Director J.J. Abrams revealed to MTV that STAR TREK 2 will not be shot in 3-D, but will be converted in post. Abrams, however, hopes to shoot the film in IMAX.

Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto will return for the sequel, along with franchise newcomers Edgar Ramirez, Peter Weller and Alice Eve.

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof penned the script. Abrams, Kurtzman, Orci, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, and David Ellison are the producers.

Filming will start in January. The stardate for the film’s release is May 17, 2013. [Source]

Benicio Del Toro has pulled out of negotiations to appear in ‘Star Trek 2′.

The ‘Wolfman’ actor was in talks to play the lead bad guy in the forthcoming J.J. Abrams-directed sequel – starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana – but “monetary issues” have ended chances of him starring.

Although no details of who the character is have so far been leaked, NYPost.com’s Vulture blog claims he was set to play Khan Noonien-Singh in the much-hyped project.

The character – a genetically engineered super-human – originally appeared in the original ‘Star Trek’ TV series and ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’, and was played by Ricardo Montalban.

No actors have been named as possible successors to Benicio, but with the film due to begin shooting in January a replacement will have to be found shortly.

The sequel is set to be shot in 3-D by director J.J., while Alice Eve – best known for the role of the Irish nanny in ‘Sex and the City 2′ – is signed up to star.

Peter Weller is a pretty standup guy, so I think anything good that comes his way is well deserved. The last thing I saw him in was as Stan Liddy on Dexter. He was great on the show and I’ve been hoping to see him in a project equally as good.

Luckily, J.J. Abrams has picked up the actor for STAR TREK 2. There are no details on what the role will be. All we have so far is that he will definitely be in the film. We do know that Benicio Del Toro will not be playing Khan. Abrams himself has spoken out against the rumor saying, “Not true.” Apparently he was quite forward with that statement and seemed pretty firm on the matter. So for now, no Khan.

Alice Eve (SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE) recently joined the cast as well in another unidentified role. Paramount is due to release the sequel on May 17, 2013. [Source]

If not for the recent casting announcement of Benicio Del Toro joining the Star Trek sequel as the villain, I probably would have forgotten there was even a sequel in the works. Given the success of STAR TREK, I figured Paramount and J.J. Abrams would have been quick to pounce on a sequel. The highly anticipated sequel has been progressing slower than fans would have liked, but it looks like things are picking up as Alice Eve has just joined the cast as an all new character and one not previously seen in any Star Trek films. Other than that, not much is known, but I can’t imagine someone like Alice Even joining the film without having some kind of romantic connection to Captain Kirk.

The Star Trek sequel is set to start filming in January and is set to star Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban and Simon Pegg are all expected to return.

The studio’s rebooted sci-fi franchise will continue in 3D.

Paramount has plotted a course for May 17, 2013, for its next Star Trek sequel, which it plans to shoot in 3D. The release date slots the sci-fi franchise into a very busy tentpole-filled May 2013, coming right after Marvel/Disney’s Iron Man 3 and Warner Bros.’ Guillermo del Toro-directed Pacific Rim. (PHOTOS: Hollywood’s A-List Redefined)

Earlier this year, director-producer J.J. Abrams, who directed the first Trek reboot, was tied up with Super 8 and hadn’t committed to directing the new episode, forcing the studio to abandon its original date of June 29, 2012. But the studio’s announcement of a new release date for Summer 2013 indicates that Abrams is happy with the status of the script from Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof.
The 2009 Star Trek movie grossed $386 million worldwide. Paramount, looking to the way Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. relaunched the Batman franchise with Batman Begins, is hoping the newly refurbished Starship Enterprise will reach even greater heights with this second installment.
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Things continue to progress for the Star Trek sequel, recently reported to be in consideration for a 2013 release. TrekMovie has an exclusive update on the status for pre-production on the project including locations, the script and casting. We also have news on the exact date for the start of filming. See below for more details.

