Three Sci-Fi Prequels We'd Like To See (And The Filmmakers Who Should Make Them)

Even if the Writers Guild strike ends today, there's no doubt that Hollywood will continue to push out more prequels and remakes — most of them uneccesarry or, sadly, offensive — in the next few years. Still, not all prequels are doomed. We’re looking forward to JJ Abrams’ Star Trek, and we’re excited about today’s announcement that Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct two Peter Jackson-produced flicks based on The Hobbit. News that the awesome Pan's Labyrinth director might bring us a new vision of Middle Earth got us wondering ... What other sci-fi/fantasy prequels would we like to see, and who should direct them? Yeah, we got a list...

3. Robocop: Murphy's Law

Director: Paul Greengrass

Pitch: Greengrass delivered great pulse-pounding action with an anti-authority slant in the Bourne films. Now all he needs is a real special-effects budget. In this prequel to 1987's Robocop, Cillian Murphy stars as young rookie cop (and future Robocop) Alex Murphy, who patrols the increasingly dangerous streets of Detroit. Murphy, a staunch technophobe, leads the investigation to shut down a murderous gang aided by stolen OPC weapons and nano-technology. Murphy discovers that an OCP exec is actually handing out the weapons and technology to criminals so they can "beta test" it on the street. Lots of battles between shotgun-toting cops and nanite-infested cyberpunks ensue.

2. X-Men Origins: Cyclops
Director: Spike Lee
Pitch: Scott Summers can finally get the solid big screen treatment he deserves with Lee's eye behind the helm. Much like Lee's passionate The 25th Hour, this thrilling and emotional look back on Cyclops' (still James Marsden) tumultuous early life (his parents die, he helps found the X-Men, he falls in love with Jean Grey) is told in flashbacks. The story is framed by Scott’s urgent preparation for a battle to the death with the Hellfire Club, who have kidnapped a reawakened Jean Grey. Spike can craft an elegant back story that highlights Cyclops' strength, loyalty and quiet resilience.

1. The X-Files: Mulder's First Case
Director: Shane Carruth
Pitch: Primer’s Carruth can deliver a dark, perplexing, slow-paced film of ideas that follows a young college-bound Mulder (Emile Hirsch) who tours various cults and underground societies searching for an answer to his sister’s strange disappearance. He gets in too deep with a dangerous group of alien worshippers and has to get clever to fight his way out. Superbad’s Michael Cera co-stars as Mulder’s computer and supernatural savvy sidekick.

Kevin Sorbo Beats Stallone

Former Hercules and Andromeda star Kevin Sorbo has the number one film in the country today. Too bad that film is the lowest of the lowbrow epic movie parody Meet the Spartans. Here's what the critics are sayin' about Sorbo's latest, which beat Stallones' new Rambo for the weekend box-office crown.

• " Lazy, lame and painfully unfunny." - Variety
  
  
• "Meet The Spartans gamely alternates between unfunny gay jokes and violent pratfalls ..." The Onion AV Club
  
  
• "Meet the Spartans is not a movie. All involved should feel slightly ashamed." Cinematical
  
  
• "... sickening, derivative, shallow, condescending, utterly worthless ..." - The MovieBoy.com
  

Yikes. Were the reviews for last year's Epic Movie this bad? At least Spartans might raise Sorbo's Tomatometer from 0% to 4% (apparently the critics don't like straight to video Walking Tall sequels either). I think Sorbo needs to make a grand return to sci-fi. It's the only genre in which he gets any quality projects and critical love. Maybe there's room for him in the Watchmen movie. Or better yet, why not an Andromeda miniseries on Sci Fi Channel? They can give it the Battlestar treatment and make it a darker, bloodier version of the original. Here's to dreaming ...

The Week In Star Trek News

Who can keep up with all the news flying out of JJ Abrams' Star Trek set every day? We certainly can't. But, as die-hard Trek fans, we're having fun trying. That's why we've started this new weekly feature. Every week, we'll cull all the new Trek news heard round the Web and post it here. It's the Week in Star Trek News ...

• Paramount finally launched an official site for the new flick this week. As of now, it only features the HD teaser trailer and a link to sign up for news updates.
  
  
• Just days after the official site was launched, this viral site for Abrams' flick went live, featuring four "cameras" zoomed in on welders working on the new Enterprise. Click here for the first official interior shot of the Enterprise and for instructions on how to work the viral site.
  
  
• View some high-res images taken from the teaser trailer.
  
  
• In this video, James Cawley, star and producer of the online fan series Star Trek New Voyages, says he is on board with the new film and is even going to be in the film.
  
