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I guess this is the news that nobody was waiting for, but the threat of another Indiana Jones film has been inching closer to reality by the day, and now The Insider has received reports that Harrison Ford will be polishing off the fedora and the whip one last time. There have been rumblings about a fifth film ever since Crystal Skull first hit theaters, but now we've gone past rumblings and finally started to hear some details. Both Shia LaBeouf and producer Frank Marshall have recently confirmed that a film is in the works, and now, Insider's sources are saying that, "...filming will not start until next year, and it will not be released before 2011." Now, if you happen to be mathematically inclined, you might notice that Ford will be almost 70 by the time the film starts production, which would probably make for a slightly less 'active' Indy this time around.

I won't waste your time recounting all the ways that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a let-down for fans -- you know things are bad when an unflattering 'buzz-word' is created as a tribute. But maybe it's possible that a fifth film could correct some of those mistakes. Call me naive, but there is a very (and I mean, very) small part of me that thinks George Lucas and Steven Spielberg may have learned their lesson, and will go back to what made the original films so great. Maybe this time they could capitalize on the relationship between Indy and his son Mutt to try recapturing some of that Last Crusade vibe? But, I guess we can take comfort in the fact that no matter what those two come up with this time, it certainly couldn't get any worse than what was ... or can it?

You know, it's not that I think Angelina Jolie can't handle action, it's just that she's never really been given the chance to do it in a film that was...well, good. The bullet-bending comic book flick, Wanted is a perfect example. Granted, Jolie was livelier than I have seen her in a long time, but I still walked out of the theater wondering why she has never blossomed into the bad-a** heroine I desperately want her to be. Well, maybe she is going to get another chance, because Universal has been making ground with a Wanted sequel. So while most of us were pretty sure that we wouldn't be seeing Ms. Jolie again, Wanted's director Timur Bekmambetov seems to think otherwise. During an interview with the Russian news site, RIA Novosti, Bekmambetov told them that Wanted 2 will start prepping in July, and that Jolie would be returning for the sequel.

Warning: Wanted spoilers ahead...

So think back to the half-baked mess that was Wanted, and you'll remember that Jolie's assassin commits 'suicide' -- on-screen, front and center. It was even rumored to be a condition of Jolie's participation in the film that she would die at the end (I guess to avoid committing to a sequel). But maybe Bekmambetov is engaging in some wishful thinking about Jolie's return, or he knows something we don't because he seemed positive that Jolie would be back. Last April, Evan Spiliotopoulos was hired to write the script, and it's a strange choice, but one thing is for sure, he is going to have to get awfully creative if they plan on bringing Jolie back from the great beyond.

After the jump; Who else could return for Wanted 2 and Jolie is still saving the world (without a gun) in her PSA for World Refugee Day...

Great Odin's beard! It looks like a sequel to Adam McKay and Will Ferrell's comic classic Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy has gotten a little closer to reality. During a press event for Land of the Lost in Australia on Monday, Ferrell told the Aussie radio DJs Jono & Dano that, "he expected to meet with Paul Rudd and Steve Carell "next week" to discuss ideas...and salaries: "[Because] believe me, I'm not taking a pay-cut. No way!" -- It's a long segment, but if you have the time, Ferrell drops the 'Burgundy bomb' around the 8:20 mark.

McKay and Ferrell have been hinting at a sequel as far back as last summer, and they told Entertainment Weekly that they were already developing a script that would fast-forward Ron Burgundy to the 80's. Now, normally the word sequel is a cause for concern when it comes to a favorite flick, but I have to admit; it's an idea that has tons of possibilities. I mean, who wouldn't love to see the Ron in the world of cable news pundits? I wonder if Burgundy would be a Fox News or a MSNBC kind of guy? Nobody can play a lovable blow-hard like Farrell, and as long as the whole thing doesn't become overrun with bad '80s jokes about Rubik's Cubes and Thriller jackets, we should be good, right?

There's nothing quite like the phrase 'straight to DVD' to kill a film's chance of a little dignity, is there? The first thing that usually crosses my mind is, "It must be pretty bad if they aren't even willing to put it up on the big screen" -- which might be a tad unfair of me, but no one ever said gut reactions were fair. Hopefully this time I'll be proven wrong, because in a conversation with MTV Steve Niles (co-creator of the original graphic novel, 30 Days of Night) confirmed that a sequel to the 2007 vampire flick was already in the works, and that it would most likely be going direct to DVD.

