Director J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness has beamed to the top of the U.S. box office chart, debuting with an impressive $70.6 million (£45.55 million) haul.

The sci-fi film, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana, also added a further $13.5 million (£8.7 million) from early showings on Wednesday (15May13) and Thursday (16May13), bringing its five-day total to $84.1 million (£54.25 million).

The Star Trek sequel knocked Iron Man 3 into second place - the Robert Downey, Jr. action epic continued to draw audiences with a strong $35.2 million (£22.7 million) gross in its th...

The boys of Starfleet are back: Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Bones (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana).

The film opens with the USS Enterprise on a observation mission to Planet Nibiru. When they arrive at the planet they find a volcano on the verge of erupting and wiping out its primitive inhabitants.

In the process of launching a dangerous mission to halt the eruption, Spock's life is jeopardized, forcing Kirk to break the 'Prime Directive' and reveal the Enterprise to the inhabitants.

Bad move: Not only...

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch struggled with the "exhausting" fight training he received in preparation for the new Star Trek sequel because he only had a few weeks to prepare for the action role.

The War Horse star admits he was at a slight disadvantage as he practised clashing with co-star Zachary Quinto, who portrays Mr. Spock, as Cumberbatch was only added to the cast of Star Trek Into Darkness as villain Khan Noonien Singh last year (12).

However, he quickly got to grips with the physicality of the job, thanks to the film's fight experts.

He tells MTV News, "It was exhausting b...

"Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams has been hired to oversee the new installment of "Star Wars," confirms the producer behind the next generation of the films.

Abrams initially denied he was being considered for the position, but rumors that the filmmaker was close to signing a deal with Lucasfilm's new owners Disney couldn't be containe.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy has officially announced that Abrams will direct the seventh movie in the massively popular sci-fi franchise.
 
A statement from Kennedy reads, "It's very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new...

Director J.J. Abrams is heading back to space again -- multiple industry sources have reported that the Star Trek director will be going from Starfleet to a galaxy far, far away to helm the first new Star Wars film for Disney.

Star Wars: Episode VII will be the first new film in the saga since George Lucas sold the rights to his sci-fi franchise to Disney late last year, when the studio acquired the Lucasfilm and all its holdings for a cool $4 billion.

Lucasfilm's new director, Kathleen Kennedy; who Lucas handed the reins of running his company last summer; reportedly went after Abrams pe...

Lost and Star Trek director J.J. Abrams has secured the rights to turn cyclist Lance Armstrong's fall from grace into a new movie.

A day after the seven-time Tour De France champion was shown admitted to doping and illegal drug use during the first of a two-part Oprah Winfrey TV special, Abrams has announced he'll be turning the sportsman's life story into a new film.

The movie-maker and partners at his production company Bar Robot have bought up the rights to Juliet Macur's forthcoming book Cycle Of Lies: The Fall Of Lance Armstrong.

Macur is a New York Times sports reporter who has cov...

The first trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness finally has a trailer, which debuted this morning, and it promises plenty of action, but gives little explanation of who Benedict Cumberbatch's bad guy is or what his motivation will be.

J.J. Abrams' much-anticipated sequel to the 2009 reboot of the series promises an "unstoppable force of terror" and a "one man weapon of mass destruction", but gives little more than that in both the official synopsis, released last week, or in today's "announcement video" (neither a trailer nor a teaser, according to Paramount Pictures).

The Japanese version ...

The first artwork for next year's Star Trek sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, debuted online this week Paramount Pictures' new teaser poster for the film looks awfully familiar.

The highly anticipated sequel to J.J. Abrams' 2009 series reboot looks very similar to the artwork for The Dark Knight Rises, but instead of looking straight up and seeing the bat logo silhouetted in crumbling buildings, this time around we get the Starfleet logo blown out the side of a building (also quite reminiscent of 9/11) with a lone man (Kirk? Spock?) looking out over a city in ruin.

Little else is known abo...

J.J. Abrams' prison drama Alcatraz has been axed after just one season on air.

The show, starring Sam Neill and Lost's Jorge Garcia, was based around San Francisco's legendary Alcatraz prison and focused on the mysterious reappearance of prisoners and guards who vanished from the island jail in the 1960s.

Nevertheless, fans won't get to see a second season after bosses at the Fox network pulled the plug on the show this week.

Fox chiefs have also axed Bones spin-off The Finder, but they renewed Kiefer Sutherland's TV drama Touch for a second series, according to EW.com.

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch grabbed a role in the upcoming Star Trek thanks to an audition tape recorded on an iPhone.

The War Horse star heard director J.J. Abrams was interested in casting him as the lead villain in the follow-up to his 2009 blockbuster, so he came up with an oddball idea to have a friend film his try-out on his smart phone late one night.

He tells the New York Times, "I was pretty strung out, so that went into the performance."

He submitted the clip to Abrams only to be told by an assistant that the filmmaker was on vacation.

