Justin Lin on Board to Direct 'Star Trek 3'

Justin Lin has seen his name come up for just about every studio franchise in need of a director. That's what happens when you rebuild the Fast and the Furious into the blockbuster it has become. With Paramount in desperate need to get Star Trek 3 off the ground in a hurry, they've beamed up Lin to make it so.

According to Deadline , Lin has nabbed the Star Trek 3 gig, which puts a couple of other projects he was up for in question. He had been in line to direct Jeremy Renner in the sequel to The Bourne Legacy but that's been put on the shelf while Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass get their film ready. Meanwhile Lin was also looking at a possible return to the Fast & Furious franchise after taking one movie off. Given the speed Paramount is going to want to get Star Trek going it's unlikely he can do everything.

Trek fans probably aren't going to be happy with this move but Lin's credentials can't really be disputed.  Star Trek 3 doesn't have a release date but is expected to arrive in 2016.

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Rupert Wyatt back Atop Shortlist to Direct 'Star Trek 3'

Paramount has found themselves in a bind in their efforts to find a Star Trek 3 director. The 50th anniversary of Gene Roddenberry's iconic sci-fi franchise is right around the corner in 2016 and right now nobody has taken the helm of this ship. Series co-writer Roberto Orci was going to make his directorial debut on the film and that questionable decision was rectified when he stepped down just days ago. But they still need a director, and now a shortlist of candidates has emerged, including one who was at the top of it some months ago.

According to Deadline, Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt is the frontrunner to direct Star Trek 3, a job he was up for back when the search first began.  Also on the Paramount's wishlist are Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), Justin Lin (Fast Five), and Daniel Espinosa (Safe House). They were also targeting Duncan Jones (Source Code) but he's since taken his name out of the running...

Very flattering being on short list for Star Trek, but won't be doing it. Absolutely MUST make my own thing next, or I'll die of old age!
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) December 15, 2014

Wyatt seems like a pretty good fit for a couple of reason. He's already had big franchise success, and his current film The Gambler is set up at Paramount. Makes sense. One name not on the list is Edgar Wright, who was rumored recently but appears to be out of the running.

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Justin Lin could Return to Wrap Up the 'Fast & Furious' Franchise

At the same time it was revealed Lucas Black would be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise for the first time since Tokyo Drift, we learned he'd be hanging around for three movies, all the way through Fast & Furious 9. That may seem like a long stretch but Universal has to be happy with the $2B series Vin Diesel built, so obviously they want it to go on as long as possible. But if they are concluding it with the ninth chapter, the guy they want at the helm is the one who reinvigorated it: Justin Lin.

Lin directed the last four movies, including last year's Fast 6, before stepping aside to pursue other projects. James Wan (The Conjuring) took over for Furious 7, but now that he's leaving again for The Conjuring 2 that opens the door for Lin to return for what Deadline describes as "a multi-part production that will lead to multiple movies shot together and will wave the checkered flag on the Fast & Furious franchise." Lin had agreed to direct a sequel to The Bourne Legacy but with that film getting bumped aside due to the return of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass, it leaves a bit of room in Lin's schedule.

This is all just rumor for now but one has to believe Lin would want to finish up what he started. Fast & Furious has always been about family, and Lin is definitely a big part of that.

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HBO Confirms Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn for 'True Detective' Season

The writing was on the wall when Colin Farrell revealed over the weekend that he had been cast in the second season of HBO's True Detective, and now the network has made it official. They've also confirmed the long-brewing rumors of Vince Vaughn taking one of the three male leads, with Justin Lin (Fast Five) directing the first two episodes. HBO has also released an official logline for the second season, giving us a basic outline for what will probably be another complex mystery put together by creator Nic Pizzolatto...

Three police officers and a career criminal must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.

The 8-episode drama will have Farrell as  Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him.. Vaughn will get serious as Frank Semyon, a career criminal in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner.

What we didn't get was information on the other key roles that Taylor Kitsch, Elisabeth Moss, Rachel McAdams, Brit Marling, and others are said to be up for. True Detective returns next summer with filming to begin in the fall.

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Justin Lin to Direct 'True Detective' Season 2 Episodes; Rachel McAdams Eyes Lead Role

HBO is slowly putting together the second season of their multiple Emmy-winning series, True Detective, but so far very little has been confirmed. Cary Fukunaga won't be returning to direct any episodes, with the plan to have multiple filmmakers on board. The setting has been shifted to California according to series creator Nic Pizzolatto, with the focus on characters that may be played by Vince Vaughn, Taylor Kitsch, and Colin Farrell.