Sequel shooting January 15th + ILM already working + Hawaii a possibility

TrekMovie has learned from trusted sources that the official start date for production on the Star Trek sequel is January 15th, 2012. This is over four years and two months after the start of production for the 2009 Star Trek movie (which began shooting on November 7th, 2007).

Pre-production for the Star Trek sequel has been underway for a few months. It began using the famous “extensive outline” but sources tell TrekMovie a draft script has been completed and submitted to the studio. In fact, just yesterday co-writer/ producer Roberto Orci made a comment here at TrekMovie.com noting: that the script has “been done for a while” and they are currently working on the 3rd draft. In another comment posted today at TrekMovie, Orci himself noted “rewriting is a good thing which normally makes the script better. We like to keep pushing the script, even if no one gives us notes.”

Sources tell TrekMovie that the writing team of Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof are currently working on a draft to ensure the film fits into the budget the Paramount has set. The studio is said to be “very enthusiastic” about the project and very supportive of producer/director Abrams and his core team.

Much of the design work for the film has been completed, with the team again headed by Scott Chambliss as production designer. And construction has already started for some of the new sets. Many sets and location set dressing elements from the 2009 film (such as the USS Enterprise) have been in storage and will be re-used for the sequel. In addition, ILM has already started work on some of the effects shots for the movie. While effects work is often considered part of post-production, there are many space effects shots which can be made without the need of any filmed elements.

The script is in and ILM are already making effects shots for the “Star Trek” sequel (shot from 2009 film above)

In addition, the team lead by director JJ Abrams is currently picking locations. TrekMovie has learned that Abrams himself traveled to Hawaii to scout a location which is being seriously considered for a “jungle planet.” Shooting will also include a museum in Los Angeles standing in for what a source said was a “famous Star Trek location.” As per usual with a Star Trek film, studio shooting will take place on a number of stages on the Paramount lot.

Of course all the main cast from the original Star Trek movie are returning and the casting process for new characters is currently being discussed, however sources indicate none of the new roles have been cast so far.

TrekMovie does not have any details to report on the plot of the film yet, but it is described as “bigger” in scope than the 2009 Star Trek film.

Stay tuned to TrekMovie for all the news on the Star Trek sequel.

In the last Star Trek movie, we saw the return of an original Star Trek legend, when the Zachary Quinto young version of Spock, came face to face with the Leonard Nimoy old version of the character. Now, new Captain Kirk actor Chris Pine, has teased that there could be a possibility of seeing the return of the original Captain Kirk, William Shatner, in the new Star Trek sequel.

Pine explained, “It just isn’t, quite honestly, my decision to make. I think Mr. Shatner will forever be Captain Kirk. I think it would be, certainly, an interesting thing to bring him back. I don’t know if he necessarily wants to at this point or not. But it’s not my decision.” Chris then went on to talk about the first time he ever met William Shatner, at a charity event.

Pine added, “It was great. It was a very brief moment. It was at his charity event, so it had nothing to do with us meeting. It was more about raising money for his charity. But he was a lovely guy, really complimentary and very nice.” Star Trek 2 has had more than its fair share of delays but it appears to be making good progress now. Star Trek 2 is expected to be released in 2013.
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Actor Bruce Greenwood reveals that Star Trek 2 will begin filming in January of next year – though he doesn’t know yet whether or not he is in it.

[UPDATE: Filming on Star Trek 2 is expected to begin early Summer 2011, not in January. See the end of this article for details]

The as-yet untitled Star Trek sequel – which we will continue to refer to as Star Trek 2 for now – is on course to begin filming in January 2011, according to Bruce Greenwood (aka. the original Enterprise Captain, Christopher Pike).

Greenwood will grace the screen once again in next week’s Dinner For Schmucks, but he has yet to learn about his future in the Star Trek franchise. His character played a pivotal role in director J.J. Abrams’ series reboot but is not actually a member of the classic Star Trek crew – so his return is anything but assured at this point.

What is known about Star Trek 2 at this point is that the main Star Trek cast members – Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, etc. – are all set to reprise their roles; Damon Lindelof is working on the script alongside Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci; and J.J. Abrams is still poised to direct the sequel, once he has completed work on Super 8.