According to Niles, a script has already been submitted, and he is hard at work on the project with Ben Ketai (director of the 30 Days webisodes). The sequel will be based on the comic book follow-up Dark Days, and the story centers on "the character of Stella Olemaun [who] heads to Los Angeles after surviving the vampire attack in Barrow, Alaska. She intentionally attracts the attention of the local vampire population in order to avenge the death of her husband, Eben, during the Barrow incident."

After the jump find out how Sam Raimi got involved and the possibility of a 30 Days franchise...

The digital ink on the J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot isn't even dry yet, but nevermind the furthermore: Variety reports they're already accelerating from impulse power to warp speed on a sequel. The writing duo of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman will be back, this time with producer Damon Lindelof joining in on writing duties. What was it they said about three cooks spoiling the soup? Anyhow, Lindelof is megaenthusiastic for the project, saying "We're so excited about the first one that we wanted to proceed." Let's hope he doesn't bring the Black Smoke from Lost into the world of Trek.

If the first movie tanks in April (which could happen, Trekkies can be fickle folks), then the skids will be put on this sequel faster than all those ambitious plans that Cloverfield had back in the day. Remember? It was going to be a prequel, a sequel, and a breakfast cereal. What happened to all that jazz? Still, they're aiming to have a sequel in theaters by 2011, so you could see a new Trek franchise film every two years. No word on whether we'll get to see mirror universe versions of Spock or Kirk ... and I've just outed myself as a Trek geek.

Taking into account the fact that we haven't seen the new film yet, what sort of instructions would you give for sequels moving forward?

Fans of the swashbuckling Elizabeth Swann (aka Keira Knightley) might want to take a deep breath. In an interview with our friends at Moviefone, they asked about her possible involvement in Pirates 4, and the gal tells them, "It was a completely fantastic experience, and it was an amazingly large portion of my life, but I don't think I need to go there again. I think that it's done. But I'm very excited to see the next one." This, we assume, would appear to be a very diplomatic way of saying, 'Not on your life pal'.

The Pirates franchise might have made Knightley a household name, but it has become obvious that she's been looking to expand her career beyond playing second fiddle to Captain Jack for some time. Not to mention this isn't the first time that Knightley has said that she would not be returning. So now that we only have Jack Sparrow officially back for the next installment, what could Disney possibly have planned?

Earlier reports had Disney re-booting the franchise as "Captain Jack adventures" and supposedly the film would "toss the Elizabeth and Will characters over the side in favor of doing a bawdy buddy picture which would star Jack Sparrow and Barbossa. Where both captains of the Black Pearl would initially be competing for the exact same prize." But that was over a year ago, and now there are rumors the film will focus entirely on Depp's boozy captain -- but if I may be so bold, perhaps there is a certain British comedian who could be the perfect addition to the Sparrow clan.

So what do you think: will Elizabeth be missed? Or is it about time we all just fess up and admit that the only reason most of us see want another Pirate movie is to see Captain Jack just one more time?

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Say what you will, but The Fast and Furious franchise has always been a guilty pleasure for gear-heads and novices alike -- just don't look too close for things like character development, or, say, a plot...because by now we all know these movies are about watching shiny things motor at the speed of light. If you don't believe me, go take a look at the new theatrical trailer for the latest installment over at Yahoo! Movies, because it's chock full of all the engine revving and glowering from the driver side window you have come to expect from any film starring Vin Diesel behind the wheel of a 68 Dodge Charger.

The whole cast from the original flick is back this time around, as Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) reunite to take on a common enemy with the oh-so-delightfully tacky name of Rico (Don Omar). Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster return to play the two women in Toretto's life (his girlfriend and little sister respectively), but let's be honest, these gals are just window dressing to the action at hand.

The latest installment was directed by Justin Lin, who is usually credited with making the better sequel (Tokyo Drift) in the franchise, so it's probably for the best that he took the driver's seat this time around. Furious will be premiering a new trailer during the Superbowl (a coveted time slot to say the least), so it looks like Universal has pretty big expectations for the action flick. One thing is for sure, these movies might not be winning Oscars any time soon, but as long as they give me a few more tricks like this; you can count me in.

