Star Trek Into Darkness Synopsis Revealed As Well As Possible Villain

J.J. Abrams is well known for keeping things pretty tight lipped about his films until they reach their release, and the sequel to his 2009 Star Trek reboot 'Star Trek Into Darkness' is no exception. While little has been known about the film so far other than casting and speculation, we finally have an actual plot released for the film, which also gives hints as to who really is the villain Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing in the film.

The release of information on Star Trek Into Darkness doesn't come as much of a surprise, considering the fact that a nine minute prologue to the film will be shown before The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 500 IMAX theaters, similar to The Dark Knight Rises prologue before Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Here is Paramount official synopsis of the film:

In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes ‘Star Trek Into Darkness.’ When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Now the plot obviously doesn't get to in depth on anything, but it does give a base to start on especially for what exactly Kirk and his crew will be facing this time around. Now Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch was casted in the villain role way back when, and automatically the first villain that he was rumored to be playing was none other than Khan, from the famous Star Trek film The Wrath of Khan. While many other actors that fit the Khan part had been up for the villain role such as Benecio Del Toro and Edgar Rodriguez, Cumberbatch really doesn't fit the bill in comparison to Ricardo Montalbán who orginally played the role back in 1982.

But these rumors of "an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization" sounds a lot like the most recent villain Cumberbatch was rumored to play, a character named Gary Mitchell. Mitchell is a well known Star Trek baddie for being a member of the Star Fleet gone rogue, here's a little more information on him put together by Screen Rant's Kofi Outlaw:

Gary Mitchell appeared in the original Star Trek TV series, in an episode titled “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” It is the third episode in the original series (but was made as a second pilot), and chronicles a tale in which the Enterprise crew discover the record log of a long-lost ship at the (literal) edge of the universe. While there, the Enterprise experiences a strange phenomenon that transforms two crew members – one being Kirk’s longtime friend from the academy, Gary Mitchell – into beings of immense psychic ability. These new powers quickly corrupt Mitchell, who proclaims himself a god; when Kirk and Spock try to strand the power-crazed crewman on a remote planet, it results in a confrontation that claims lives, and forces Kirk to kill his old friend to save the universe.

Now the character sure as hell fits the description given in the plot summary, as not only did Mitchell come from their own organization (We've also seen set photos of Cumberbatch wearing a Star Fleet uniform fighting Zachary Quinto's Spock which further supports this theory), but he also convey well be considered a one man weapon of mass destruction given the powers he is given. Even Star Trek star Karl Urban who played Dr. Bones McCoy a few months back had let slip the Mitchell was the villain, although it's been said Urban has a knack for misleading the media.

A couple of other things worth noting from the revealed plot is the line about Kirk's crew being his only family. Now as we saw in the first film, Kirk's father played by a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth was killed in a space ship crash during James Kirk's birth. While Kirk's mother was still alive in the film, she didn't play a very large role, but this synopsis seems to apply that she has died between the two films or will die in Into Darkness. There's also the line about a war zone world where Kirk will be facing the villain, which could be the volcanic type land we've seen in set photos and Abram's seconds of Into Darkness footage. In the original Star Trek TV show, Kirk confronted Mitchell and a baron planet, which while not volcanic (Something that just could've been done for a more cinematic and exciting feel for the film) could very well be a version of it.

So while we wait on more information for Star Trek Into Darkness after its nine minute prologue hits IMAX theaters December 14, here's a cool fan-made trailer featuring Cumberbatch as Khan:

What do you think of Cumberbatch as Gary Mitchell?Who do you think he's playing?

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Tahmoh Penikett Joins Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, But Who Is He Playing?

These past couple of days (And even hours) have been pretty crazy for DC Comic films. Just hours ago a rumor had broke the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, Looper, The Dark Knight Rises) was set to return as the new Batman for a Justice League film, only for the rumor to be debunked by JGL's reps just a few hours later. There is also Man of Steel director Zack Snyder's seemingly confirmation the his Superman will be part of an expanded universe of characters, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that will be connected to WB's Justice League film. And amongst all these rumors a new actor has joined Man of Steel, but who is he playing? Could it be Batman himself?

