J.J. Abrams Still Unsure About Directing the Star Trek Sequel

And he's not directing Mission: Impossible 4 either! So what will J.J. Abrams be directing next (that's not a TV show)? Last night, Paramount held a party for the premiere of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek on DVD and Blu-Ray (Amazon). ComingSoon caught up with Abrams briefly and asked him about a couple of projects currently in the works. As usual, he didn't reveal much about any of the projects, but did reply with a rather interesting answer when asked if he'd decided whether he'd return to direct the Star Trek sequel. Everyone still believes he'll return, but his answer wasn't a definite yes, and it sounds like we won't know for a while.

Author Cormac McCarthy Thinks Blood Meridian IS Filmable

Another great, supposedly "unfilmable" novel (besides Watchmen), is Cormac McCarthy's break out 1985 novel Blood Meridian. If you're not familiar with McCarthy, he's the author who wrote the novels that were turned into All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men, and now The Road. Blood Meridian is a critically acclaimed novel, set in the 1850s, about American mercenaries hunting Indians in the Mexican borderland. McCarthy recently talked with the Wall Street Journal (it's actually a fantastic interview) and was asked about why people think Blood Meridian is unfilmable. And his answer might surprise you.

Mike Dougherty Explains How He Would've Written X-Men 3

You're probably wondering why I'm writing about X-Men 3 some three years or so after it first came out. Well, despite making some $234 million a the box office, most comic book fans hated the movie, claiming it was a huge let down and that they butchered the Dark Phoenix storyline. Well, you may have also heard the name Mike Dougherty recently, and that's because he directed the cult horror hit Trick 'r Treat (buy the DVD). But before he directed that, he worked closely with Bryan Singer and is credited as one of the writers on X2. He even helped brainstorm an entire story for X-Men 3 with Singer that never got used. But what if?

Sound Off: Roland Emmerich's 2012 - What Did You Think?

Now that you've seen it, what did you think? The master of disaster is back! German director Roland Emmerich brings us the third and final film in his "disaster trilogy," 2012, this time addressing the belief that the world will come to an end and humanity will become extinct in the year 2012. But does it deliver? Is there a good story found within all the glorious big screen mayhem and destruction? Or is it just a mess of a movie packed with nothing more than cliches and bad CGI? Was it better than The Day After Tomorrow or not? Sound off below, leave a comment, and let us know what you thought of Roland Emmerich's 2012!

Is James Franco on General Hospital Because of an Indie Film?

I know what you're thinking, that this is pretty damn weird, and it's starting to sound like another Joaquin Phoenix-like stunt. By now you've probably heard that actor James Franco is appearing on more than 10 episodes of General Hospital, a day-time soap opera. It may not mean much to you, but there are some hints around the web that this odd "career move" may be more than just a simple appearance. "I've got other ideas for my participation in this soap opera beyond just being in this soap opera," Franco told Vulture earlier this week. And thanks to Movieline (via SlashFilm), it looks like we may know more about why he's doing this.

The Weekly Moviegoer - What Do You Do When the Movie is Over?

What do you do when the movie is over? The last scene has played, the credits have begun, the lights have come up, maybe you clapped, maybe you read the credit scroll to the end, you exit the auditorium and then… Because you are reading a movie blog, I presume you like to discuss movies, but where do you go for the discussion, and how long does it last?

Despite the fact that I write about movies, I feel like I don't talk enough about a movie — immediately and with real people — after seeing it in the theater. Sometimes a friend and I will exchange a few words about

Rumor: Black Cat as Spider-Man 4 Villain and a New Female Lead?

We're going to pump the brakes after that headline because there's a lot of rumor manure to sift through. Earlier today Mania reported a big rumor that Black Cat would be the new villain in Spider-Man 4, and that Rachel McAdams (of The Notebook and Wedding Crashers fame) was the frontrunner for the role. However, this seemed to be just another in a long line of ridiculous villain rumors, but then our friends at SlashFilm found a post in The Observer regarding actress/columnist Romola Garai, who revealed she had an audition for a role in Spider-Man 4. But is she auditioning for Black Cat or a supposed new female lead?

Sound Off: Richard Kelly's The Box - What Did You Think?