Now comes the surprising news that Justin Lin, director of four Fast and the Furious movies, is in talks to helm at least the first two episodes of True Detective. Lin is probably the last choice fans of the show would have asked for considering his movies lean towards the action genre, but many forget his start on the drama Better Luck Tomorrow, plus his comedic work on NBC's Community. In short, the guy has range and may be better suited to this job than many think.

So what about those rumors of Elisabeth Moss taking the female lead? Deadline says a number of actresses are testing for it, while Variety throws Rachel McAdams' name into the mix. One obviously has more star power than the other but hopefully that won't factor too greatly into the decision because Moss would be perfect.

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Chris Hemsworth and Justin Lin Rumored for 'Lethal Weapon' Reboot

A Lethal Weapon remake/reboot/sequel/whatever has been kicking around the halls of Warner Bros. for years and, probably to the relief of many, nothing has ever been done with it. More than three years ago Gangster Squad writer Will Beall (also the guy whose Justice League script was scrapped by the studio) was hired to work on the screenplay. Still, nothing came out of it but that may be about to change if the latest rumor turns out to be true.

According to The Tracking Board, which tends to be hit-or-miss on these things, Chris Hemsworth is being eyed for one of the lead roles. Even more, Fast Five director Justin Lin is said to be attached to helm the film, seen as a soft reboot of the franchise. Titled Lionhunters, which is hopefully a working title or something, the story will center on the desires of an older cop's son to join the police force. Presumably this would make Hemsworth the son of Mel Gibon's Martin Riggs character. Beall's script is still in play but he may be getting some help from franchise creator Shane Black if rumors are to be believed.

While the idea of a Lethal Weapon reboot isn't crazy anymore, the idea of doing one without the involvement of Gibson or Danny Glover is, especially if their characters factor into the story. Even wilder would be calling it something like Lionhunters. So we'll see how much of this turns out to be true. 

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Justin Lin to Direct Period Crime Thriller 'Times Square'

Since departing the Fast & Furious franchise, Justin Lin has been keeping extremely busy. He's already agreed to direct the fifth Bourne film, and is attached to L.A. Riots penned by 12 Years a Slave's John Ridley. He's also working on the CBS pilot, Scorpion, and has a couple of other movies on the fire. But there's always room for one more, as Lin will direct crime thriller Times Square.

Focus Features picked up the Black List screenplay by Taylor Materne and Jacob Rubin, a period piece "set in the last days of the old Times Square when it was transitioning from a seedy lawless midtown Manhattan dump to a family friendly corporate mecca. In that backdrop, when a secret from his past is unearthed, a young man’s loyalties are divided between his neighborhood boss who raised him and the grizzled ex-cop who swore to protect him." That sounds pretty cool and unlike anything Lin has tackled before.

Lin is also set to produce an adaptation of documentary The Battered Bastards of Baseball and may direct the "toy factory run amok" film Toymageddon. It's unclear where Times Square would fit in Lin's jammed schedule.

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Alexandre Moors to Remake 'Failan'; Rawson Thurber Marshall Chooses His Adventure; Justin Lin Plans 'Toymageddon'

* Last year Alexandre Moors made his directorial debut with the sorely overlooked DC sniper drama, Blue Caprice, a film that should have earned star Isaiah Washington a Best Actor nomination. That's something to gripe about later, but for now Moors is moving forward with his next project, a remake of South Korean film, Failan. Written by Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries), “the story of a young Russian woman who flees to America, but finds herself caught in a human trafficking operation. She arrives in New York through an arranged marriage with a gangster, but she dies before ever meeting him. He gets to know her and her tragic story through the letters she wrote him.” [THR]

* Here's a project that could be amazing and potentially groundbreaking if done right...or it could be an utter disaster. We're the Millers director Rawson Marshall Thurber is set to helm an adaptation of those Choose Your Own Adventure books you read as a kid, the ones that sent you in wildly different directions depending on the decisions you made. Night at the Museum and Reno 911 duo Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon will pen the script, and it's unclear how they intend to incorporate the decision-making process into the feature film. Maybe this will go straight-to-DVD where it would make more sense?

* Now that he's free from the Fast & Furious franchise, Justin Lin is filling his schedule with all sorts of projects. Recently he picked up the rights to remake Sundance documentary, The Battered Bastards of Baseball, and of course he's also set to helm a sequel to The Bourne Legacy. Now he's set to produce and possibly direct Toymageddon, a live-action adventure about a toy factory that runs amok. A writer still needs to be found, and how the script turns out will go a long way in Lin's decision to direct.

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Fifth 'Bourne' Film Slated for August 2015; Justin Lin Confirmed to Direct

Jeremy Renner's debut as the latest mind-altered super agent in The Bourne Legacy may not have set the world on fire, but it was enough to get Universal moving on a fifth film in the franchise. While there were some early rumors of Paul Greengrass possibly returning, those were replaced last month when Fast & Furious 6 helmer Justin Lin was reportedly close to signing on. Now the ink is dry and Universal has added the film to the crowded 2015 slate.

