In what is becoming a new industry trend, British journalists were treated to a look at about 20 minutes of footage from JJ Abrams’ Star Trek coming May 8, 2009.

Additionally, Paramount Pictures provided Entertainment Weekly with the first good look at the revamped U.S.S. Enterprise.

In providing the image, Abrams spoke about watching Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979. "The coolest thing about it — maybe the coolest thing in the movie — was when you flew around the ship, you could see all the different panels that made up the ship," he told the magazine. "It was the first time I had ever seen that level of attention, that love of detail, given to the tangible, practical reality of the ship."

Abrams went on to say, "If you’re going to do Star Trek there are many things you cannot change. The Enterprise is a visual touchstone for so many people. So if you’re going to do the Enterprise, it better look like the Enterprise, because otherwise, what are you doing?"

Meantime, Den of Geek and Empire Magazine both provided extensive descriptions of the footage along with commentary.

“A very disarming Abrams himself was there, as was Simon Pegg, the new Scotty; both were on-form but clearly very nervous, and both addressed the gathering, Abrams at length,’ Geek wrote. “ He may be right: the viewing started with the new trailer, which will be in cinemas Friday, followed by four scenes from the movie itself, all complete with polished SFX and scoring.

“And it all looks absolutely amazing.”

Empire wrote “any reservations we may have harbored over JJ Abrams’ reimagining of the franchise have been well and truly beamed away. What we saw was a medley of action, excitement, humor and a true reverence for the franchise that should both appease fans and suck in newcomers.” (more…)

Ridley Scott is going to Boardwalk in style.  He is in talks with Universal to direct a movie based on the Parker Brothers’ classic Monopoly according to The Hollywood Reporter. Scott first announced his interest in the project on June 19, 2007.

Pamela Pettler (Corpse Bride) is already at work on a screenplay for the Hasbro-Universal collaboration. She is also writing another animated project, 9, to be produced by Bride’s director Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted).

Hasbro has several other games in development around Hollywood including Ouija Board with Platinum Dunes, Battleship, and course, Paramount has G.I. Joe coming next August.

The game was first developed in 1904 as a way to explain economics and then was revised and modified until Charles Darrow presented a finished version to Parker Brothers, which released it in 1935. It has since spawned countless variations and international editions,having been played by more than 750 million people according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
 

The anticipated Family Guy spinoff, The Cleveland Show, has been bumped from midseason to the fall.  Variety reports that Fox announced the show to generate buzz but executives clearly had their doubts if the new animated show would be ready for spring.

The delay came with a treat as the network gave the show a full 22-episode order for the 12009-2010 season.

Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington was announced as joining the show’s voice cast in a recurring role.

CAMELOT

Modern day interpretations of classic tales seems to be in vogue.  First, NBC retells the King David story through Michael Green’s Kings and now Showtime and the BBC announced plans to produce Camelot telling, well, you know what.

The new show comes from Michael Hirst and Morgan O’Sullivan, the duo behind the cable network’s successful series The Tudors.

Hirst will be writing the scripts and serve as executive producer, much as he has done on the series featuring King Henry VIII.  That show completed its second season in the spring and saw its rating rise 6% and the third season just wrapped production for an April debut.

Variety noted that Showtime has aggressively filled their production slate with several other originals beginning with the Diablo Cody-written show, United States of Tara which will star Toni Collette, debuting in January. Other shows range from the half-hour sitcom Nurse Jackie, starring Edie Falco, to the dark series, The End of Steve, likely to star Matthew Perry. Its L Word enters its final season in January and then star Leisha Haily is expected to be spun off into a new series.

ABC SHUFFLES

As we mentioned yesterday, ABC is placing Lost in Private Practice’s spot and there was no news as to where the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off was headed.  Now we know thanks to The Hollywood Reporter. It moves to Thursday, right behind Grey’s while Life on Mars moves to Wednesday’s at 10 p.m. to get a boost from Lost.

The network also indicated Scrubs may debut in midseason Wednesdays at 8 p.m., displacing Pushing Daisies which has yet to find an audience this season and may not go beyond its 13 episode order. If so, expect to find creator Bryan Fuller once more toiling among Heroes.

No surprise, the new timeslot for Practice now means the two related shows will crossover in time for February sweeps.

Other shows in ratings trouble include Eli Stone although Dirty Sexy Money may get a new time slot to improve its fortunes.
 

REPO!

