Lots of Star Trek love (and hate) flying around the internets today, as Leonard Nimoy spills some pretty big beans, a scooper claims to have read the shooting script and another person says they've seen footage. First off, Slashfilm reports (via CBS 2 in Los Angeles) that Leonard Nimoy (who'll be reprising his role as an older Spock for this new film) admitted there will be more than two Spocks in the J.J. Abrams-directed flick. He says, "I am Spock, and there is another Spock and there is another Spock. There are a total of three Spocks in the movie and that is all I will say about it." And who is that third Spock you might ask? Well, most likely it'll be a baby Spock, or a really young Spock -- the one they use in scenes with Winona Ryder, who was cast as Spock's mother. Not a big spoiler, I don't think, but it does seem more and more like this is Spock's movie.

Moving on, a couple super spy scoopers wrote into AICN; one claims to have read the shooting script, and one says they saw footage. There's lots of little spoilers included in both of their reports, but I will say the guy who read the script went off on screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. An example: "While this may sound okay, the way it's written is so ham fisted that it makes the TRANSFORMERS script read like Shakespeare." And some more: "The dialogue is about on par with their past works and some of the liberties they've taken are insanely sloppy." And one more nugget: "The problem with the script is all its blatant inconsistency with things in the TREK canon, not to be innovative... but because Kurtzman and Orci are lousy writers and have zero feel for Roddenberry's universe, even when attempting to reboot it."

The guy who claims to have seen footage was a bit nicer. Here's a taste: "By the way when I saw the new look of the Enterprise, I just wanted to go out and buy a model kit of that or something. I'm quite sure it will get as much positive response as the Milennium Falcon did. Yes, the stuff is that detailed." Feel free to head on over to AICN to read the rest, as I don't want to spoil too much, but if you ask me it seems we'll be getting the Star Trek version of Transformers -- hardcore fans will hate it, but Abrams will gain a whole bunch of new, younger fans who may help turn this puppy into a fresh re-booted franchise for the new millennium. Star Trek XI is due out Christmas Day.

Sometime last month, a group of studio execs embarked on a top secret project that we're only just finding out about now. It was a pretty massive experiment -- something that's never been attempted or even talked about -- but they failed. It couldn't be done. Who knows if they'll ever try to clone writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci again, but for a minute there -- when the impossible seemed possible -- studio execs everywhere felt safe; they felt at ease. So now, it's onto Plan B -- bring in another writer (yes, they do exist!) to help churn out a script for Transformers 2. The Hollywood Reporter tells us Ehren Kruger has joined Kurtzman and Orci; he'll help the dynamic duo bust out a script faster than it takes a teenage boy to imagine a naked Megan Fox crawling underneath his covers at night*.

But it's cool, because Kruger has promised all those involved that he knows his transforming robots. And he's a good choice, if you forget about Scream 3, The Brothers Grimm and Reindeer Games -- he also penned The Ring and the very awesome Arlington Road. The reason why he's being brought in is because Kurtzman and Orci are mega busy as of late; not only are they rushing to complete the Star Trek XI script, but the three are also working on a serial-killer flick called Nightlife. Since they want everything completed before a potential strike, all three will have to write until their fingers bleed -- but for a deal that some are saying is worth between $5 million - $7 million, I'd write upside down, naked, with a little elf tickling me if I had to. HR also confirms that Shia LaBeouf will reprise his role in the sequel, with Michael Bay back behind the camera and producers Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Don Murphy assisting. Transformers 2 is currently eying a June 26, 2009 release date.

*I'm sort of sick of looking at those pictures of robots, so until we get some new shots, I'm sticking with this image up top of Megan Fox. Foxy!

Since the Transformers sequel is currently in limbo due to an impending Hollywood strike, it seems director Michael Bay is searching for a film to jump on soon-ish, this way the big-budgeted machine can have another giant flick in theaters for the summer of 2008. And according to Sci-Fi Wire, that film could be 2012: The War for the Souls, based on the book by Whitley Strieber. When Strieber was asked recently if Bay (who's already producing the film) was interested in directing 2012, he said: "I don't know if he will direct it for sure, but I know he is interested in directing it. Michael Bay's company did buy the rights to 2012, though, and he will at least produce it."

It would seem fitting for Bay to direct since apparently Transformers screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have hopped onboard to produce and adapt the script. They could promote it as: "From the guys who brought you Transformers ....", simply open the doors and watch the masses pile in. Strieber, who also co-wrote the book that later became the film version of The Day After Tomorrow, talks about the so-called doomsday prophecy in this new book; how Nostradamus and the Mayan calendar predicted 2012 as the beginning of the End of Days. The book centers on a door to a parallel Earth that opens on December 21, 2012. Warner Bros. is scheduled to release the film at some point during the summer of 2008, and, if you ask me, I have a feeling Michael Bay will jump all over the thing. As always, we'll keep you updated ...

