The Sundance Flu, The Sundance Cold, The Sundance Fever ... how about The Sundance I Feel Like Complete Sh*t ...

Looks like J.J. Abrams does plan to go all Wonder Years for his Star Trek flick! Coming Soon reports that 11-year-old (about to be 12) Jimmy Bennett has landed a role as Young Kirk in Abrams' upcoming Star Trek film, due out at Christmas. Bennett has played a little kid in films like Hostage, Firewall, Poseidon and Evan Almighty. A young Spock will also be featured, leading this writer to believe both characters will appear in the film and talk about how much they "like, like" Winnie Cooper. Fingers crossed.

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed (what was already previously reported) that New Line is in talks with Platinum Dunes to re-launch the franchise that helped secure their name as one of the big players in town, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form will produce, and a writer will be hired once the strike comes to an end. Since it's a full-out re-do, expect Robert Englund to not play Freddy Krueger, though we imagine he'll still have a role in the film (perhaps as part of Freddy's family). God bless the guy they get to fill his shoes; he'll have to convince tons of hardcore fans that he's the real deal. Dunes and New Line are also prepping a re-launch of the Friday the 13th franchise, with Marcus Nispel directing.

And finally, though it's not really a fanboy film (but I needed one more thing to throw in here, so cut me some slack), Moviehole reports that director Phillip Noyce has officially dropped out of that planned Amelia Earhart biopic starring Hilary Swank. MH spoke with Noyce, who gave the following reason for his departure: "I had worked on Amelia for 5 months from July to end of December 2007, finding all the locations and extensively storyboarding the flying sequences - When it didn't appear that the film was going ahead, I had to make a painful decision to move on and returned to a project that had long fascinated me... Mary Queen of Scots. Scarlett Johansson will play Mary in a film to be shot on location in Scotland, England and Ireland during 2008." Apparently Swank is still attached to the film, which we all thought was moving ahead as planned (script issues, maybe), so we'll keep you updated and let you know what happens.

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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.

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Those darling little devils over at (JFX Online?, whose site appears to be either down or overloaded at the moment) have scored the first top secret (not anymore though) pics of Zachary Quinto on the set of Star Trek XI ... and he's dressed as -- yup -- Spock. Freaky, the dude totally looks the part. It's kind of funny when you think about it; director J.J. Abrams has done one helluva job protecting the mystery surrounding Cloverfield (aka 1-18-08), but within the first few days of filming, we've already seen pics of the Trek cast, and now pics of Quinto as Spock. Abrams and his crew have worked hard to keep the cast's outfits a secret, going so far as to make them wear black trenchoats with hoods (thus the Star Trek cult was born), but someone managed to snag these fantastic (yet a tad blurry) photos. Good job, I say.

Quinto was the one cast member who looked the most like the character he was taking on; what with that oval face and all. So it doesn't surprise me that the guy looks the part -- but can he play it? That's the better question. Additionally, IESB has also scored video of Quinto, the location shooting and a blue screen set up at a chapel ... or something. They have the entire description, as well as pics of the actual chapel (which they claim may be on Vulcan), so head on over there to check that out.

[photo via Slashfilm]

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Rumors had been spreading throughout these internets for quite awhile that the character of Christopher Pike would play some sort of role in the upcoming Star Trek XI. Pike, as some of you may or may not know, was the first Enterprise captain before Kirk; he was featured in the TV show's unaired rejected pilot, then re-surfaced later on during a two-part episode where his backstory was explained. The Hollywood Reporter tells us Bruce Greenwood has landed the part, and while you might not recognize the name, dude's been around the block and then some. Greenwood, who most recently played two parts in Todd Haynes' I'm Not There, also has a role in the upcoming National Treasure: Book of Secrets and has played parts in the HBO show John from Cincinnati as well as a number of films over the years.

Pike was first played by Jeffrey Hunter in the pilot, and then by Sean Kenney in a two-parter called The Menagerie. In that episode, Pike is confined to a wheelchair due to a previous accident that found him trying to rescue cadets from a baffle plate rupture onboard a J-class training vessel (thanks Wikipedia!). The film will most likely take place much earlier than that episode however, because Kirk is already captain at that point. Originally, Spock had served with Pike for more than a decade. Greenwood looks like he'd play a good Pike; then again, I'm not a huge Trekkie and never watched either of those episodes ... so what do I know? What do you think? Should they have gone after a bigger name for the role of Pike? Should Pike be in the film? And how big of a part do you think he should play?

