When I went to see Cloverfield over the weekend, the crowd was pretty lively through the trailers. It was not in an excited fan way, but in that last-minute rush of chatter during something that holds little interest. That being said, conversations wrapped up pretty quickly when the Star Trek teaser popped up. At first, when the Bad Robot emblem appeared, people kept talking. I waited. It got a bit more silent as J.J. Abrams' name hit the screen with John F. Kennedy's words bellowing from the speakers. But then, a split second later when the Enterprise came into view, the crowd went wild.

While theater-goers got to see the first teaser in all its glory on Friday, it didn't make it's official appearance on the net until today. Now you can head over to Yahoo and check it out for yourself. Personally, I dug the connections the teaser made between the creation of the ship and America's first forays into space. It made the whole thing seem more real. But maybe all you need is the sight of the Enterprise, and Leonard Nimoy's gravelly voice.

For me, unfortunately, it was a bit ruined when the credits showed up -- I just can't take the idea of John Cho as Sulu seriously. But whatever happens, Star Trek is on its way. What do you think?

Oh yes, that's exactly what you think it is. Moviefone snatched the first Star Trek photo, and though it's a tad dark, you can clearly see the new Enterprise ship coming together. Ever since it was announced that J.J. Abrams would be directing a brand new take on the Star Trek franchise, folks have been itching to see what he's come up with. Starring Zachary Quinto (as a young Spock), Chris Pine (as a young Kirk), Karl Urban (as Bones), Simon Pegg (as Scotty), John Cho (as Sulu), Anton Yelchin (as Checkov) and Zoe Saldana (as Uhuru), this latest Star Trek installment apparently follows the original crew during their early days at Starfleet Academy up through their first mission together. Eric Bana will be playing a villain named Nero, while Bruce Greenwood will also make an appearance as the original Captain, Christopher Pike. And for those longing for some old school Trek, you'll be happy to know that Leonard Nimoy will also be showing up as his old Spock self. Head to Moviefone to see a larger Star Trek photo, as well as a gallery of the cast. Star Trek is set to touch down on December 25.

Additionally, you can spot the first trailer for Star Trek this weekend in front of Cloverfield, and the film's official site has now gone live.

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.

I'm still holding out for the surprise announcement that William Shatner will indeed appear in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. In the meantime, though, I expect to hear another complaint from the original Captain Kirk after reading this juicy bit of goodness: George Takei has a cameo in the upcoming movie*, which will be a prequel-ish reboot of the TV and movie franchise. According to a Starburst magazine interview with the actor, Takei will feature in a flash-forward scene that will also showcase original Spock, Leonard Nimoy. From the sound of it, he will be returning to his iconic role as an older version of Sulu. Best guess is that Takei and Nimoy will be sitting in futuristic rocking chairs reminiscing about their beginnings at the Starfleet Academy, and this scene will be the prologue to the rest of the movie. Playing the younger versions of Sulu and Spock throughout the rest of the film are John Cho and Zachary Quinto, respectively.

Well, if Shatner doesn't put up more of a fuss, the fans should. After all, as long as we're getting two of the surviving original cast members, why can't we get the rest? Sure, it would be a sad scene, considering DeForest Kelley (Bones) and James Doohan (Scotty) aren't around to be a part of such a reunion, but the Trekkies would certainly appreciate seeing Nichelle Nichols (Uhuru), Walter Koenig and of course Shatner together again. Am I right? They could all have a few laughs while yelling at the kids to get off their damn lawns. And we could all feel better about having to accept all new actors as these beloved characters. So, who is going to start the online petition? Oh wait, that's already been done.

*UPDATE: Apparently this is just another rumor, one that has been debunked. According to TrekMovie.com, Takei will not have a cameo in the new Star Trek.

