Chris Pine Discusses the Future of the Star Trek Franchise

In 2009, J.J. Abrams released his big-screen reboot of the Star Trek franchise, which garnered success on a popular, critical, and financial level. Three years later, details continue to emerge involving the film's sequel. But can the cast and crew that managed to create such a fine product the first time manage to build upon their previous achievement?

Quick Poll: Who is more attractive? 
Chris Pine . . . 

Chris Pine, who will resume his role of Captain James T. Kirk and also act as co-writer for the currently untitled sequel to Star Trek, remains confident that this task can be accomplished. What especially excites Pine is the prospect of developing a highly character-focused story which will delve deeper into the relationships between the crew members manning the Enterprise. Abrams rebooted the Star Trek franchise on an alternative timeline, meaning that the film has the freedom to differentiate the way its crew operates from the way the crew operated in the original television series. This provides an avenue to explore how the crew developed before they became the sort of cohesive and highly functional unit presented on the show. “Even though they’re a crew from what we know about the original team, the fun of getting there is following that journey to where they become that tight-knit crew. It’s no fun if they’re already a tight-knit crew. So suffice to say, they’re still learning how to get along,” says Pine. “The crew from the original series had gone on many, many journeys, they were a well-oiled machine in terms of how they function, and these characters are still figuring out who they are and who they are to each other. And I did not want to jump so far ahead that we missed a really important emotional connection to that transition for them.”

Amazing Spider-man Review

A Stellar Reboot, With Few Things Lacking *Updated*

GO SEE IT NOW

After seeing The Amazing Spider-man, I can rest easy knowing that my favorite superhero is in good hands. I was unsure about a few things, after hearing certain plot details and seeing certain reviews, so I figured I'd just have to see what I thought for myself. In short: Marc Webb and his fantastic cast and crew made a reboot that will make me never want to watch the previous Spider-man movies again.

The Dark Knight vs. The Dark Knight Rises

On July 20 the wait for The Dark Knight Rises will be over. But can the final installment of director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy rise above and beyond the standards set by its predecessor, The Dark Knight? Boasting popular and critical acclaim, including a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Dark Knight cannot be topped easily. Here are five things the third film in the trilogy needs to have in order to rise above its predecessor.

Amazing Spider-man Spoiler-UPDATED

For All You Naughty Folks Out There

"Not the spoiler!  Anything but the spoiler!"

I have now had the misfortune of having two of my most-anticipated movies spoiled slightly for me this Summer. The first was a certain plot point in The Avengers, and and the second is something very important from The Amazing Spider-man, which I see tonight. Be warned: although it's not yet confirmed (by me), this is a large, and very probable spoiler.

Needless to say, SPOILER ALERT.

Zoe Aggeliki and Jena Malone in Talks for Johanna Mason in Catching Fire

The next Johanna Mason?

UPDATE: It seems that most sources are indicating that Jena Malone is now going to be playing Johanna Mason. She has reportedly been offered the role, but the deal has yet to be finalized.

After a flurry of rumors and speculation, it seems that Lionsgate studios have narrowed down the casting decision for the role of District 7's axe-wielding bad girl, Johanna Mason. Newby Zoe Aggeliki and that one girl from Sucker Punch, Jena Malone, are reportedly in serious talks to play the role, with Aggeliki apparently the front-runner.

While many young actresses were being considered for the role, with candidates taking to talk shows and Twitter to try to catch director Francis Lawrence's attention, it seems the brass running Catching Fire wanted to avoid big names like Kristen Bell, Ellen Page, and Mia Wasikowska (once thought to be a serious contender).

The Swedish-born Zoe Aggeliki has yet to be seen on the big screen, but she can be seen in the pages of various fashion magazines. Malone has been in the film industry for awhile, but outside of Sucker Punch, she has avoided the big blockbusters that will surely be Catching Fire.

Even though she is the front-runner, 18-year-old Zoe (or Zoi) Aggeliki would be a bit younger than the 21-year-old Jennifer Lawrence, though Collin's novels have the troubled Johanna Mason several years older than the District 12 heroine. It will be interesting if this will hurt the gorgeous Aggeliki's chances for the equally alluring Jena Malone. In my opinion, Zoe looks more like the Katniss Everdeen character I pictured while reading the novels, but that's not important. Sorry, Jennifer.

Malone is most likely known by the mainstream media (or rather teenage boys) as the spunky and sexy Rocket from the  awesomely ridiculous over-the-top movie, Sucker Punch. At 27, Malone would definitely be an older presence that the character Mason needs. She has also shown the acting chops to carry the incredibly complex character that is Johanna Mason.