GEEK ALERT! Straight Outta Vic’s Movie Den, New Hi-Res Pics From ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ & J.J. Abrams Grants Dying Trek Fan A Final Wish

EDITOR’S NOTE: Live, from New York… IT’S VIC’S MOVIE DEN!

Shawn: Most of our readers know that Vic De Leon is a regular contributor to The ‘Tastic but what most people don’t know is that he occasionally scoops even me… as he has done with these pics below. As blasphemous and shameful as it is for me to admit, I got scooped on Trek. So, yes, below is a straight-up jack of my colleague’s piece.

Before we get to that, though, I wanted to make a mention of a very touching story in regards to Star Trek: Into Darkness that has been making its rounds over the past couple of days. About six weeks ago, devoted Star Trek fan, Daniel Craft was diagnosed with terminal cancer and found out that he had only weeks to live.  Wanting to make his last days as happy and comfortable as possible, his friend Doug posted a plea from his wife, Paige, on Reddit 11 days ago to just make it possible for Daniel see the first ten minutes of the film that was shown at The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey because, for some reason, the theater they went to didn’t show it.

Well, the impassioned plea went viral and made its way to J.J. Abrams and he and Damon Lindelhof got in touch with them and had a producer personally hand-deliver them a DVD of a rough cut of the feature film that premieres in May.  After, resting for a day to have the strength to watch the film, Paige made popcorn and she and Daniel watched the film and had a blast.  After the film was over, Daniel went to bed and didn’t get up again.  Friday morning, Paige took Daniel to the hospital for hospice care and with his wife and his brother at his side, he passed away at 10:15 p.m.  You can read more about this wonderful story and the amazing, albeit, sadly short life of Daniel Craft in this piece from THR.

We at The ‘Tastic want to commend Mr. Abrams, Mr. Lindelhof and all of those involved who made this act of kindness and generosity possible.  Now, without further adieu…

NERD ALERT!

Here are some new Hi Res Pics from the upcoming Paramount / J.J. Abrams motion picture – Star Trek – Into Darkness the direct sequel to the 2009 reboot also directed by Abrams.

In the following epic pictures we see more of Spock, Uhura, Scotty and Kirk along with a cool shot of Bruce Greenwood (Captain Chrsitopher Pike) and Chris Pine (Captain James T. Kirk) engaged in conversation. But the bad ass of the lot is hands down Benedict Cumberbatch as “John Harrison” He just looks totally hardcore.

The film will be released may 17th, 2013. Enjoy!

“After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.”

Click on the pics in the Gallery below for full size. Thanks for stopping in!

– Vic

BBC America Announces Premiere Dates For New Series Coming This Winter

Via Press Release:

Nov 16, 2012 | BBC AMERICA

Ripper Street, Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan and Spies of Warsaw

New York – Friday, November 16, 2012 –BBC AMERICA announces the premiere dates for three brand new series coming to the network this winter. BBC AMERICA co-production Ripper Street premieres Saturday, January 19, 9:00pm ET, original travel-adventure series Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan premieres Tuesday, January 22, 10:00pm ET and mini-series Spies of Warsaw premieres over two nights beginning Wednesday, February 6 and concluding Wednesday, February 13 as part ofBBC AMERICA’s Dramaville. 

Ripper Street

In the aftermath of the Jack the Ripper murders, can anyone keep order in the blood stained London Streets? The eight-part BBC AMERICA co-production created by Richard Warlow, set in and around Victorian London, stars Matthew Macfadyen (Anna Karenina, MI-5, Pride and Prejudice), Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones), Adam Rothenberg (Alcatraz), Myanna Buring (The Twilight Saga, White Heat) and David Dawson (Luther, Secret Diary of a Call Girl). Haunted by the failure to catch London’s most evil killer, Inspector Edmund Reid (Macfadyen) now heads up the notorious H Division, the toughest district in London’s East End. Charged with keeping order in the chaotic streets of Whitechapel, Inspector Reid is soon drawn deep into the seedy criminal underworld of Victorian London – where fear always lurks that each new murder could mark the return of The Ripper.  Ripper Street premieres Saturday, January 19, 9:00pm ET.

Ripper Street is produced for the BBC by Tiger Aspect Productions, Lookout Point and BBC AMERICA. The project is executive produced by Greg Brenman and Will Gould at Tiger Aspect and by Simon Vaughan at Lookout Point.

Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan

Wild Things with Dominic Monaghanis an exhilarating travel-adventure series that follows actor and wildlife enthusiast, Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings), as he explores the remote corners of the globe in search of some the most badass animals in the world. In each episode of the eight part series, Dominic takes the viewer along on an intimate journey as he backpacks through the rainforests of Ecuador, the caves of Venezuela, the arid deserts of Namibia and many more exotic locales – to get up close and personal with some of the most dangerous and elusive creatures known to man. Along the way, he’ll encounter vibrant locals, quirky experts and a host of creatures that inhabit the strange and wonderfully wild places on our planet. Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan premieres Tuesday, January 22, 10:00pm ET.

Wild Things with Dominic Monaghanis a BBC AMERICA original production and is produced by Cream Productions and Wildfire Television in association with OLN and Channel Five. Executive Producers are Dave Brady and co-executive producers include Jenn Kuzmyk Ruch for Cream Productions and Philip Clarke and Simon Raikes for Wildfire Television. Paul Kilback serves as the series producer.

Spies of Warsaw

David Tennant (Single Father, Doctor Who, Hamlet) and Janet Montgomery (Made in Jersey, Black Swan,Entourage) star in the new Dramaville miniseries, Spies of Warsaw, based on the New York Times bestselling author Alan Furst’s acclaimed spy novel.Adapted byrenowned Emmy^®-winning writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the miniseries follows Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier (Tennant), a decorated war hero of the 1914 war, in the years leading up to the Second World War as he’s drawn into a world of abduction, betrayal and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of Warsaw. At the same time, the handsome aristocrat finds himself in a passionate love affair with Anna (Montgomery), a Parisian lawyer for the League of Nations. Their complicated love affair intensifies as German tanks drive through the Black Forest. Spies of Warsaw, set in Poland, Paris, London and Berlin, combines historical, intelligent narratives, interlaced with flawed, romantic and compelling characters.  Spies of Warsaw will premiere over two nights – Wednesday, February 6 and Wednesday, February 13 as part of BBC AMERICA’s Dramaville. 

Spies of Warsaw is a Fresh Pictures production, executive produced by Richard Fell for Fresh Pictures and Jamie Laurenson for the BBC, co-produced by BBC AMERICA, Apple Film for TV Poland in association with ARTE FRANCE and BBC Worldwide.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy®, five Golden Globes® and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable’s most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 79.5 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist. Find out more by visiting www.press.bbcamerica.com or follow us on www.twitter.com/bbcamerica.

GEEK ALERT! ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ Trailer Released… We’ve Got It For You! (HD VIDEO)

Sometimes all I can say is, “Wow” because I’m just speechless.  This is definitely one of those times.  Simon Pegg announced the other day that there would be a teaser trailer for the new J.J. Abrams film Star Trek: Into Darkeness, the sequel to 2009’s blockbuster hit Star Trek,on Thursday and true to his word, at 12:00 a.m., this one-minute-and-six-seconds of awesomeness was released.

Guess why I don’t think he’s Khan (Besides the fact that he’s British).

Now, for the record, as you may or may not know (scroll down and read my bio if there is some confusion), I am a huge Trek  Fan but when I saw the first film, although I was impressed by the visuals and the more contemporary and inclusive approach to the franchise, I felt the story left a lot to be desired and I had that feeling going into it because I knew they were going to spend half of the film as an “origins story.”   I only gave the film a 7.5/10.  This sequel appears to be a lot different. Established characters and a strong plot led by Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) as the terrifyingly haunting (as of yet, unnamed) villain (and I don’t think it’s Khan only because of the description from Paramount and the pic to the right) make even this little snippet of a trailer look far more epic in scale and story than the first film.

Dr. Carol Marcus, perhaps?

Oh, and who is that unnamed pretty blonde played by Alice Eve?  Could that possibly be Dr. Carol Marcus?  And did we mention that his awesomeness, Peter Weller (Robocop) is also in this and not to mention Nathan Drake himself, Nolan North (Sony Playstation 3’s Uncharted video game series).  Cool stuff, indeed.

Star Trek: Into Darkness  opens May 17, 2013.

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. – Paramount

CONFIRMED: ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ Coming To Blu-ray In 2013 (See… We Told You.)

As we predicted last year with the announcement of the Blu-ray release of Star Trek The Next Generation, CBS has announced that the next series in the franchise to be released on the high-definition format would be Star Trek: Enterprise.  If you don’t recall, we said this was a no-brainer simply due to the fact the series was produced entirely in full-HD resolution from beginning to end so the process to produce the series in Blu-ray would seem to require a minimal amount of work compared to its other counterparts which would require a recompositing of their standard definition elements in HD. The only complication to the process would be producing the DTS-HD MA track that will no doubt be a part of the offering, but then again, there’s only four seasons of ENT as opposed to seven of TNG.  So, this being said, never doubt our awesome powers.