CNN is reporting that William Shatner is upset at not being asked to appear in J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek film. Adding insult to injury, the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is on board. I guess you could say the Shat has hit the fan. "I couldn't believe it. I'm not in the movie at all. Leonard, God bless his heart, is in, but not me," says Shatner. "I thought, what a decision to make, since it obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box office. It didn't seem to be a wise business decision." I think Shatner may be overestimating his box office popularity here, but I certainly think that if you're going to have Nimoy, you need to have Shatner. No?

Director Abrams originally had said Shatner would likely play a role, but the pair had a couple of meetings that led to nothing. Chris Pine (Smokin' Aces) is playing the young Captain Kirk. Heroes' Zachary Quinto is playing the young Spock, and we don't know much about Nimoy's role in the movie other than that "there's going to be a sense of guidance in this film and beyond." Shatner says simply, "Having been in on the creation of it, I was hoping to be in on the re-creation." I think the guy's got a point. If I had to guess, perhaps Abrams is trying to make a serious, non-jokey Trek film, and the presence of Shatner would upset that balance? Shatner has become more of a comedic figure these days, with his work on Boston Legal and appearances like his Comedy Central Roast. What do you guys think?

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.

Looks like Zachary Quinto can still only do the left-handed Vulcan salute. And unfortunately there's no mention of his progress on the more appropriate right-handed method in a new USA Today profile on the actor. Quinto, who will be playing the young Spock in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, had spoken to Entertainment Weekly last month about the salute, admitting he could only do it on his left hand. To get in shape for the movie, he was wearing rubber bands on his right hand and doing special finger exercises.

However, the fact that he posed for USA Today's photo with the left-handed salute isn't a good sign. Another un-Spock-like trait Quinto reveals is emotion. The newspaper claims the actor has found a father figure in Leonard Nimoy, who fills in for Quinto's own dad, who died 23 years ago. Of course, the actor who plays Spock doesn't have to be emotionless, but I always felt like Nimoy was more logical than lovable out of character, as well as in character.

USA Today also claims to have a clue as to the storyline of the new Star Trek movie. Quinto told the paper he couldn't say anything about the prequel's use of both Quinto and Nimoy, but he hinted that "there's going to be a sense of guidance in this film and beyond." Could that refer to the older Spock traveling back in time to guide his younger self? And is this guidance a regular part of Spock's life that we never saw in the previous series and films? Was he continually followed around by the invisible ghost of his older self?

Hopefully it is much simpler, because my brain hurts trying to imagine any of those possibilities. Less interesting to Trekkies out there are Quinto's revelations that he didn't watch Star Trek, favoring DuckTales and 20/20 instead, that he remains good friends with Tori Spelling and that he prefers staying home to going out clubbing. Star Trek begins shooting in November, in which time I hope Quinto can do the proper salute. If not, he can always get assistance from fishing wire, like William Shatner supposedly does.

For comic geeks and the like, I guess San Diego ComicCon is like getting to star in your very own version of My Super Sweet Sixteen, except instead of walking away with a pricey convertible, you get an Iron Man t-shirt. But it's cool -- to some, that t-shirt is worth so much more. This year's Con was pretty damn important, with regards to next summer's crop of blockbusters. Unlike this summer where most of the films were third or fourth installments in a lucrative franchise, the summer of 2008 features a new franchise, the re-launch of another, the return (after 19 years) of one more and then a few sequels. And so I think it's safe to say there was a lot more riding on this year's Con versus the last, and I'm happy to report no one let us down. At least, I wasn't.

Last week I asked what you were most looking forward to at ComicCon. Most of you were all over the place in your answers -- from Whedon to Iron Man, there wasn't any overwhelming buzz geared toward one particular project. But now that ComicCon is over, I'm wondering if you were left anticipating something even more? For me, hearing Karen Allen will return as Marion Ravenwood to the Indiana Jones franchise certainly left me all jazzed. And that Iron Man footage -- while it was still online -- looked far better than I had imagined. Did Downey Jr. look like a pimp or what? Did a new Dark Knight image and teaser trailer make you feel better about Heath Ledger as the Joker? Or how about the announcement that Leonard Nimoy will return as Captain Spock along with a younger version to be played by Zachary Quinto? Could there be a better Watchmen cast? And are you upset that J.J. Abrams and his Cloverfield poster didn't lead us on a three-day viral scavenger hunt? Was enough information handed out, or would you have liked to see more? Did ComicCon live up to the hype this year?

