What we previously knew about the plot of Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins: Christian Bale plays an older John Connor; a young Kyle Reese shows up in the form of Anton Yelchin; Sam Worthington plays some guy named Marcus. After Skynet brings about a nuclear near-apocalypse, our heroes must keep the machines from wiping out the rest of humanity. That's it. Now, thanks to a Warner Bros. start-of-production press release we know a lot more -- or do we?

"In the highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind."

If you read that a couple of times, it doesn't really make very much sense ("the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part..."?). Studio marketing departments aren't known for lucid prose. It's not clear whether the human resistance Connor's going to lead (or so we keep being told) actually gets formed in this movie, or how Reese -- Connor's father -- enters the picture. But at least we have a sense of the storyline, and of who "Marcus" is. Parenthetically, we also learn that Charlotte Gainsbourg will take over as Kate Connor -- the Claire Danes role from Rise of the Machines.

After a lot of hemming and hawing, some hopeful casting news, and outrage over McG being attached to direct, it looks like Terminator 4 is good to go.

There are a few things to glean from this Hollywood Reporter story. First, obviously, is what's in the headline: Moon Bloodgood, who played Generic Love Interest in Pathfinder and starred in the canceled television series Journeyman, has been cast as the female lead, a survivor of the nuclear holocaust we witnessed at the end of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. She joins Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, and Anton Yelchin. Second, notwithstanding earlier reports to the contrary, the third sequel is apparently still called Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. Finally, the movie is scheduled to begin principal photography on May 5th, which means that barring some Terry Gilliam-scale disaster, this long-speculated-about project is actually happening.

Count me among the McG skeptics. Previous installments of this franchise have been helmed by world-class action movie craftsmen (disclaimer: I am a fan of Jonathan Mostow), and I'm not convinced that McG has either the chops or the instincts to fill their shoes. The mincemeat he made of a terrific story in We Are Marshall doesn't inspire confidence, and the pyrotechnics of the Charlie's Angels films don't tell me much. That said, I'm excited for the Terminator saga to continue, since there's a lot more of this story to tell (and since Google is currently building SkyNet). Has anyone been watching the Fox TV show?

Terminator IV doesn't yet have a replacement title -- but it apparently has a Kyle Reese. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anton Yelchin is set to star alongside Christian Bale in the franchise reboot, set for release in May 2009.

It seems a bit early to be dragging John Connor's father-to-be into the story, doesn't it? If this is really going to be an ongoing franchise, the "My dad was also my comrade" seems like a juicy plot point that might be worth holding back. Otherwise, you're just remaking The Sarah Connor Chronicles instead of that War Against the Machines saga everyone's been wanting.

But the film has not only gained a new cast member, but possibly a new writer. Paul Haggis is in talks to come on board to work on the script, with production scheduled to begin in early May. Haggis has certainly shown he can handle a franchise reboot with James Bond -- perhaps we'll see a Terminator film in the same style. One can hope.

At any rate, how thrilled must Yelchin be to land Pavel Chekhov and Kyle Reese? They should cast him as Paul Aterides next.

Charlie Bartlett is Juno's dorkier, needier cousin, the one who's watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off too many times. Am I talking about the teenage title characters or the films themselves? Both, to a certain extent. Charlie Bartlett is a standard coming-of-age comedy with some amusing quirks, but as with Juno, I found myself enjoying the company of the older characters in the film far more than the teen leads.

Poor little rich kid Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) wants nothing more than to see all his high-school peers look up to him. So he does crazy dumb things that get him kicked out of a progression of private schools, like making amazingly realistic fake IDs. As a result, his dippy but sweet mom (Hope Davis) sends him to public high school, where his private-school ways make him an instant pariah. But he's determined to fit in and tries to find a niche to fill. Charlie eventually ends up pulling more crazy stunts, but settles down to helping kids with his bathroom psychiatry gig. Still, his antics aren't going over at all well with Principal Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.), especially since Charlie seems interested in Gardner's daughter Susan (Kat Dennings).