Well lets start of with the JGL/Batman rumor and sort of work our way to how the Penikett casting fits in with this. Earlier today Hitfix.com has broke news that Levitt was already in negotiations with WB to join Justice League as the new Batman, as well as an appearance in Man of Steel. Now for those who haven't seen The Dark Knight Rises yet, beware because there are SPOILERS ahead. Okay so as we all know Levitt played a character known as John Blake in TDKR, a version of Robin from the Batman comics, and at the end of the film we saw him enter the Batcave under Bruce Wayne's wishes. Now Nolan has time and time again stated this was the last film in the series, and Levitt himself had said that this was the conclusion and he had no plans to return to the role. But ultimately it's WB's decision as to whether they want to continue the Blake character as their new Batman, and in that case connect Man of Steel and Nolan's Batman series to their Justice League film. The rumor had also said one other actor was set to return to keep the continuity from the previous films, that speculators believed to be Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon. Now while Levitt's reps are saying this isn't true, there is always still a chance that they are trying to turn the media in the other direction, but there is really a small chance of this being true at this point.

Now to Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse), he was just recently confirmed to have joined the Man of Steel cast, which he has announced via his Twitter. IMDB has Penikett listed as a character named Henry Ackerdson, a name very similar to Henry Ackerson, a name used by Superman's enemy Metallo in the animated film Justice League: Doom. Now IMDB isn't exactly the most trust worthy source, and it would be odd that the character would be going by the name Henry Ackerdson as opposed to his real name John Corben. For those who don't know, Metallo is a Superman villain very similar to Terminator, and he's basically an experiment of the military who was turned into an android that runs on kryptonite. Now since the military has been said to have a heavy involvement in Man of Steel, Metallo doesn't seem a far fetched villain to make an appearance. But that really doesn't confirm that Penikett is the one that will be playing the role, and when asked if he was playing Ackerdson on Twitter he refused to confirm or deny that that was the role he was playing.

Now the only other role that Penikett has been rumored to be portraying in the film in none other than Bruce Wayne/Batman himself. The rumor comes off a bit more realistic than the Levitt/Blake/Batman rumor, considering that WB has announced they want a full on Batman 'reboot' which sounds like they want to bring the character back to square one, with not connection to the previous Nolan films. Penikett's casting confirmation comes in pretty late in comparison to the other cast members, which further supports the idea that Batman will be making an appearance in Man of Steel to emphasis on the expanded universe Man of Steel is set to start. But any word of Penikett actually playing Batman is strictly rumor, although he does seem to be a good fit for the part if I say so myself.

Here is Zack Snyder's apparent confirmation of a plan for a DC expanded universe that connects Man of Steel to Justice League:

“I don’t know how ‘Justice League’ is going to be handled. Honestly, I don’t… But ‘The Man of Steel’ exists, and Superman is in it. I don’t know how you’d move forward without acknowledging that.”

And when asked to go a little more in detail about Man of Steel's Justice League connection Snyder said:

“Um, how can I answer that?… I can’t really say anything to that, because that’s a big spoiler. I will say, yeah, they trust me to keep them on course.”

So it does sound like Snyder does have a sort of plan to incorporate hints to this universe in Man of Steel, and if they are spoilers then they may just be bigger then hints (Which would mean of course appearances).

What do you guys think of Penikett as Metallo or possibly Batman? How would you feel if JGL was our next Batman?

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Adam Baldwin to Replace Titus Welliver in 'Last Ship'

Guest post by Ralph Villanueva. TNT will be coming out with a new drama, "The Last Ship" in 2013, and new casting details have been released. Titus Welliver was supposed to be playing the role of Mike Slattery but had to pull out unexpectedly due to family health emergencies. So, actor Adam Baldwin will take the reins. Mike Slattery is second in command to Captain Tom Chandler on the USS Nathan James, a naval destroyer. The crew on the ship find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world where they're among some of the last people on Earth.

The new TNT drama is based off the '88 novel by William Brinkley and will be produced by none other than Michael Bay. I guess he has recently found time to focus his efforts on a few potential TV series. Well, he won't actually be focusing too much attention on the new series, but director Michael Bay is using his clout to executive produce an eight-episode prequel so far.

A well-rounded cast will join the show, including writer Hank Steinberg, known for creating "Without a Trace," and producer Steven Kane, well-known for working on "The Closer."