  
• Check out this audio of Abrams chatting with Howard Stern and other DJs about the new flick and about why Shatner isn't in it. Abrams: Kirk's frakkin' dead!
  
  
• Here's a shot from the set of someone who appears to be wearing a Starfleet Officer's uniform
  
  
• New Kirk Chris Pine says he's not doing a Shatner impression.
  
  
• Abrams and some of his cast and crew participated in an online chat with fans on Friday, Read this recap, which features new pics from the set, where Abrams promises that his film won't be full of green screen fakeness.
  
  
• James Doohan's son Chris says he'll have an acting role in the new flick. He also says the new uniforms rock.
  
  
• House star Jennifer Morrison is probably playing Kirk's mother.
  
  
• It looks like Greg Grunberg might still have a cameo in the film, along with some other unnamed celebs.
  
  
• Io9 is digging this Trek parody that turns the Enterprise crew into capitalists.
  
  
• And finally, die-hard fans looking to alienate their Trek-hating friends should play this Star Trek jukebox at full-blast.

Video: Star Trek New Voyages Star On Board With Abrams' New Movie

James Cawley, star and producer of the online fan series Star Trek New Voyages, says he is on board with JJ Abrams' upcoming Star Trek film and is even going to be in the film. Cawley plays Captain Kirk in TNV, a remake of the original series, and can be seen in the video below from TrekMovie.com giving Abrams' project a big thumbs-up.

Cawley was recently invited on the Paramount soundstage where Star Trek is being produced and spent a few days with Abrams and crew discussing Gene Roddenberry's vision and basically hanging around with the actors and crew.

"I love it. I think he's definitely a genius," Cawley said about the new movie and Abrams. Read more and watch the video ...

Cawley goes on to talk about his A-list treatment on the set and how he thinks Abrams will stay true to Roddenberry's philosophy, even if his style is different. Cawley also noted that he was fitted for a new Starfleet uniform on the set and is gearing up to shoot a few top secret scenes for the film.

Cawley's praise for the new project is a little surprising since he's a canon purist and has reported skepticism about the new Trek film. The video interviewer bluntly asked Cawley if he was "bought off" to gush about the new film. Cawley said no, of course, and went on to talk about what he'd do different if he was in charge.

So, what say you Trek fans? Is Cawley's praise honest and well-earned, or is this a well-calculated move by Abrams' Web-savvy marketing team to win over die hard fans and drum up more interest in this project?

Heath Ledger: 1979-2008

We're sad to report that Oscar-nominated actor Heath Ledger was found dead today of a possible overdose of sleeping pills in New York.

Details about Ledger's death have been slow in coming. TMZ reported that Ledger was sick from pneumonia at the time of his death. The actor's family reportedly contacted TMZ, saying police had assured them that Ledger's death was accidental and not a suicide.

Ledger just wrapped shooting his role as The Joker in the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. Like many fans of Ledger, we were looking forward to catching the talented actor's work for years to come. Never satisfied to be the Hollywood "It Boy" the studios wanted him to be, the native Australian carved out a fine acting career during his few years living in the U.S. His Oscar-nominated turn in Brokeback Mountain will always be remembered as his breakthrough, signature role as well as one of the finest performances of the decade.

Ledger was always fun to watch on screen, but he really started to shine with recent roles in films including Brokeback, Candy and I'm Not There. We still look forward to his performance in The Dark Knight, even if watching the film might now prove to be a bittersweet experience. Still, Ledger's work won't be soon forgotten, and the leaked clips and trailer from The Dark Knight have us wondering if the Academy still awards posthumous Oscars.

SciFi/Fantasy Films Get Little Love From Oscars

It's no secret that the Academy Awards normally snub science fiction and fantasy films in the major categories. This year was no different with the major categories being dominated by dramas. The great Coen Brothers flick No Country for Old Men and P.T. Anderson's There Will Be Blood led the pack with eight nominations each this morning. Three genre films were nominated in technical or f/x categories. Unfortunately these three were some of the worst films released in 2007.

The only genre films that made the cut were Transformers (nominated for Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Best Makeup, Visual Effects) and the miserable Golden Compass (Visual Effects).

There's really no debating the technical achievements of those films (I'm sure we could go on about their lack of great dramatic achievements), but the Oscars really snubbed a few other superior flicks that were being considered for f/x nods. Where was the love for I Am Legend (pictured) or 300? Sure, I Am Legend's CGI vampires were about as realistic as the film's chances for a Best Picture nod, but the setting of a post-apocalyptic New York City was something special to behold and definitely award-worthy. 300 had many flaws, but it was one of the most visually arresting movies of the year. I guess we'll have to wait for the next Saturn Awards to see if these two get the nominations they deserve.