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The official casting call has gone out for Star Trek XI, directed by J.J. Abrams, and Coming Soon managed to grab all the details. If you just happen to be a Vulcan in your spare time, then there's a pretty good chance they'll cast you (and judging by how many Trek nuts are out there, I'm sure there's quite a few who actually believe they're Vulcan). Here's a taste of what they're looking for:

[MALES & FEMALES] - Ages 18-70, any ethnicity: to play Cadets: young, fresh-faced, Military types: marching experience preferred, thin, regal talent with BROWN or BLACK hair AND are OK with their eyebrows being shaved from the arch outward to portray a Vulcan-type eyebrow shape.

Talent with interesting and unique facial features such as: long necks, small heads, extremely large heads, wide-set eyes, bug eyes, close-set eyes, large forehead, short upper lip, pronounced cheekbones, over- or undersized ears and/or nose, facial deformities, ultra plain-looking people, ultra perfect-looking people, pure wholesome looks, twins, triplets, emaciated talent, regally poised and postured talent, or other visually unique characteristics.

Did you get all that? And how hysterical is it that they're seeking "ultra perfect-looking people?" Can I meet the person who walks in to the casting call solely because they feel like they look "ultra perfect?" And what's up with "emaciated talent?" That one just creeps me out -- and as I write that, someone at home runs to the mirror: "Emaciated talent? Sh*t, that's me!" Gotta love these casting calls and the way they define people. Check out the rest over at Coming Soon; the ultra perfect-looking Star Trek XI will hit theaters Christmas, 2008.

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Last Sunday, Cinematical was the first to tell you that Chris Pine was the odds-on favorite to take on the big role of psycho cop Junior Stemmons in Joe Carnahan's White Jazz. Carnahan has subsequently confirmed as much on his blog. The role is Pine's if he wants it, so why is he not signing on the dotted line? The reason, as I understand it, is that he's pretty much being forced to choose between a major, potentially star-making role in White Jazz or a very minor role as Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams new Star Trek film. In today's Variety, we learn that Simon Pegg has landed the role of Scotty in that film and that Pine has been officially offered the captain's chair, but hasn't yet taken it. I can see how this would be a tough choice. Even though it's well known that the new Star Trek film is practically sans-Kirk, the prestige of getting to play Kirk could open all kinds of doors for this kid, and who knows -- White Jazz may not turn out as well as everyone hopes. He's between a rock and a hard place. In other Star Trek XI casting news, The Hollywood Reporter tells us that John Cho, of Harold and Kumar fame, has landed the role of Sulu.

In other White Jazz news, Smokin' Joe has put up some more awesome concept art on his blog. This time it's not quite as cool as the panoramic view of 1958 Los Angeles, but it does have a ring of high-class sleaze to it that's reminiscent of L.A. Confidential. The large piece of art has the story's anti-hero Dave Klein walking away, with head down, from some swank Hollywood home that looks like where Pierce Patchett would live. If Joe has any heart at all, he's going to let me onto the set of this movie!

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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?

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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.

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I'm sorry, but this whole Star Trek XI casting buzz is getting a tad out of hand. Following news that Matt Damon (Kirk), Adrian Brody (Spock) and Gary Sinise (McCoy) are reportedly in talks to play major roles in Star Trek XI, comes word from the very reliable Star Magazine (kidding, of course) via TrekMovie that Jennifer Garner might sign on to play Spock's love interest in the pic. Heck, why don't we bring on George Clooney and Brad Pitt too -- call this one Star Trek XI: The Search for the Perfect Cast to Ruin the Series.

Now, by the way Star phrases this so-called "exclusive scoop," it sounds as if all they have is word that the Vulcan will have a love interest, but they go on to speculate that Garner would be a perfect fit because director J.J. Abrams has worked with her before on Alias, and is known to cast actors he's very familiar with. So, they don't actually know for sure that she's being scoped out -- they're just pretending to have heard from someone (a Star staff writer?) that Jen would make a good Vulcan lover. Affleck lover, yes. But Vulcan -- not so much. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left wondering why in the world Spock would be getting action, and not Kirk? I imagine it's impossible to have the great-looking Adrien Brody in a film, and not have him shack up with at least one lucky female, alien or not. The big question: Would this love interest be new to the Trek universe or, perhaps, Abrams and his clan will tap into some Trek history and bring T'Pring back into the picture. Thoughts?