'The Last Ship' Crew

Rhona Mitra: Mitra will play Rachel Scott, the strong-willed and fearless microbiologist specialist. Mitra is a badass English actress with plenty of silver screen skills, starring in "Doomsday," "Shooter" and “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.” Her TV list is just as impressive: "Nip/Tuck," "Boston Legal" and "The Practice."
Eric Dane: He will play Captain Tom Chandler, the captain of the USS Nathan James. Chandler gets word from his family that they're still alive, but there are militias everywhere, jeopardizing their lives. It's up to him to figure out how to save the last of humanity. Dane became a household sensation for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on the medical drama television series "Grey's Anatomy." He was also in the films "Marley &Me," "Valentine's Day" and "Burlesque."
Adam Baldwin: He will play the character of Mike Slattery, second in command to Captain Tom Chandler. Baldwin is most known for his role in "Independence Day" and several TV series including "Leverage," "Castle" and "Chuck."
Charles Parnell: He will be playing the role of Commander Master Chief Hugh Jeter aboard the USS Nathan James. CMC Jeter runs a tight ship and even threatens to shoot a sailor who attempts to leave the ship without permission, according to i09.com. Parnell is a television actor and has made appearances on "Bones," "Fringe," "CSI: Miami," "All My Children" and "Law & Order."
Michaela McManus: Michaela McManus will be playing Lt. Jackie Mckenna, who runs the Combat Information Center and is in charge of missile deployment. She is dating Danny Green, the leader of a group of SEALS. McManus has experience in short film and television, making appearances in "Cosa Bella," "One Tree Hill," "The Vampire Diaries" and "CSI: Miami."
Christina Elmore: She plays Lt. Alisha Granderson. Lt. Granderson co-steers the ship and is an emotional wreck. Elmore will make her television debut with this series. She is a stage actress from San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater.
Sam Spruell: He will play the character of Quincy Tophet, a paleomicrobiologist who's the assistant of Rachel Scott's assistant. He helps her dig for ice samples in the hopes to find a cure for the mutating virus. Spruell has been featured in British series "Spooks" and "P.O.W." and is most recently known for his role in "Snow White and the Huntsman."
Travis Van Winkle: He will play Danny Green, the leader of a small group of Navy SEALS. Van Winkle is an experienced actor in both the television and film world, most known for his works in the Michael Bay Transformers project, "Friday the 13th," "Two and a Half Men" and "Law & Order."

Author: Ralph Villanueva A sci-fi Fanatic, Ralph is first in line for Comicon, Batman movie releases and everything "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" related.

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Review: Does Red Dawn Make For A Worthy Remake of the Original Classic?

Red Dawn. A remake of the 1984 film with the same title starring some big names including Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen, it was bound to do better because of an all -star cast, a whole bunch of action, and a cool story line, right? WRONG. Instead what we got was a rushed storyline, characters that didn't really seem interesting, and an overall remake that doesn't meet the standards of the original.

In the beginning of  Red Dawn we pretty much learn of a problem starting with North Korea kinda saying they're immature and how they are planning something big, which kinda seemed cool. Then we switch over to the main storyline with our main characters; Thor, Josh, Peeta...oh wait that's not right. But that how the movie starts to feel. Chris Hemsworth starts to loose the sense of his character and as a fan I start to see more of  Thor than I do of Jed. Same thing happens with Josh Peck playing Matt, I begin to get tired of his whining and start seeing him as more of chubby adorable Josh from the TV show Drake and Josh than some harden teen who just saw his dad get killed.

Same goes with most of the other characters, and after a while you notice that you dont really form a connection with any of the characters at all. SPOILER: Some of the characters die in the film, but in a way you dont care. I mean their not even on the movie's promotional posters so that kinda throws a sucker punch. One reason for the lack of character depth and relation is because of a rushed storyline.

One second they're waking up in bed, next second they're running from explosions. I mean really, do you seriously think that North Korea can just tip toe into American Airspace and no one notices. At least have the characters get a bowl of cereal and check their facebook in the morning before everything happens, but no, it's just kind of thrown onto you and you have to deal with it.

The action scenes weren't too bad, but seemed repetitive. Wolverines ( school mascot/ what they call themselves) shoot at the North Koreans, North Koreans fire back, random explosion happens, Wolverines win and take some free stuff. After a while it's like, wait. didn't you guys just blow up some cars and what not, why are you doing it again.

After a few action scenes here and there you get tired of the movie, I mean it seems that the entire army went on Christmas break for some reason in that movie and all hope is left upon a girl scout troop with Thor, Peeta, and Josh. Could the movie have been better? Yes. Should it have been better? Probably. Would I recommend you go see Red Dawn in theaters? It depends , if you wanna kill time and watch a quick action flick where you don't really care for the characters and just wanna see stuff blow up, then be my guest.