Former Captain-turned-Admiral Pike could potentially become a powerful ally (or foe) of the young Captain Kirk (Pine), whose brash nature will undoubtedly lead him to continue butting heads with Starfleet authority figures in future installments. Greenwood (see below) was solid in the role and he has the support of most Star Trek fans so his return in the next film is possible.

The January start date is a good fit for the Star Trek cast and crew as well with their busy schedules. After all, Simon Pegg will probably be working on Mission: Impossible 4 this fall; Chris Pine is still prepped to play Jack Ryan in Moscow, which should begin production in the second half of 2011; and Zoe Saldana has at least another year before Avatar 2 gets underway. Scheduling production on Star Trek 2 for any time other than early 2011 may prove tricky at this point.

We should begin to find out some definite information concerning the plot of the Star Trek sequel over the upcoming months – for creativity’s sake though, let’s hope it doesn’t involve time travel this time around.

UPDATE: Trekmovie.com caught up with Star Trek producer Bryan Burk earlier this month and learned that although pre-production on the sequel could begin in January 2011, shooting on the film is scheduled for late spring/early summer of that year. That would explain Greenwood’s speculative comment.

Star Trek 2 is tentatively scheduled to arrive in theaters in the U.S. on June 29th, 2012.

Source: Screen Rant

Until this weekend, not many among the moviegoing public knew the name Chris Pine, unless you happened to be a fan of films like “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” or the Lindsay Lohan rom-com clunker “Just My Luck.” But his turn as young James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” reboot looks to be a star-making move.

And it’s not just audiences and critics who are raving about Pine’s Kirk and favorably comparing his portrayal to that of original Kirk William Shatner; Hollywood is taking notice too. Count director Kevin Smith among Pine’s growing legion of fans.

J.J. Abrams’ franchise reboot boldly went where no Star Trek movie has gone before, grossing a stellar $72.5 mil from Friday through Sunday, according to early estimates by Hollywood.com Box Office.

That’s the second-best opening of 2009 (after X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s $85.1 mil last weekend), and it includes a whopping $8.2 mil earned in IMAX showings, a new one-weekend record for the large format (beating The Dark Knight’s $6.3 mil). What’s more, if you add in the $4 mil that the movie starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto earned in late-Thursday showings, Star Trek has banked an impressive $76.5 mil so far — well ahead of most expectations.

This result is highly logical. Considering all the hype and buzz and strong reviews that Star Trek has garnered, it’s no surprise that this film’s opening sum is by far the biggest of any Star Trek movie: Of the nine previous flicks in the franchise, 1996′s Star Trek: First Contact bowed best, with (only) $30.7 mil over three days. Moreover, a look at the movie’s CinemaScore report card reveals some potentially good news. While it drew an expected crowd mostly comprised of older males, Star Trek’s solid-A grade shows that word of mouth could be strong enough to bring in fans outside of the franchise’s usual demographic (i.e. people who weren’t alive in the 1980s…and women) as the weeks go on. Unless said folks are too distracted by Angels & Demons, Night at the Museum 2, and all the other big flicks on tap, of course.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (No. 2) was next with $27 mil on a 68 percent decline. Fanboy-driven films always fall hard, but this drop is particularly hefty. Nevertheless, Hugh Jackman’s franchise flick has already banked $129.6 mil in 10 days.

Fellow holdovers Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (No. 3 with $10.5 mil), Obsessed (No. 4 with $6.6 mil), and 17 Again (No. 5 with $4.4 mil) rounded out the top five. And the comedy Next Day Air failed to take off, grossing just $4 mil at No. 6.

And in limited release, neither Rudo y Cursi nor Little Ashes made much of a mark, as each averaged well under $7,000 per theater.

Overall, the box office was up nearly 22 percent from the same frame a year ago (when the infamous Speed Racer hit a bump in the road). And, really, what could be a better Mother’s Day gift than that? Love ya, Mom! Have a great day!

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