For those inevitibly butt-hurt Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fans who are going to whine about how their show should be the priority, you have to think outside the box a bit on this one.  The TNG Blu-ray release has done very well so far and is expected to keep growing but the release of all seven seasons has been spaced out over the course of almost two years.  There has been no announcement as to when the remastered series will find its way to weekly syndication or on digital platforms so for right now, the cashflow and capital required to keep these Trek HD projects projects going is at a bit of a trickle.  It simply makes sense to kickstart the revenue flow with an easier and far less expensive product to produce like ENT to keep the  projects funded without deficits (or with significantly lower deficits) and to keep the ball rolling on them.

Do we have any proof that this is the thought-process of the big cheeses over at CBS Television Distribution?  Nope, it’s purely speculative, but we know how businesses and cashflow works.

To celebrate the Blu-ray release of ENT, StarTrek. com is giving fans the opportunity to choose their favorite cover for the new sets on Facebook. Go here to cast your vote!

Here are the options:

SyFy Renews ‘Haunted Collector’ For Third Season

Via Press Release:

SYFY RENEWS HIT PARANORMAL SERIES HAUNTED COLLECTOR FOR THIRD SEASON

RETURNS IN 2013 WITH 12 ALL-NEW EPISODES

NEW YORK – September 17, 2012 – Syfy has renewed its hit paranormal series Haunted Collector for a third season. The series, which demonstrated significant viewership gains during its second season by jumping 18 percent in Adults 18-49, will return with 12 all-new episodes in 2013.

Eminent paranormal collector John Zaffis and his team of investigators respond to SOS calls from around the country by individuals and businesses who’ve been terrorized by items that have been taken over by paranormal spirits and/or energy.

Through careful research, Zaffis works with the owner to find the best solution to the ghostly problem, such as returning the item to its owner, burying the object in its place of origin or storing it in his paranormal museum in Stratford, Connecticut.

During season two, Haunted Collector averaged 532,000 Adults 18-49, 663,000 Adults 25-54 and 1.17 million total viewers, growing +5 percent / +18 percent / +6 percent, respectively, versus season one. Haunted Collector also ranked #7 in Adults 25-54 and #10 in Adults 18-49 among cable entertainment programming in its 9-10PM (ET/PT) time slot.

Haunted Collector is produced by Gurney Productions. Executive producers are Scott Gurney and Deirdre Gurney.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

FOX: The Flintstones (Animated) To Be Rebooted By Seth MacFarlane For 2013

Coming in 2013... because this was necessary.

Via Press Release:

FLINTSTONES! MEET “THE FLINTSTONES” ON FOX

Modern Stone-Age Family Returns to Television in

New Animated Series from Seth MacFarlane,

20^th Century Fox Television and Warner Bros. Television

Yabba dabba doo! FOX has picked up THE FLINTSTONES, a 21^st century version of the classic animated comedy from executive producer Seth MacFarlane. In a cross-studio collaboration, THE FLINTSTONES will be produced jointly by 20^th Century Fox Television and Warner Bros. Television. Warner Bros. is home to THE FLINTSTONES via its ownership of the Hanna-Barbera collection of animated titles. Dan Palladino (“Gilmore Girls”) and Kara Vallow (Family Guy) will also serve as executive producers. THE FLINTSTONES will begin production in fall 2011 and will be set in stone on the FOX schedule in 2013.

“The very first cartoon character I drew at age two was Fred Flintstone,” said MacFarlane. “So it’s appropriate that events have come full circle, allowing me to produce the newest incarnation of this great franchise. Plus, I think America is finally ready for an animated sitcom about a fat, stupid guy with a wife who’s too good for him.”

“The Flintstones are among the funniest and most beloved characters in television history, and we can’t wait to introduce them to a whole new generation on FOX,” said Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “FOX has long been home to iconic families like the Simpsons and the Griffins, so I have no doubt that the Flintstones and the Rubbles are going to fit right in on our air.”

The (pre)historic return of THE FLINTSTONES will feature MacFarlane’s modern-day take on the lives of the Flintstones and the Rubbles, two hard-working middle-class families living with contemporary conveniences in the dinosaur-era town of Bedrock. The series centers on hard-headed patriarch FRED FLINTSTONE and best friend and sidekick BARNEY RUBBLE. Fred’s Stone-Age clan includes wife WILMA, daughter PEBBLES and pet dinosaur DINO, while Barney’s brood consists of wife BETTY and son BAMM-BAMM.

MacFarlane’s lineup of animated series continues to dominate Sunday nights. Everyone’s favorite families from Quahog, Langley Falls and Stoolbend will be back for more laughs as Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show were recently renewed for a 10^th, seventh and fourth seasons, respectively.