View the complete list of Oscar nominees here. I'm rooting for Anton Chigurh.

Watch JJ Abrams' Star Trek Teaser Trailer in HD

Today's shaping up to be a good day for video. You can now watch the teaser trailer for JJ Abrams' upcoming Star Trek on the movie's new official site. You can even watch it in HD, quite a change from that shaky cam version that's been all over the Web.

The teaser, of course, made its debut in theaters on Friday attached to the Abrams-produced monster hit Cloverfield.

I know a few folks who are upset about this teaser featuring the Enterprise being constructed on land. I don't get the frustration. I've seen almost everything Star Trek and I don't remember anyone ever mentioning that starships, much less the Enterprise, had to be constructed in space. All I know is that I'm excited about this project and I hope it relaunches the Trek franchise in a big way.

Kirk & Spock Crash Cloverfield Premiere

Members of the JJ Abramsverse mingled with other celebs at the Hollywood premiere of the Abrams-produced monster flick Cloverfield on Wednesday night. Among the guests beaming for the paparazzi were Abrams' new Spock and Captain Kirk — actors Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine (pictured). The actors are, of course, starring in Abrams' upcoming Star Trek movie, set to hit theaters later this year. Other new Trek cast members made appearances, including Zoe Saldana (Uhura), John Cho (Sulu) and Anton Yelchin (Chekov).

IESB photog Rick Chavez snapped about a million pics, including the one featured here, at the premiere. Lots of famous faces showed up. The Cloverfield and Enterprise crews rubbed shoulders with tons of celebs like John Krasinski, Lindsay Lohan, Masi Oka, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman. Check out the photos here.

Abrams' Star Trek Teaser Description Online

I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. It looks like HollywoodChicago.com (?) has posted an "authentic" description of the teaser trailer for JJ Abram's upcoming Star Trek flick. I'm not into spoilers, so I haven't read it, but you can right here. The teaser will be attached to the Abrams-produced Cloverfield, which hits theaters Friday.

For more Abrams and Star Trek XI fandom, visit TrekMovie.com. They just posted a recap of a nifty Details interview with William Shatner who calls his absence from the new move "a silly oversight." One cheeky commentor says the new movie should be titled Star Trek: Hold The Shatner.

Wolverine prequel shaping up to be a unique superhero movie

Filming is expected to start any day now in Queenstown, New Zealand for the fourth film in the X-Men series, currently titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Hugh Jackman will return as Wolvie and his Seed Productions is taking the helm on what is shaping up to be a pretty unique superhero flick, or at least less of a mindless mess of action like X-Men: The Last Stand, thanks to some talented names behind the scenes.

South African filmmaker Gavin Hood has been confirmed as the film's director. This is an interesting choice, since Hood is best known for helming the crime drama Tsotsi, 2006's Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film. Read More

If Jackman and crew were looking for the anti-Brett Ratner, director of X-Men: The Last Stand, it looks like they got him. Aside from Tsotsi, which took place in the crime-filled streets of Johannesburg, Hood has written and directed a number of award-winning educational TV dramas commissioned by the South African Department of Health on topics like AIDS prevention and illegal drug use. His most recent film was the anti-torture drama Rendition.

Wolverine screenwriter David Benioff is also a refreshingly non-Hollywood choice. Benioff wrote the screenplay for 2007's The Kite Runner, a well-received epic drama about modern Afghanistan based on an international bestseller by Khaled Hossein. The Kite Runner is expected to be nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar come February. Benioff's first foray into film was adapting his own novel, The 25th Hour, for Spike Lee.

Some might say this project is following the Batman Beigns trend: Hire some acclaimed, non-action filmmakers to rework a popular franchise and give it a darker twist, but I'm betting we're going to see something special once this thing hits theaters.

So, will Wolverine be the first superhero filck to be nominated for an Oscar? Probably not, but it looks like Jackman's team is serious about making a good film — not just good profits — about the origin of one of Marvel's most famous mutants. The rumor mill reports that Rattner wanted to direct this filck, but the producers obviously had other plans.

On the casting front, The Southland Times in New Zealand reports that former indie stalwart Liev Schrieber (The Day Trippers) is rumored to be playing the young William Striker, the role originated on screen by Brian Cox in X2: X-Men United. Hawaiian actress Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard) is also rumored to appear in the film.