One of the only cool things about the first AVP: Alien vs. Predator was that Lance Henriksen co-starred. Of course, he didn't play "Bishop", his beloved android character from Aliens (or even Bishop II), but it was still a nice touch to have him in there. That is why it's disappointing to hear that none of the past Alien or Predator actors will be appearing in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. In an interview with the MTV Movies Blog, AVP2 co-directors Colin and Greg Strause revealed that they attempted to cast some surprise guests, but were unfortunately unable to do so. The brothers wouldn't name names, but said that one person sought after was too expensive -- even for a cameo? -- and another "shockingly" blew them off. Funny, because aside from Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Bill Paxton and Ian Holm, I can't imagine many of the Alien series players being too high profile that they couldn't do a fun little throwback appearance. Maybe the Strause Brothers were aiming too high, but surely they could have even made attempts for Charles S. Dutton, Ron Perlman, Veronica Cartwright, Tom Skerritt or even Paul Reiser, not to mention tons of others. And what about Carl Weathers, for the Predator way around? After seeing his recurring role in Arrested Development, I believe he would have been up for such an idea.

The Strause Brothers also discussed with MTV the title, although they didn't even mention the lame "Requiem" part. They only said that Fox is currently not into numbering their sequels and that the pluralization of "Alien" is directly referencing James Cameron's Aliens. Other highlights from the interview (as pointed out by Movieweb) include an acknowledgment that the studio -- not just the Strauses -- thought the first AVP was a disappointment for fans and that the R rating is a response to that (Colin: "I mean, we chest-burst a little kid!"), a discussion of the Alien/Predator hybrid (aka "The Predalien") and a hint that the duo want to do another sequel set in space. MTV Movies Blog has also been sharing some exclusive fight-scene photos from the upcoming sequel (out this Christmas) that are pretty neat.

For those of us hoping that AVP2 is better than AVP1, our prayers seem to have been answered. IGN has the new red band trailer for the spin-off sequel, and it looks pretty damn good. It begins with an appropriate tagline: "In space, no one can hear you scream. On Earth, it won't matter." Then, it's pretty much everything we'd hoped the first Alien vs. Predator movie would be. Well, to be honest, I had wanted a human free, dialogue free movie featuring only the Aliens and the Predators, but this is definitely my second choice.

It isn't even just that the sequel is Rated R, unlike its PG-13 predecessor, and that this uncensored trailer gives us more gore and violence than the anything in the first movie. It's that the Strause Brothers (sibling effects-wizards-turned-directors Colin and Greg) and screenwriter Shane Salerno seem to have the right story for us fans of the original franchises. From the Alien series we have a government/military that doesn't care about civilian life (this is also popular in other horror films of late). From the Predator series we have the thick brush of a forest (almost jungle-like) for more thermal-vision stuff -- which just wasn't as interesting in the cold, arctic setting of the last effort.

Of course, the R-rated stuff is pretty sick, too. As is the seemingly Spielbergian touches: the flashlights in the woods searching for an alien, but it isn't E.T.; a very Jurassic Park-esque scene with Alien young substituted for Velociraptors. Hey, I know it won't possibly be as good as any Spielberg movie nor will it likely be as excellent as the real installments in either franchise. But it still looks awesome. I just hope the trailer hasn't spoiled the best killings -- that Predator knife thrown at the blonde, the double head-shots, the eyes poked out -- or the ending with that final shot with the F-bomb and the Alien kill, which looks climactic. Anyway, one thing is clear: Fox is really going with that Requiem subtitle, and I now realize that I made a mistake with my last AVP2 post; the official title is Aliens vs. Predator -- Requiem (not Alien vs. Predator -- Requiem), as if it really matters.

They're claiming that none of their films are ready yet, but is that the real reason 20th Century Fox has decided to pull out of next week's San Diego ComicCon? The studio was previously scheduled to hold a "star-and-filmmaker-studded panel" next Friday in the main hall, featuring exclusive first looks at films like Aliens vs Predator, Jumper, Babylon A.D. and Hitman. While practically every other major studio (Warner Bros., Paramount/Dreamworks, Lionsgate, New Line, Sony Pictures, Universal and Walt Disney) still have plans to appear, Fox has officially pulled out. Or have they? According to The LA Times, the studio was reconsidering that decision yesterday afternoon -- meanwhile, ComicCon organizers were scrambling to fill their much-coveted slot.

This hasn't been the greatest of weeks for Fox. Earlier, there was a whole big stink going on in Chicago over Fox's apparent snub of some film critics when it came to invites for advanced screenings of their films. From what I understand, The Chicago Film Critics Association has instituted a boycott against Fox releases. The boycott won't affect reviews; instead, they'll be staying away from additional coverage like features, interviews, etc ... Personally, I'm a bit peeved as well after finding out yesterday that the only Simpsons Movie screening happening in the New York City area (that I'm aware of) is taking place the night before the film will be released. And, as far as I can tell, the same goes for the rest of the country. So, while I usually like to have a day or so to sit with a film before I review it, I now have a few hours.

Whether or not this ComicCon pull out has anything to do with the aforementioned boycott -- I don't know. I do know, however, that Fox has become a major player when it comes to fighting movie piracy (they're one of the studios who wanted to ban advanced screenings in Canada), and so perhaps it's not a question of whether their footage is ready -- but, instead, has to do with them being afraid that same footage will be on YouTube within the hour. Oh, and I should note that Fox Atomic will still be attendance ... handing out raffles, or something. Yay! Raffles!

Most people are on vacation right now. Not me. I exist solely to tell you about the following:

• Guess which movie has a new name ... again? Yup, when we last checked in on our favorite creature vs. creature sequel, it was being promoted under the name Alien vs. Predator 2: No Peace on Earth. Before that, it was known as Alien vs. Predator 2: AVP 2 and then Alien vs. Predator 2: Why? Now, however, we're being told that 20th Century Fox has changed the title to -- drum roll please -- Aliens vs. Predator. Get it? They shoved an extra 'S' in there. Now it just sounds the same, except there's more. I guess. Tune in next week when the title changes again to Aliens vs. Predator: Which Franchise Will Die First?
• Page Six is reporting that Demi Moore and Katie Holmes just recently auditioned to play the lead role in Rob Marshall's (Chicago) big-screen version of Nine, based on the popular Broadway musical. Also rumored to be vying for parts are Chicago co-stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Will Tom let Katie do it? Is Demi too old for the role? Antonio Banderas played the lead male role in the musical, but there's no word on whether he'll reprise the character for the movie. Inspired by Fellini's 8 1/2, Nine revolves around a film director who begins to suffer a nervous breakdown when he can't come up with a plot for his next film. Thus, he begins to explore his past flawed relationships as he struggles to act his mature age of 40 as opposed to nine. [via Moviehole]
• Towards the end of principal photography, director Jon Favreau decided to include himself in Iron Man. According to reports, he'll be playing Security Guard Man -- a little-known Marvel character who's a Las Vegas security guard by day and a crime-fighting male stripper at night. Actually, the real story is that one of the final scenes being shot needed a security guard, and in an attempt to get it all done, Favreau stepped in and played the part himself. I don't think he'll strip, but he might if you ask politely. Iron Man hits theaters on May 9, 2008. [via Dark Horizons]