THE FLINTSTONES will be co-produced by 20^th Century Fox Television and Warner Bros. Television. MacFarlane and Palladino serve as executive producers of the series and co-writers on the pilot. Vallow will serve as executive producer on the series.  Voice actors for the series will be announced. THE FLINTSTONES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of © Hanna-Barbera.

TV SCOOP! FOX Renews Family Guy & The Cleveland Show Through 2013

We just got word that FOX has renewed both Family Guy and The Cleveland Show for a tenth and fourth season, respectively, entrenching them long-term into FOX’s Sunday Animation Domination block.  FOX had already renewed both of these MacFarlane shows for a ninth and third season, respectively,  along with American Dad, for a seventh season (as well as Bob’s Burgers) for Fall 2011.  Recently, we speculated  that FOX has ZERO faith in the success of their two new mid-season 2011 -2012 animated shows, Napoleon Dynamite and Allen Gregory and this move by the network only goes to reinforce that opinion.  We don’t blame them because we don’t either.

Press release forthcoming.

ALERT! FOX Renews American Dad For Seventh Season!!!

Via Press Release From FOX:

GOOD MORNING, U.S.A.! IT’S GONNA BE A WONDERFUL DAY!

“American Dad” RENEWED FOR SEVENTH TERM

Emmy-nominated Animation Domination staple American Dad has been renewed for a seventh season, bringing the series through the 2012-2013 season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

“This is fantastic news,” said Roger the Alien. “But you do realize I’m not real, right?”

American Dad follows the lives of ultra-conservative, staunch GOP supporter and CIA agent STAN SMITH (Seth MacFarlane) and his eccentric family that includes FRANCINE (Wendy Schaal), his ditzy-but-lovable wife; HAYLEY (Rachael MacFarlane), his 18-year-old left-wing hippie daughter; STEVE (Scott Grimes), his geeky, 14-year-old son; ROGER (Seth MacFarlane), the selfish and sarcastic cross-dressing space alien; and KLAUS (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish. The fan-favorite series airs Sundays (7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Expect lots of hijinks from the Smiths this spring! Roger attempts to make Steve a “cool kid” by letting him drive other kids around in a tractor, but the plan quickly backfires. Meanwhile, Francine gets a job at Stan’s office, but she cramps his style; and Roger starts dressing like a teenage girl and quickly seduces Steve’s best friend, SNOT (guest voice Curtis Armstrong). Upcoming guest voices for this season include Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Anjelica Huston, Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Burt Reynolds and Grammy Award winner Cee-Lo Green.

American Dad is a 20^th Century Fox Television production. Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman serve as co-creators and executive producers, while Kenny Schwartz, Rick Wiener and Nahnatchka Khan serve as executive producers. Become a fan of American Dad on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americandad and follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/americandadfox.

We are officially not hating FOX today (ONE day, FOX… you get ONE DAY!) but we would like to point out that after we saw the pilot of Bob’s Burgers we knew that the renewal of American Dad was inevitable and noted it in our review.  So tell your friends about how brilliant our insight is (again) and that they have to read this blog.  That being said, with this announcement today, we find it highly unlikely that Bob’s Burgers will be renewed and we are thankful for that as it’s just awful.

There is a discrepancy here, though, that we would like to point out:  American Dad is currently in its sixth season (2010 – 2011).  The press release indicates that the American Dad renewal will bring the series through the 2012 – 2013 season.  The numbers don’t work on that (it should be 2011 – 2012)  unless FOX intends to split up season seven over the course of 2 years (there are reports that the order was for 22 episodes) premiering each half in January 2012 and January 2013.  We don’t find this scenario likely but it’s not out of the realm of possibility either.

Consider this:  FOX has ordered pilots for at least two new animated shows for 2011 – 2012 and they are continuing to look for more because they want to expand their “Animation Domination” schedule, according to our sources.  There is no change in time-slot according to the press release which means that American Dad will still be airing at 7:30 p.m.   The problem is that FOX stops airing programming at 10:00 p.m. so they are limited on time slots to keep plugging cartoons into.  The only solution would be half-season programming, i.e., air “Cartoon-X” in the Fall of 2011 and American Dad for 11 episodes in Spring 2012, rinse and repeat for the following season.  Although we find this scenario unlikely, it is possible and we don’t think it would necessarily be a bad thing.

The more likely of the scenarios, however, is that they either just made a mistake and meant 2011 – 2012 or they actually renewed it for two seasons.  As much as we’d like the latter, we’re leaning towards the former for obvious reasons.

Of course, we’ll keep you updated as we find out more.