However, when Cumberbatch fina...

The final Harry Potter movie and Martin Scorsese's Hugo will lead the way at the 2012 Saturn Awards after scooping 10 nominations apiece.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and Hugo will compete with Immortals, The Muppets, Midnight in Paris and Thor to be named Best Fantasy Film at the prize giving, which recognizes achievement in movie genres such as sci-fi and horror.

Filmmaker J.J. Abrams' Super 8 nabbed eight nods and Captain America: The First Avenger scooped seven, while The Adventures of Tintin and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol both picked up six nominations.

...

Super-secretive director J.J. Abrams was furious after pictures from his upcoming Star Trek sequel leaked online.

The photos showed Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana in costume as Spock and Uhura respectively, battling the film's new villain, played by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

Saldana reveals Abrams was not impressed with the photos after working tirelessly to keep casting and script details under wraps.

She tells MTV News, "J.J. was very upset. I have to say that. It's not going to stop people from intruding, but they are, and it's such a bummer because it only hurts them by ...

A fake movie trailer stole the spotlight from the Academy Awards last night, thanks to Jimmy Kimmel's ability to line up a cavalcade of stars.

In the fake teaser, Edward Norton (playing the world's greatest spy) gets married to the President of the United States (Josh Brolin) in a ceremony ordained by Antonio Banderas.

Colin Farrell is a SWAT officer that has to defuse a bomb with the help of a field goal-kicking canine. Tom Hanks is a robotic lawyer that takes on ornery judge Charlize Theron. Bryan Cranston is a hot dog vendor that seems to always be near an explosion.

Jeff Goldblum i...

American actresses Michelle Williams and Melissa McCarthy have become the first women to receive special awards celebrating Irish talent in the film industry.

The two stars, who were both born in the U.S., were among the honorees at the Oscar Wilde: Honoring The Irish In Film event in Santa Monica, California, on Thursday night.

The awards, named after the famed Irish writer, celebrate Irish culture in the film industry and have previously been handed to non-Irish stars including Paul Rudd and James L. Brooks, but Williams and McCarthy are the first women to accept the honor.

Williams...

Actor Chris Pine is facing legal action from his former talent agents amid allegations they're owed millions of dollars in commission.

The movie hunk landed his first acting roles in 2003, in episodes of hit TV series ER and CSI: Miami, but it wasn't until 2009 that he shot to stardom after scoring the role of Captain Kirk in director J.J. Abrams' Star Trek remake.

However, bosses at SDB Partners claim Pine decided to dump his representatives in November, via email, after allegedly ignoring demands to pay the agents their 10 per cent commission for Star Trek and other projects they clai...

Raise your hand if you love pilot talk! Good, because we've got some news coming from the CW camp that will make J.J. Abrams' fans very happy.

J.J. Abrams is getting dramatic and the CW is totally okay with that!

The "TV To Talk About" network has ordered Shelter, a pilot executive produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk .

According to details from the CW via The Wrap, Shelter is set in a "historic New England summer resort where the new and returning staff attend to the practical, emotional and often comical needs of the guests while navigating friendships, rivalries and romances of thei...

War Horse and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is to be transported from the past to the future after landing a leading role in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek sequel.

It has not been revealed what part the Brit will play or if his character in the much-anticipated sci-fi film is a hero or a villain, but Deadline.com reports he is definitely onboard.

The untitled Star Trek sequel, which will bring back Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg and Zachary Quinto, is set to hit cinemas next summer.

Star Trek director J.J. Abrams has been left shocked after discovering a casting assistant on his Super 8 movie has a record as a sex offender.

Police records show Jason James Murphy was convicted of kidnapping and molesting an eight-year-old boy in Washington state 15 years ago. Abrams recently learned the 35 year old is the same person his casting directors hired as an assistant to the kids on the set.

He tells the Los Angeles Times newspaper, "It's shocking and it's devastating, not just as a filmmaker but as a father and someone who is entrusted to make sure that everyone I work wit...

Director J.J. Abrams has handpicked Benicio Del Toro to be the villain in his upcoming Star Trek sequel, according to a new report.

The filmmaker has met with the star about the as-yet-untitled-project, but refused to provide exact details about the role in an effort to keep the script a secret, reports Variety.com.

Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg and Zachary Quinto are all expected to reprise their roles when productions begins in early 2012.

Called “a mind-blowing masterpiece” (FOX-TV), writer/director J.J. Abrams’ (Star Trek) breathtaking adventure SUPER 8 debuts in a Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack with Digital Copy November 22, 2011 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Produced by Amblin, Bad Robot and Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, the exhilarating story follows a group of friends in a small Ohio town who witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie. When they realize that it was no accident, they set out to find the truth—something more shocking than any of them could have imagined. Combining action, h...