To conclude, Red Dawn isn't a bad movie but there are many things that could've been done differently/adjusted in order to make it a stronger and more memorable movie. But overall it has potential and can lead into possibly a trilogy of films showing improvement.

I give Red Dawn 3 out of 5 stars:

And here's the trailer:

What are your thoughts on Red Dawn?Are you going to go check it out?

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Sony Pulls Out New Set Of Actors Being Eyed For Harry Osborn

Just a few days ago we learned that Sony had a shortlist of just three actors up for the role of Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which included Brady Cobert (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures), and Dane DeHaan (Chronicle). It was said that Sony would be taking a more classic approach to the character rather than similar to the version in the Ultimate comics or James Franco's in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. But now it seems Sony has had a change of heart, and are looking for a more 'better looking' and 'athletic' actor for the role. The new shortlist now includes Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsman), Eddie Redmayne (My Week With Marlene), Douglas Booth (LOL), and Boyd Holbrook (The Host).

The news comes a bit surprising as just earlier today, paparazzi got photos Dane DeHaan and Andrew Garfield arriving at director Marc Webb's house. While the original thought was that this may be a sign DeHaan was locked in, apparently the actor may not be up for the role anymore. Sony had previously said that they wanted a 'darker and edgy' version of Harry, a part that DeHaan fit like a glove. But now it seems the new set of actors are quite different from the original three, and fit more Sony's new description.

Dane DeHaan arriving at Marc Webb's house

As for whether DeHaan, Ehrenreich, and Cobert are still in the running, it has yet to be said. Both Ehrenreich and Cobert can still slightly pull of this new version of Harry, but DeHaan is the one that really might've been the most impacted by the studio's change. Of the new shortlist, Sam Claflin is the most recognized (And probably best choice) as he starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Snow White and the Huntsman, and will just recently be starring as Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It seems odd for Claflin to be taking on another role in a big blockbuster, especially if the Hunger Games films will be filming so close together.

As for the other choices, Eddie Redmayne is an up and coming British actor (Sound familiar-Andrew Garfield) who starred in My Week With Marilyn and will be in this years' Les Miserables. He too would be an interesting choice, and is a strong actor for the part who could work well with Andrew. Both Douglas Booth and Boyd Holbrook I am not familiar with, Booth has received a role in Darren Aronofsky's Noah, while Holbrook will be starring in the adaption of the Stephanie Meyer's book The Host.

In my opinion, I was very excited to see a new and more classical take on Harry Osborn, having him as a social outcast like Peter kind of similar to the Spectacular Spider-Man version. I was all for DeHaan getting the part, although my original choice was Ehrenreich. I still think Ehrenreich can work out for this different version of Harry (Maybe even better actually), but the other actors I've thought of for the role no longer fit such as Anton Yelchin and DeHaan no longer fit the bill. Some people that I can think of off the top of my head for this more popular rich kid and athletic version of Harry would be Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), or Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy, although save him for Eddie Brock). The choice I'd really like to see for this version of the part would have to be Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin), who just barely lost out to Garfield for Spider-Man and would work great along side him, as well as blending some of the element of classic Harry into the version Sony is now going with.

Who do you think should play Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2?

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Colin Trevorrow Rumored To Be Front Runner To Direct Star Wars Episode VII

Ever since Disney's purchase of LucasFilm and the announcement of an all new Star Wars trilogy coming up starting with Episode VII in 2015, things have been quite crazy. First we found out George Lucas would not be directing or writing the films, then we learned that Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt would be writing the script (I fantastic choice if I say so myself), and rumors have been tossed back and forth on whether the original characters and their respective actors will be returning for the new series. But the main buzz about the film has definitely been who will be taking on the challenge of directing, and just about every big name in the business has been brought up for the role, but now it seems the director that might be getting the gig isn't who most people expected.

Such names as J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Zack Snyder, and Sam Mendes have all declined involvement in the film, with fan favorite for the job Brad Bird recently dismissing any rumors of his involvement as well, choosing to focus on his new film 1952. But many other names are still in contending, such as Matthew Vaughn (X-Men First Class), Jon Favreau (Iron Man), Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy), Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger), who have all said they'd be interested in the job. In the mean time other names being brought up are Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), Duncan Jones (Source Code), Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy), Joss Whedon (The Avengers), Rian Johnson (Looper), Andrew Stanton (John Carter), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Man), and even Christopher Nolan (Although that is strictly his fan base speaking). But it may seem that you can cross these big names of your list, cause the main guy up for the job is indie director Colin Trevorrow who just released his first film Safety Not Guaranteed.