Look at movie photo. Insert caption. Win awesome prizes. Repeat. Last week, we asked you to get all kinds of witty for a photo from the new romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe, starring Ryan Reynolds as a guy who definitely knows how to entertain little Abigail Breslin with stories from his past. Throw a bunch of C.D.'s (what are those?) into the equation, and the musical references -- combined with your admiration for Mr. Reynolds -- were plentiful (and somewhat hilarious). Congrats to Bob B. who turned Ashlee Simpson (who's she?) into a household name ... again.

1. "I don't know how she does it, but Ashlee Simpson really knows how to speak to me in a way few artists can." -- Bob B.

2. "Ryan comes clean after castmates uncover a long hidden secret from his past, as Ricky Reynolds, the first American boy in the 1984 reformation of the boy band Menudo." -- Eric W.

3. "I'll be honest with you, I love his music, I do, I'm a Michael Bolton fan. For my money, I don't know if it gets any better than when he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman"". -- Anthony G.

See full image and all captions

This week, we're heading back to high school with the ever-so-optimistic Charlie Bartlett. The film stars Anton Yelchin as a rich kid who becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist to the student body of his new high school. (And can you guess where he holds most of his sessions? Hint: There's more than enough paper to go around.) One lucky grand prize winner will get to take home a totally sweet original Charlie Bartlett painting designed by pro skater/icon Steve Caballero. You can check out the painting to the right, and click on it for a larger version. Sound off below fellow captioners ... but do take it easy on the toilet humor. Zing!

Read the official rules for this contest

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for Charlie Bartlett (click on the image for a larger version), starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis and Kat Dennings. In the film, Yelchin plays a Ferris Bueller-type kid who, after being booted from his prep school for making fake I.D.s, quickly becomes his new high school's self-appointed psychiatrist ... with a little help from his nutty mom (Davis), his new girlfriend (Dennings), her (recovering) alcoholic father/principal (Downey Jr.) and, of course, the school's teenage drug dealer. Directed by Jon Poll, Charlie Bartlett first premiered at last year's Tribeca Film Festival, where yours truly called it "a film that carries a heavy message about the mis-use of prescription medication amongst today's teens, but does so in a very clever (and fun) way." Additionally, you can also check out our interview with Bartlett director Jon Poll and star Anton Yelchin. I dug this film -- it's cute and quirky, sure, but it packs a pretty entertaining punch. Go see it. Charlie Bartlett arrives in theaters on February 22, 2008.

Over the weekend, a number of different sites received tips regarding the soon-to-be-released Justice League of America cast. The rumors come as The Hollywood Reporter tells us production on the film might have to be postponed due to them being without a finished shooting script, while options on actors who were screen tested are about to expire. I'll discuss whether or not this film is even worth the effort in this week's Monday Morning Poll, but for now let me go down the list and tell you who is (according to rumors) up for each role:

• Batman: Armie Hammer: Random actor who's appeared in Flicka, and in one episode of Veronica Mars. He's 21. (Sources: Batman on Film, Superhero Hype)
• Superman: Scott Porter, 28 (Friday Night Lights TV show, Speed Racer) is up for this role, according to AICN and Cinema Blend, though IESB claims he never read for that part and instead was at one point up for The Flash. Meanwhile, Superhero Hype lists D.J. Cotrona, 27 (Skin, Windfall) as having nabbed the Man of Steel role.
• The Flash: Adam Brody, 28 (The O.C.) has been signed for this role, if you listen to AICN and IESB. However, Superhero Hype claims it's gone to Anton Yelchin, 18.
• Green Lantern: Everyone believes this role has indeed gone to the rapper-turned-actor Common, 35.
• Martian Manhunter: At this time, no one has received information regarding this character.
• Wonder Woman: Megan Gale, 21 (Stealth), according to SH.
• Talia al Ghul: Everyone believes this role will go to Teresa Palmer, 21.
• Aquaman: Santiago Cabrera, 29 (Heroes), according to SH.
• Cinematical Man: According to our own inside studio sources, Scott Weinberg is a lock for this role. Age unknown.