In related news, IGN recently learned that Star Trek XI will begin shooting this October, occupying five stages on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles. However, most of those stages will be used for alien locations and not for, say, Starfleet Academy classrooms. So, unlike early rumors, the plot will most likely revolve around Kirk and Spock's first mission together, instead of two hours worth of Academy shenanigans. Star Trek XI is due to hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2008.

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Before I begin, I must warn you that this is only "inside scoop" and, so far, is not fact. I will say that IGN usually has some pretty good sources (although their sources, as well as Latino Review's, once backed a rumor that J.J. Abrams was not directing Trek XI ... which was later debunked by IGN and, eventually, turned out to be false). With that said, those IGN folks now claim to have the scoop on who the current frontrunners are for the roles of young Kirk, young Spock, young McCoy and young Sulu in Star Trek XI -- and, I must say, it is indeed an interesting list.

Contrary to what Matt Damon (or his people) have been saying, IGN tells us the actor is "indeed in talks with Paramount about playing the role of Jim Kirk." Not only that, but Adrien Brody (King Kong) is being looked at for the long-faced Mr. Spock, while Gary Sinise might be stepping into Dr. McCoy's shoes. Taking over for George Takei, IGN has learned that Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) is being eyed for the part. Wow ... that's a lot to take in. But, honestly, it all makes sense. I've already warmed up to the Damon idea, and think he would make for a perfect Kirk. Gary Sinise is a wonderful character actor, and could definitely play a convincing McCoy. Brody? Well ... that's a tough one; he certainly looks the part, but does he have what it takes to own it? Seeing as I am far from a master of all things Trek, I'll let you Trekkies (or Trekkers) take over here. Is this potential cast a tad too Hollywood-ized for you? Would you be happier with a lesser known group of actors? Thoughts? Concerns?

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Oh, those Brits and their rumors. Apparently, the Star Trek XI script is completed and official casting announcements should be heading our way soon ... but, that's not stopping people from tossing names into the rumor pile. For months we've been talking about the roles of a young Kirk and Spock (Britain's Sunday Mail seems to think Matt Damon has already been awarded the role of Kirk, but we all know that's far from an accurate statement), and now folks are shoving James McAvoy's name into the "Who will play a young Scottie?" rumor pile.

Yes, supposedly Paramount wants a Scot in the role (which I completely understand), and who better than everyone's favorite up-and-coming Scottish actor, James McAvoy? Most folks in the US will know McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, although he's appeared in a number of other films including Penelope, Starter for Ten and, most recently, The Last King of Scotland. Personally, I dig the choice and think McAvoy would make for a great Scottie. And, even though this is just a wild rumor right now, you have to imagine Paramount would place him high up on the list -- I mean, the dude is Scottish.

On the other hand, the whole Matt Damon thing bothers me to no end. In a perfect world, Singer J.J. Abrams and Co. will cast unknowns in the main roles and sprinkle more familiar names throughout the cast in smaller parts. What do you think about McAvoy as Scottie? The right choice? The wrong choice? Feel free to throw out some other names ...

[via Cinema Blend]

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Though we're still not sure which direction writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are going to take Star Trek XI, we're pretty sure the boys will go retro and focus on a young Kirk and Spock as they begin their training at the Starfleet Academy. While you Trek fans argued continuously over whether Kirk and Spock meeting at the Academy was even plausible in the first place, the names Matt Damon and Ben Affleck immediately began circling the rumor mill.

After the Damon buzz lingered for a few months, the man, his publicist and agency finally debunked the entire thing, saying something along the lines of, "we've never even heard of Star Trek -- is that some sort of eating utensil?" (Okay, that's not an exact quote, but it's close.) Forget about asking whether William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy will have any involvement -- those two flip-flop more than your local congressman. So, if Damon and Affleck will not be playing a young Kirk and Spock, who is? Ya know, if that's the route they're actually going.

So, I ask you: You're in charge of putting two actors in the roles of a young Kirk and Spock -- who do you cast?

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