While it may come as a surprise to many, Trevorrow is said to have even met with George Lucas, and Safety Not Guaranteed included quite a few Star Wars references from it's main characters. Trevorrow being a fresh name may fit more with what Disney/LucasFilm is looking for to fit well with Michael Arndt style of story telling, and judging by Arndt's previous works, the two seem to be a good collaboration. Not only do these thing point to Trevorrow being up for the job, but he may have confirmed it as early as in June, during a promotional interview for Safety Not Guaranteed. When asked what he'd be doing next he described that he'd be "tackling a beloved mythology" and will "try to make it not suck". See for yourself at the 21:50 mark:

It sure sounds a hell of a lot like Star Wars to me, and with his name already having come up on the directors shortlist, and his supposed meeting with George Lucas, the pieces of the puzzle fit. Now it still remains to be revealed if the new trilogy will follow the same formula as the original, in which a different director came on board for each film. If Trevorrow is in fact directing Episode VII, he may or may not be sticking around for the whole series. While I was personally rooting for Brad Bird, I don't mind Trevorrow getting the job, as it seems he is a big fan of the Star Wars franchise. To his credit while Safety Not Guaranteed may not be a very well known film, it was praised critically and really told a great story with a lot of heart, something the George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy had, but his prequels seemed to be lacking. The team up of Trevorrow and Arndt sounds like an exciting route for Disney to take.

What do you think of Colin Trevorrow possibly directing Star Wars Episode VII?

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RoboCop Remake: Set Photos And Concept Art Look Promising

RoboCop. A movie produced around 1987 about a cop who died and was kinda put back together Dr. Frankenstein's Monster Style using robotic pieces. The original was not bad but the action seemed a little slow paced. There was a scene where he walks into a drug lords operating plant and shoots up everybody, and it seemed like he was going for a stroll in the park. Well now RoboCop is getting second chance to wow a new generation on the big screen come 2014.

The film will star The Killing's Joel Kinnaman in the lead role of Alex Murphy/RoboCop, Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises) as Dr. Robert Norton the man who created RoboCop, and Michael Keaton (Tim Burton's Batman) as the films villain Raymond Sellars who is the CEO of OmniCorp. The film as includes a strong supporting cast such as Samuel L. Jackson, Jay Burachel, Abbie Cornish, and Jackie Earl Haley. The film is directed by Jose Padilha, famous for his work on the Elite Squad series which ironically also focus's on police officers.

But now in 2012 we have learned that not only is RoboCop being remade, but the concept art behind it looks beautiful. Rumor has it that the new RoboCop remake will feature four suits. So far the suit we see in action mostly is the new all black suit. A recent leaked sizzle reel for the film which included lots of concept art has shown the first suit Murphy uses as RoboCop in the film which is very reminiscent of the one in the original. Two other suits have also been leaked, one that is a silver combat suit, and the other a Transformer like suit that can transform itself. Did I also mention that RoboCop will be getting a set of RoboWheels. In the new RoboCop remake, Alex Murphy (RoboCop's real name) will be riding on a custom police motorcycle which looks sick based upon photos released online.

If the new RoboCop plans on having about the same or even more action scenes in it, than we can probably expect a pretty awesome action movie. Things that can possibly go wrong with the RoboCop film go as follow:

1.The movie comes out too much like Terminator/ Iron Man and people begin to loose interest in the main storyline and just want to see RoboCop shoot people and ride his bike.

2. RoboCop starts acting like RoboCop from the 80's where he walks all stiff like and acts like a toy robot instead of a one man army.

3.They give him a dumb villain, someone who nobody cares about, one of those people who's main plan is to take over the city/ get rich quick blah blah blah. Been there, done that, we want something new. Look what happened to Judge Dredd, ended up like Judge Judy because it followed an over used storyline.

One of the four suits in the film claimed to be the transforming suit

The recently leaked silver combat suit spotted on set in Toronto

Concept art of RoboCop's first armor (Click to enlarge)

Concept art of the ED-209 (Click to enlarge)

My expectations are actually pretty high for the upcoming RoboCop film, hopefully they want mess it up, kind of like they do with other old movies the revive , but nobody goes out to see it because you already know what's going to happen. But with the right storyline, awesome action sequences, an explosion here and there, RoboCop may be able to come out with another two movies (at max). RoboCop is set to hit theaters February 7, 2014.

What would you like to see from the new RoboCop film?

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