So there you have it. You're all up to date on the currently rumored cast. Warner Bros. is supposed to officially announce the roles this week, however that could change if production gets postponed.

Word from The Hollywood Reporter is that New Zealand actor Karl Urban has joined the cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek re-start. Fans of fantastical cinema will no doubt remember Urban from his work in Lord of the Rings, The Bourne Supremacy, Doom, The Chronicles of Riddick and Pathfinder. Mr. Urban will be playing medical officer "Bones" McCoy, a character made famous by the late DeForest Kelley. Plot details are still being kept under wraps, but here's what the all-new Enterprise crew looks like...

Captain Kirk (previously played by William Shatner) -- Chris Pine (27 years old)
Spock (Leonard Nimoy) -- Zachary Quinto (30)
Sulu (George Takei) -- John Cho (35)
McCoy (DeForest Kelley) -- Karl Urban (35)
Scotty (James Doohan) -- Simon Pegg (37)
Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) -- Zoe Saldana (29)
Chekov (Walter Koenig) -- Anton Yelchin (18)


...and Eric Bana as the villainous Nero. (With a special appearance from Leonard Nimoy!) Production on the film is expected to run from November to March. So what do you think of the whole crew?

Also, feel free to pick through our numerous reports on this flick. Like right here, here and here.

Though it's been a relatively slow process, the Star Trek XI is starting to come together. Variety reports that Eric Bana has landed the role of villain in the film, which will be some sort of re-boot -- a "when they were young" Star Trek, kind of like when a character opens up a high school yearbook, notices their first crush and has a flashback. Variety has no other details regarding Bana's character, however Star Trek.com claims his name in the film will be 'Nero.' Also cast in the film thus far are Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhuru) and Leonard Nimoy. Production is set to begin this November, which means more casting is currently underway.

And that brings us to Captain Kirk. The Hollywood Reporter tells us this morning that Chris Pine is in talks to take on the role of Kirk; a guy whose only other major role came opposite Lindsay Lohan in Just My Luck. (And here's where I should say, "Looks like his luck is about to change ..." ) I'm not too familiar with Pine, as I'm sure you're not either, so I can't say whether he's right for the role. Variety had said folks were chasing a big-name actor for the roles of villain and Captain Kirk, but Pine is hardly a big-name actor. As it stands right now, this is a pretty interesting cast, and not the one I expected after guys like Matt Damon and Adrien Brody were originally reported to be up for the roles of Kirk and Spock. I love the choice to go with Bana as villain (the guy seems as if he was born to play a Star Trek villain), and I like the Quinto casting move, but the others I'm iffy about. How do you feel about this Star Trek cast?

I'm going to be real honest with you here, because it's late and the PG-13 side of me is itching to break loose. The only thing I remember about Haven (aside from some nice blue water) was Zoe Saldana. And, technically, I'm not talking about her performance. Should she eat more? Sure, but aren't most Hollywood actresses flirting with an eating disorder at one point throughout their career? Zoe's cute, she looks good, and she's also about to co-star in one of the most talked-about films in the month of July -- Star Trek XI: The Flashback Episode. (That was a joke; not the real title -- in case you thought about IM'ing your Trekkie group.)

Saldana will be playing Uhura, "which means freedom in Swahili" (thanks Variety!), and acts as a member of the bridge crew on the U.S.S. Enterprise. Variety adds that the character also rose to the rank of commander. Saldana takes over for Nichelle Nichols, who played the character on the original Star Trek series, as well as in six Star Trek films. Star Trek XI will follow the Enterprise crew during those oh-so-important wonder years, back when the gang first met and, presumably, took on their first mission -- which (and don't tell ANYONE I told you this) apparently has to do with Kirk and Spock being placed in charge of finding out exactly what J.J. Abrams is calling his damn monster movie. Interesting ... and I like the cross promotion. Heroes star Zachary Quinto and Anton Yelchin have already signed on to play Spock and Chekov respectively, while the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy) has also hopped onboard to play something (I like the Enterprise janitor, but I'm not writing the thing). Star Trek XI will arrive in theaters on December 25, 2008.