Fast & Furious will arrive in theaters on April 3rd.

No matter what I say, I think most of us out there are never going to believe that the follow-up to Neil Marshall's The Descent could ever live up to the original. But, these latest stills from the sequel certainly make me feel a little better about the whole idea -- well, that and the fact that Marshall acted as a 'hands-on' producer for the flick. Still photographer Ollie Upton recently released a whole whack of still photographs from the flick on his website (check them out below) and it looks like things certainly haven't gotten any better for our heroine since we last saw her.

James Watkins' (My Little Eye) script centers on Sarah Carter (Shauna Macdonald), who has emerged from the Appalachian cave covered in her friend's blood, and borderline catatonic. When she is forced to go back down in the caves to help locate her missing companions, she is haunted by visions of what had happened, and as the rescue party ventures further into the caves, Sarah starts to lose her grip on reality. Of course, you can count on the 'Crawlers' making another appearance, and from then on you know things are going to go bad ... very, very, bad.

The Descent: Part 2 will be released in the UK on May 15th, but so far there have been no dates announced for North America. Stay tuned to Cinematical for any updates on a US release, otherwise, those of us on this side of the pond might have to wait for the DVD.

Woohoo, let's check one horror remake off the list for 2009! Yes, I was fortunate enough to experience the 3-D splatteriness of My Bloody Valentine at the jam-packed BNAT 10 last weekend -- and while I was equal parts skeptical and intrigued, I'm pleased to opine that this is one fun little gore-fest. Feel free to check out my review at FEARnet and / or Devin's over at CHUD for some specific thoughts. (Big fan of the original Valentine? Then check out this interview re: the new DVD!) Oh, and here's the newest teaser trailer:



Hmm, what else happened while I was down in Austin? Ah yes, Rob Zombie was officially locked in to directing Halloween 2, which excites me in the same way that would Uwe Boll directing a remake of The Thing. With all due respect to Robby Z. and his legions of fans ... I just hate his movies. Despite actively trying to enjoy each flick (more than once!), each one feels like a sweaty barbecue with the world's most disgusting inbreds. Not scary, just ugly and unpleasant. And since Halloween 2 holds a strange little place in my heart, I think I'll just forget about this project until it hits the screens this October.

Hey cool: Looks like that geek-friendly Outlander flick is finally touching down on January 23. Sounds good. Also in January? Sundance and Slamdance! My red-penciled genre flicks are as follows: Dead Snow, Grace, The Killing Room, and Moon (from Sundance), plus Conjurer, I Sell the Dead, Mum & Dad, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead, and Zombie Girl: The Movie (from Slamdance). Oh, and all the dramas and comedies and such...

True or False: There is such a thing as too many Bruce Campbell interviews. (Answer: False.) And Happy Horrodays! Here's a list of cinema's ten scariest Santas! Last and probably least: Anyone out there want to see Steven Seagal as a vampire slayer? This might cure you.

Raise your hand if you remember the movie Screamers. OK, keep your hand raised if you remember anything other than "Peter Weller," "Philip K. Dick," and "box office failure." Yeah, that's what I thought. It's not that Screamers is that rotten of a sci-fi horror movie ... more that it's just OK. Not awful, but certainly not cool enough to warrant a full-bore cult following. But that hasn't stopped a bunch of Canadian filmmakers from unleashing Screamers: The Hunting.

I'll embed the trailer clip in just a sec, but since Quiet Earth did the leg-work on this item, we'll refer you to their site for more info. Screamers: The Hunting looks pretty plain across the board, but of course I'm always interested in seeing a video sequel to a 14-year-old sci-fi flick that nobody talks about anymore. (I'm weird that way. Someone kick me if they ever find a trailer for Galaxy of Terror 2.) Digging a little deeper I learned that Screamers 2 was directed by Sheldon Wilson (Kaw, Shallow Ground) and written by Miguel Tejada-Flores, who used to write fun flicks for Filmax, so I'm feeling 10% better about Screamers: The Hunting than I was ten minutes ago.

Except ten minutes ago, I had no idea Screamers: The Hunting even existed. (Oh wait, yes I did.) Expect the flick's arrival in the next month or two. Probably on Sci-Fi Channel, but I'll just wait for the DVD.