Repo! the Genetic Opera just opened and has already been marketed by Lionsgate as the cult successor to the Rocky Horror Picture Show.  The movie opened this weekend in just eight theaters and earned $51,000, averaging an impressive $6450 per screen.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman told Moviehole he’s already planning a sequel to the Paris Hilton, Alex Vega film.

”I want to start a sequel next year. But again, everything — I’ll end my whole thing on a soapbox, which I love to get on,” Bousman told the site. “This movie is all about support from the Internet, and support from fans. This is not a movie where you’ll see billboards or bus stop ads or trailers on TV. It’s a movie that exists in a grass roots kind of a fashion. It exists when fans go and see it, and they go on message boards and talk about it.

"I would love to follow up Repo and finish the story, because it was conceived as a three-part movie. But I’m doing an action film next. I can’t say exactly what it is yet. It’ll be announced next week. But I’m doing a big action film next, which is really exciting."

ANIMATED OSCARS

The year isn’t even over but already 14 movies have been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration in the best animated feature category. Only three will get the nomination.

The contenders are Bolt, Delgo, Dragon Hunters, Fly Me to the Moon, Igor, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, $9.99, The Sky Crawlers, Sword of the Stranger, The Tale of Despereaux, Waltz With Bashir, WALL-E, and Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!

While Disney’s Wall-E is the hands down favorite among the masses, the other two spots will receive tremendous competition.

The Oscar nominations will be announced January 22 according to The Hollywood Reporter.

JADEN SMITH IS THE NEXT ‘KARATE KID’

The parade of unnecessary film remakes continues as Variety reports that Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith will star in a new take on The Karate Kid.

The 1984 film with Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue spawned three sequels and was a major hit for Columbia Pictures. The final film in the series proved to be the big screen debut for Hilary Swank. Morita was nominated as the best supporting actor by the Acamdey Awards and Golden Globe Awards for his work as the teacher, Mr. Miyagi. The film also spawned many of-trepeated one-liners and images making it a true pop culutral phenomenon.

The new script is coming from newcomer Chris Murphy and will be set in China with filming set for Beijing among other locales. No director was named.

Jerry Weintraub returns to the franchise to produce the new version working alongside Overbrook Entertainment’s James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz.  Jaden Smith made his screen debut as his father’s son in last year’s hit, The Pursuit of Happyness. He will next be seen in December’s other unnecessary remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still.

VIZ Media has announced the upcoming release of a special Bleach Posterzine, which features 11 massive full-color posters inspired by the smash hit Manga and animated series created by Tite Kubo. The title will be released December 2, retailing for $9.99 with two original creations made especially for this unique release. Each poster in the collection folds out to 16” x 22” and depicts the heroic Soul Reaper Ichigo and his friends as well as villains rendered in beautiful detail. This special publication will also include 2 free Bleach sticker sheets and an iTunes gift card valid for a free download of episode 59 of the popular Bleach animated series and access to an interview with the creator of Bleach Tite Kubo.

Bleach follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a fifteen-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. His fate takes an extraordinary turn when he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who shows up at Ichigo’s house on the trail of a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul.  Drawn to Ichigo’s high level of spiritual energy, the Hollow attacks Ichigo and his family, and Rukia steps in to help but is injured and unable to fight.  As a last resort, Rukia decides to transfer part of her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo. Ichigo, now a full-fledged Soul Reaper, and Rukia join together to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Christopher Boily, VIZ Media Sr. Director, Magazine Sales, Brand & Product Marketing, said in a release, “Building upon the incredible momentum and excitement which surrounded the first ever North American appearance of creator Tite Kubo at San Diego Comic-Con, we’re ecstatic to release this special collectable Bleach Posterzine, which features two amazing images created exclusively for this publication by Studio Pierrot, which animates and produces the massively popular animated series. We look forward to fans visiting their local newsstand to pick up this special release!”

Aurora Publishing has announced two new josei/shojo fantasy Manga to debut during the first quarter of 2009.  Tengu-jin ($10.95, 160-pages) by Sumomo Yumeka, will be a one-volume Manga released in February containing two fantasy stories, one set in a future Japan that has split apart into two warring factions, and the other in a feudal kingdom.

Then in March will be the first book in the two-volume series of Chika Shioma’s Queen of Ragtonia ($10.95, 160-pages). Princess Faruna is the last hope of her kingdom when it is attacked by evil sorcerers in this action-packed fantasy series.
 
Both Tengu-jin and Queen of Ragtonia were published in Japan by Shodensha (Paradise Kiss, Happy Mania, Suppli).