Welcome back to The Write Stuff! I'm thrilled that there is such a strong interest in screenwriting out there. Thank you all so much for your comments last week, both here and on my site. All of your questions and comments will be addressed in the coming weeks, so stay tuned and keep them coming!

The first interview for the column is with red-hot screenwriter Adam F. Goldberg. Adam is living the dream. He writes for both television and film, and his upcoming movie projects include Fanboys, the live-action Jetsons movie, and They Came from Upstairs. Cinematical spoke with the incredibly busy Goldberg about his scripts, his process, and Goonies: The Musical.

Cinematical: You said you were being "enslaved by a director," what are you working on? And should I call the authorities?

Adam F. Goldberg: Perhaps call them for my hacky writing! It's called They Came From Upstairs for Fox. It's a family movie, kinda like Gremlins -- but with aliens. The spec was written by Mark Burton and was sold for like $1.7 mil. I believe I am making about .0001212 of that. It's been a really cool project. The movie was in pre-production and the studio realized the script wasn't ready and shut it down pretty late in the game. I came aboard to get the train back on the tracks which is always high pressure and very difficult to do. I handed in 40 pages and they re-greenlit the movie and we're casting and location scouting now. I'm on draft two currently, working next to the director and bringing his vision into it.

Cinematical: Is that an awkward process at all -- being brought in to re-write a fellow writer? Do you ever run into hurt feelings or bruised egos? I guess the $1.7 million makes the pill easier to swallow.

AFG: Well, I come from the TV world, writing on sitcoms and that's very collaborative. You have to sit in the room and watch 10 other writers tear apart your script right in front of you. That bruises your ego. As for movies, more often than not a writer can only go so far and it's your job to bat clean up. It's never a great feeling to have your screenplay rewritten, but hopefully you've moved onto your next project, so it doesn't sting so much. And believe me, that $1.7 payday is like winning the lottery. I hope I can sell a spec one day. I've had little luck in that department.

An article in the New York Times from this past weekend spotlights Transformers screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who confess that they originally wanted to make films like Godard's. Well, some of the movies they have worked on may feature ridiculous editing patterns, but having written films like The Island and Mission: Impossible III, they didn't quite go in the direction they'd planned. Still, one thing they keep in mind on every script they write together is that they need to have a good story first and foremost, and that story has to be accessible to audiences who may not be familiar with the particular franchise or brand they're working on. This was an important thing to keep in mind with Transformers and it will be an important thing to keep in mind with Star Trek XI, which comes out Christmas 2008. We've already heard that the movie will be a prequel, detailing Kirk and Spock's early days at the Academy, and that it will be geared toward non-Trekkies, but the Times article makes me believe that Orci, a long-time Trek fan, and Kurtzman will be able to please the die-hards while also welcoming in the newbies.

I've never been a big Star Trek fan, but I have greatly enjoyed some of the television episodes and films that didn't make me feel like a totally lost beginner. The first Trek film I ever saw was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which I loved, mostly because I was a sea-life-obsessed kid. It really helped me out that it was a present-day, Earth-based story, which could have been the plot of a non-Trek movie. And for a short time, I thought I could maybe get into the whole Trek universe. I didn't, though, and I've still never seen all the movies, but I recently watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for the first time in twenty years, and as much as I appreciate why it is so revered, I still felt like I was on the outside looking in. So, I'm really looking forward to what Orci and Kurtzman and director J.J. Abrams come up with for the new Star Trek movie. It may not be for Trekkies, but it probably won't turn off any of the fans, and it may just make new ones out of some of us.

We should have more on the next Star Trek movie once ComicCon begins next month. Stay tuned.

Forget everything you know, or think you know, about action movies based on toys and comic books because Michael Bay's Transformers is going to blow you away! Ok, how was that? I'm trying a new thing here and being optimistic about upcoming comic book/sci-fi films instead of displaying my usual pessimism that most of them will, sadly, suck pretty hard -- especially ones directed by anyone with the name Bay, Schumacher, Johnson or Pitof.

However, I know many of you are actually excited to see Transformers when it hits theaters on July 4th and would be thrilled for any glimpse of the movie beforehand to whet your appetite for all the Transformery goodness. Fortunately, thanks to the folks at Yahoo Movies, you can now get several glimpses of hot transformer action because they've put up some exclusive photos, trailers, behind-the-scenes clips and other sure-to-please tidbits for you. Heck, they have so much Transformers content for you they've even posted an interview with the film's writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and a video where fans in Austin talk about how much they're excited for the film.

In truth, after seeing the trailers and looking at the pics -- Optimus Prime looks great -- its pretty hard to maintain my usual skepticism, at least about this particular movie -- rather lame fan interview video notwithstanding. In spite of my reservations, the movie looks pretty damn cool and I will no doubt be one of the teeming masses heading out to watch it on opening day. That is, unless I can snag a screening earlier. Anyone wanna hook me up? I promise to say something nice about the film -- especially if Mr. Bay is there.