Now that you've seen it, what did you think? Virginia-born filmmaker Richard Kelly has had a very interesting career so far. His first film, Donnie Darko, is still hailed as a masterpiece by many. His second, Southland Tales, is considered one of the worst films ever. Now he's back with his third film, The Box, not only a more accessible studio thriller, but Kelly's most personal film. But how does this one stack up? Is it closer to Donnie Darko or Southland Tales? Does it have a good story with twists and turns that all pay off? Sound off below, leave a comment or two, and let us know what you thought of Richard Kelly's The Box!

No District 9 Sequel Until Jackson & Blomkamp Are Ready

Isn't weird that even though a movie makes lots of money and is considered a huge success, no one wants to see a sequel. And yet movies that barely make any money somehow get sequels that no one wants (e.g. Ghost Rider)? Well, the good news is that we probably won't see a District 9 sequel for a few years. That's good because I don't want a sequel to be rushed into production. But it's also bad because I'd actually like to see them make District 10 at some point. Over on Deadline Hollywood, Nikki Finke has a new update saying, basically, that Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson won't come back unless (or until) they figure out a story.

Check This Out: xkcd's Brilliant/Confusing Movie Narrative Charts

I love xkcd. It's one of my favorite webcomics and is daily reading for me. It's very geeky, mainly for tech and math geeks, but it's brilliant. Simple style with big ideas. The latest comic created by Randall Munroe on xkcd.org features a series of Movie Narrative Charts that map out characters throughout an entire trilogy (specifically Lord of the Rings and Star Wars). It maps their relation (are they near or far from each other) over the horizontal axis of time. Take a look, it's pretty damn cool, you'll understand once you see it. And to top it all off, he threw in charts for 12 Angry Men and Primer as well, for a laugh. You've just got to see this!

Early Best Picture Predictions: Invictus & Hurt Locker Lead

I know we've still got a good two months left in the year and most of the heavy-hitting films haven't even been seen by anyone yet, but it's never too early to talk about the Oscars. Over the past week, Tom O'Neil of the LA Times' Gold Derby blog polled some 16 Oscar pundits and film critics to get an early pulse on what they think are top contenders right now for Best Picture. Those polled include well-known film critics like Erik Davis, Pete Hammond, Peter Travers, Jeff Wells, and Susan Wloszczyna. And the list of their top picks might not exactly be what you're expecting. Or maybe it is? Read on for their picks and to tell us your own!

Hugh Jackman Not Returning to Host the Oscars - Who Should?

Aw shucks! Variety is reporting that Hugh Jackman "quietly turned down the job within the past few weeks." There was much speculation that the Academy might bring back Jackman to host the Oscars once again next March, but that's no longer the case. Last year's presentation was like nothing we've ever seen the Academy do before, with musical numbers and cardboard sets and duets with Anne Hathaway. I enjoyed it, I liked Jackman as the host, now they just need to live up to that or perhaps even improve more this time. So if Jackman is out, who should they pick to host the Oscars? And it can't be another comedian! Or can it?

Peter Berg is Off of Dune; Paramount Wants Neill Blomkamp

As we've known for at least a year, Paramount has been trying to develop another take on Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi classic Dune, originally attaching The Kingdom director Peter Berg. Since then, we've heard off and on from Berg, including this most recent update from September where he revealed that it would be a PG-13 "massive epic," which was a step in the right direction. Movie blog Pajiba is now reporting that Berg has left the project and "his Film 44 production company backed out." Now Paramount is scrambling to find a new director." According to them, District 9's Neill Blomkamp is one of only two alternatives.

Might Tobe Hooper Return for More Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Should the father return home once again? It was announced a few weeks back that Twisted Pictures, the company behind Saw, had acquired the film rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise from Platinum Dunes. Twisted is planning to create a new 3D film in the series that would be a contemporary reboot, throwing aside the recent two films that Platinum Dunes made and continuing on with a sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4. Now ShockTillYouDrop is saying that the creator of the series, filmmaker Tobe Hooper, is apparently considering returning and that he's even been talking with the new owners.

Does Dylan Baker's Return to Spider-Man Mean We'll See Lizard?

Don't read too much into this, but actor Dylan Baker confirmed at a Q&A for a Trick 'r Treat screening in New York City last night that he would indeed be returning for Spider-Man 4. UGO has the scoop and says that apparently Trick 'r Treat director Mike Dougherty and Baker were joking a lot during the Q&A, which doesn't necessarily mean that this is a joke. "According to reports, Baker said that he had just gotten his first call concerning Spider-Man 4 that very day." So if Baker, who played Dr. Curt Connors in both Spider-Man 2 and 3, is back, does that mean we may finally see him become the villain The Lizard in Spider-Man 4?