It’s here! It’s here!!!!

And yes, this is the OFFICIAL trailer, not the so-called “leaked international trailer” which was just a fan mashup of various pieces of media…

In case you were worried that you couldn’t get to one of the only 30 U.S. theaters that will be showing the upcoming trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Friday, fret not – the Force is with you still. The trailer will be launched on iTunes Trailers as well, according to this official tweet:

The Force is with you on #BlackFriday when #TheForceAwakens teaser hits @iTunesTrailers.

— Star Wars (@starwars) November 26, 2014