I hate thinking about the apocalypse. I used to have recurring nightmares about the end of the world, and despite world events seeming hopeless these days I'd like to think the end is not actually nigh. Other people, however, are happy to discuss the apparently inevitable apocalypse, as well as how it will happen and when. According to Whitley Strieber, author and alien abductee, the end of the world will come in 2012, and he has a book about it coming out in September. TMZ has the scoop that Warner Bros. already has plans to turn the book into a movie and Michael Bay has been set up to produce.

It isn't definite if Bay will also direct, but Transformers screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have apparently been hired to adapt it for the screen. I'll admit that I was once a big UFO buff and I even went to a Strieber book signing, but after awhile my fascination died, partially because everything was getting so depressing. Strieber, for instance, is not just now becoming apocalyptic; he was a co-author of the book that The Day After Tomorrow was based on (he also wrote the film's novelization). I know that one had nothing to do with aliens, but Strieber isn't solely known for his abduction books. He also wrote the horror novels that became Wolfen and The Hunger. There is no synopsis given for his new book, which is called 2012: The War for Souls, but supposedly some UFO theorists believe aliens will invade Earth in 2012.

However, Strieber has previously written an article about the year and our fate in it that has nothing to do with aliens. Instead it references a famous Mayan prophecy and discusses more environmental catastrophes a la The Day After Tomorrow. Whatever the plot of the book and movie, though, it is sure to make me nervous, especially if I think too much about it.

[via Hollywood Wiretap]

There's been a flurry of activity online today which stems from a Variety article that claims J.J. Abrams is "set to direct" Star Trek XI. So, of course, everyone has jumped at the chance to report the news -- keep in mind, up until this point, J.J. Abrams was only attached as a producer, not director. Awhile back, he claimed to be waiting until a script was finished before making a decision, and so when Variety wrote that one little line, folks took that as confirmation from the Abrams camp that he would indeed be directing. And where did this whole thing come from originally?

Well, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman was speaking about Paramount, and somewhere in his speech he mentioned that Star Trek would return to the big screen for its 11th installment in either 2008 or 2009. He also added, "We're revitalizing it in a new and interesting way." And so, Variety threw in a little line underneath about Abrams directing, which some folks took as something Dauman stated (which he didn't).

What does it all mean? Absolutely nothing. TrekMovie.com claims to have spoken with someone inside Paramount who claims Abrams still isn't attached to direct and, regarding the blurb in Variety, they (meaning this person inside Paramount, not all of Paramount) claim it's nothing but "lazy journalism". With production set to begin this spring (according to Abrams himself), why hasn't the man made a decision yet? He's obviously working closely with screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and so he has to be pretty far inside the loop to be able to say yay or nay. Your thoughts?

Paramount Pictures has announced Yahoo! will be hosting a live webcast with the writers of next summer's Transformers movie Friday at 11:00am PST. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman will be on hand to answer any and all questions the fans feel like throwing their way. Oooh -- slowly raises hand -- will Optimus Prime finally admit to having a substance abuse problem, a la Iron Man?

However, first off, Orci and Kurtzman will share with us the names of all robots appearing in the film. (Hmm, I wonder if Michael Bay is considered a robot?) The film's official website is already accepting questions, so make sure you head over there right away. Those of you unable to attend need not worry, as Cinematical will be back here later with a complete update.

The last time an Enterprise crew paid a visit to the multiplexes, the result was 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, which was the fourth (and final) sojourn of the Next Generation gang. Prior to that we had Robert Wise's The Motion Picture in 1979, the Holy Trilogy of The Wrath of Khan ('82), The Search for Spock ('84), and The Voyage Home ('86), and then ... The Final Frontier ('89) and The Undiscovered Country ('91) before Picard's crew (thankfully) took over. Their efforts yielded Generations ('94), First Contact ('96), Insurrection ('98), and the aforementioned Nemesis. And for a while it looked like that was it, at least as far as the silver screen was concerned. Yeah, right.

Today's Variety indicates that not only has a Star Trek 11 earned a green light, but also that J.J. Abrams will be the one behind the helm. (Abrams, as you most likely know, wrote and/or directed such entertainments as Alias, Lost, the upcoming Mission Impossible 3, the underrated Joy Ride, the certifiably insane Armageddon, and the woefully atrocious Gone Fishin'. Yes, J.J. Abrams wrote Gone Fishin'.)

And that's not all. Seems that Mr. Abrams will be joining the Federation with his MI3 writing team of Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci. (These guys also wrote The Legend of Zorro, The Island, the upcoming Transformers adaptation and, if the IMDb is to be believed, an old Nintendo game called The Goonies II.)

According to the Variety report, the new flick "will center on the early days of seminal "Trek" characters James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer space mission," and hopes to be complete in time for a 2008 release. Talk about living long and prospering, eh?