1. Sept 13 - Ringer (CW, Tues 9/8c)
Reasons to get excited: Sarah Michelle Gellar (times two)

“The Ringer” is about twins. Bridget is a recovering alcoholic on the run from the mob after witnessing a murder. She takes refuge with her twin sister Siobhan, but when Siobhan goes missing and Bridget takes over her life, Bridget realizes that Siobhan’s world isn’t as picture-perfect as it seemed. It also stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (and Sarah Michelle Gellar); marking her first starring television role since “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Yeah. It’s monumental.

What intrigues me about this show i...

Every fall TV season has its share of surprise successes and bumbling disappointments. For every buzzed-about newbie (‘Desperate Housewives’) that turns into a hit, there’s an ‘Eastwick’ or ‘Running Wilde.’

But that’s part of the fun, right? Sometimes, you’ve got to take a chance on a show that could be the year’s new hit and Emmy winner.

There are a lot of prospects for this Fall, and some are more promising than others. Here, though, are the Top 10 we’re most looking forward to – keeping in mind we haven’t seen these ahead of time. These are in no particular order.

-‘Pam Am’ – ABC
...

Tom Cruise returns to his Ethan Hunt character popularized by the previous three installments with this fourth entry, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," produced by J.J. Abrams.

Some scenes were shot around Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and some of the action will take place in and on the Burj Khalifa tower, which stands tall at more than half a mile high.

Cruise told the Associated Press last fall, "I'll be spending many days, many hours on the side of this building. I can't give you details, but I will be up there."

Cruise will be joined by Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner...

I was impressed last week by the J.J. Abrams picture “Super 8,” which pays skillful homage to the craft of film’s executive producer on the project, Steven Spielberg. Abrams takes his own trademark intrigue and mashes it up with themes present in classic Spielberg stories like “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” and “Jaws,” to create a movie that is both visually impressive and possesses heart. For more of my thoughts, check out my review if you haven’t already.

Hitting the box office this week are the Ryan Reynolds comic book vehicle “Green Lantern,” the Jim Carrey comedy “Mr. Popper’s Pe...

Director J.J. Abrams' new sci-fi mystery "Super 8" has landed atop the box office chart with an opening weekend gross of $37 million.

The film, produced by Steven Spielberg, follows a group of budding teenage filmmakers who witness a train crash while making a home movie and subsequently begin to experience abnormal happenings in their small Ohio town.

Super 8's big debut bumps X-Men: First Class into second place, which took an additional $25 million in its second week on release, boosting its domestic total to $98.9 million.

The Hangover Part II came in third place, while Kung Fu Panda...

Now that Super 8 is finally in theaters, it’s time for J.J. Abrams to focus on his next sci-fi adventure -- Star Trek 2! The sequel we’ve all been waiting for is finally within our grasp.

At the premiere of Super 8, J.J. Abrams gave a little update on his next big movie. When asked about Star Trek 2 he said, "We're working on that right now. I hope to have some information soon." The director is currently collaborating with Paramount to come up with a production plan and schedule.

The big question we all have on our minds is whether or not he’ll...

Read the rest at SheKnows.com!

Summer movie season is synonymous with the release of big budget fluff, containing generous amounts of eye candy to fuel ticket sales. These blockbusters place greater stock in satisfying us visually than investing us emotionally, which is disappointing for moviegoers longing for more substantial stories. Every once and a rare while though, you can find a summer film that has excellent special effects and a heart, like “Super 8,” a science fiction thriller written and directed by J.J. Abrams.

With “Super 8,” Abrams crafts a period piece which pays skillful homage to the moviemaking heyd...

The perfect recipe for a summer must-see film boils down to this: it either has to be full of adrenaline pumping action that usually involves some supernatural powers, or it has to be outrageously funny and maybe even a little cringe-worthy, or it’s a romantic comedy, which, hey, is always in season.

This summer has already been kicked off to a start with a string of blockbuster hits. You’ve got your superhero action films, “Thor,” “X-Men,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” you’ve got a heaping dose of the funnies, with the record-breaking “The Hangover Part II” and its female equivalent, ...

By Joan Alperin-Schwartz: 'Super 8' is written and directed by J. J. Abrams. This film could have been the 'ET' for a new generation of film goers... Unfortunately... it misses the mark.

In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town set out to make a zombie movie. While shooting their Super 8 film, the kids witness a catastrophic train crash and, after barely escaping themselves, they come to discover that this was not an accident.

Soon after, unusual disappearances begin to take place in town and local Deputy Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler) along with these aspiring f...

This weekend, I finally had the opportunity to see the Paul Feig comedy “Bridesmaids” starring Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. Because the trailers just made it seem like a female version of “The Hangover,” I was not incredibly enthused to see it at first. When I actually watched it though, I was thoroughly impressed by the strength of the story (written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo) and the universal appeal of the humor despite the dominance of female characters.

Wiig’s Annie, is a down-on-her-luck character: her dream bakery failed in the struggling economy and as a result, she can barely a...