So, I ask you: Now that ComicCon is over, is your 2008 anticipation meter any higher than it was prior to the convention in San Diego?

I'm real hesitant to say that Zachary Quinto is currently in negotiations to play Spock in the new Star Trek XI flick because, well, I don't think he is. We're getting conflicting reports today from a number of sources, ranging from "the dude is talking to the studio" to "the dude is talking to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette." And last I checked, talking up a dream role to some reporter in Pittsburgh (of all places) is nowhere near studio negotiations. For all I know, both sources are right -- but for now, I'll simply tell you what's being said and you can form your own opinion on the matter. First off, those of you who don't watch the NBC show Heroes probably have no idea who the hell Zachary Quinto is. Well, he plays the villain Sylar on the show (he also played the character Adam Kaufman on 24) and, with a young-looking oval face, seems to be a good fit for the role of Spock (originally owned by Leonard Nimoy).

Great, so now that you know who he is, here's what he apparently told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette (in December of last year, no less) about the role of Spock: "I missed the Superman Returns boat ... so I'm angling for Star Trek. People are constantly telling me I bear some resemblance to Leonard Nimoy." He then joked about getting Greg Grunberg (good friend of Trek director J.J. Abrams, and fellow Heroes star) to put in a good word for him. "Maybe Sylar should tell Greg, 'I promise I won't kill you if you get me an audition.' We'll see what happens." So that was last year, although some folks are reporting like it happened last week. CHUD, on the other hand, goes a bit further and claims Quinto is actually "still in negotiations" for the role. I'm not sure at what point Quinto went from dreaming about the role to being in negotiations, but this is what's being said and it's my job to report it. Apparently, Abrams will announce the official Star Trek XI cast later this month at ComicCon, so look for lots of folks to be chiming in with spy leaks and whatnot for the next few weeks. As of now, Star Trek XI is due to hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2008.

As soon as the new Star Trek movie buzz started up, the inevitable question was soon to follow: who would be in it? In April, it was confirmed that Captain Kirk would be in it. That's the character, not Mr. William Shatner. But really, that's not too surprising since the man, and his Vulcan counterpart Leonard Nimoy, turned the whoppingly ripe age of 76 this year. As great as he has aged, he just wouldn't look the same in that classic outfit. It'd be more of a happy buddha Kirk than the real deal. Since then, plot details have come out that have Kirk and Spock are in their young academy days. Okay, so this is going way back in time. Last month, Chris Ullrich posted about rumors that Shatner was ticked off because he wasn't getting a cameo in the film, but Nimoy was. It's one thing to say there are no cameos, but to exclude Kirk when Spock is in it? Come on.

Now, we've got it straight from the horse's mouth. Over at ShatnerVision, there's a video clip where ol' Kirk talks about the new movie and just what happened: "I called Leonard and I said 'Leonard! Have you heard?' and he said 'Yes, I have.' I said: 'What do you mean?' He said: 'I've read the script.' I said: 'Is it a good script?' He says: 'Yeah.' I said: 'Am I in it?' He said, and it was a pause. He says: 'No.'" While this doesn't make much sense to me (why wouldn't he be given a cameo?), what makes even less sense is the rest of the interview. The poor guy just finished his story about how he's completely not involved in the story, and what's the follow-up question? "When is this coming out?" Yeah, because the guy who got shafted from a cameo is part of the PR train. Sigh. Well, while I'm no Trekkie, I've watched a number of the old-school episodes in my day, and I used to go see all the movies. But really, I'm not sure I'll be interested without a little Shat. I guess I'll just turn on some episodes of Boston Legal instead.