Lin will direct the untitled fifty Bourne movie for release August 14th 2015. Renner will return as Aaron Cross, and it's unclear if any of the other cast members will be joining him. Don't expect to see series scribe and 'Legacy' director Tony Gilroy tagging along, either, as he has totally moved on from the franchise.

As of now that places Bourne in a showdown with The Smurfs 3, so parents can send their kids to that while going to watch Renner kick some butt. 

Universal has also dated Luc Besson's next action flick, titled Lucy, for August 8th 2014. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, the film centers on "a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic."

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Kate Beckinsale Has 'The Face of an Angel'; Hugh Jackman Eyes 'Section 6'; Chris Pine is a Horrible Boss

*Kate Beckinsale has joined Daniel Bruhl (Rush) and Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina) in The Face of an Angel, Michael Winterbottom's film based on the true story of Amanda Knox. Adapted from Barbie Latza Nadeau's book, the story offers a fictionalized account of the events that led to Knox, an American student living in Italy, who was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering her roommate. After serving four years in prison, the conviction was overturned and a retrial ordered, but Knox remains a controversial figure. Beckinsale will play a reporter investigating the case, with Bruhl as a documentary filmmaker, and Delevingne as the Knox character. [Deadline]

* Hugh Jackman probably should have played a secret agent long ago, but he may finally have the opportunity. He's circling Section 6, based on a script by first-time writer Aaron Berg that "follows the World War I-era formation of British intelligence agency MI6 and its first director, Sir George Mansfield Cummings, who served as the inspiration for M in the 'James Bond' series." Sounds amazing, which is why Jackman Seems to be so interested. Apparently so are Justin Lin and Brett Ratner (noooooooo), who are both angling the director's chair. This is still pretty early on and nobody is officially attached but already it's obvious that this is going to be a major project. [TheWrap]

* Yeah, Horrible Bosses 2 is still happening, and now it has an actual boss. Last week we learned that Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine were being sought to play a father/son duo of douche bag bosses, and now Pine is officially on board. Waltz never really seemed to be in the picture because of scheduling, which is good because this movie might be terrible. And he's played enough villains. Horrible Bosses 2 arrives November 26, 2014 directed by Sean Anders and bringing back stars Charlie Day, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Jamie Foxx. [Variety]

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Justin Lin won't direct 'Fast & Furious 7'

While everyone was still buzzing about the possibility of Dwayne Johnson getting his own Fast & Furious spinoff, Vin Diesel quietly dropped word that filming on a seventh film was set for this summer. With rumors of Fast & Furious 6 leading into a major storyline for the next film, it makes sense for Universal to get the ball rolling quickly. Unfortunately, the ramped up schedule has caused franchise director Justin Lin to back out.

Universal wants to have the seventh installment ready for summer 2014, a pace proving too much for Lin to handle. He remains on good terms with the studio, though, even as some are suggesting he may have been growing tired of the franchise. It's safe to say that it's evolved into something much greater under the four films he's directed, with Fast Five the highest-grossing one yet.  With a Lone Wolf and Cub adaptation brewing, plus a pair of sci-fi films, Lin won't be hurting for things to occupy his time.

But this could be a matter of some concern for Diesel and Universal, who will now have to scramble and find a replacement. John Singleton and Rob Cohen helmed the first two films, and someone with a similar style will likely be sought.

Lin's run will end when Fast & Furious 6 opens on May 24th.

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Justin Lin forced to drop out of directing Terminator 5

Envy Justin Lin. The director has come so far since he first acclaimed film, Better Luck Tomorrow, a brilliant little indie(backed later by MTV) about a group of Asian-Americans caught up in the world of petty crime. Since then, Lin has moved on to much bigger and more lucrative projects, like basically being the driving force(along with Vin Diesel) behind the Fast and the Furious franchise. That has made him quite popular, and recently he was chosen to be the man to spearhead Arnold Schwarzenegger's return in Terminator 5.

Unfortunately, Deadline is now reporting that Lin's busy schedule prepping the sixth F&F film will prevent him from directing the next Terminator.  The plan being hatched by rights owner Megan Ellison and Schwarzenegger is to kick off two potential flicks starting in the fourth quarter of 2012. There are still a lot of roadblocks preventing that from happening, like the fact there's no script, no studio, and well...now no director. Lin had been very involved with getting the film underway, working with Schwarzenegger and getting input from James Cameron.

Deadline also notes that Ellison may be in a rush to get things underway, due to some potential rights issues that will crop up in the next few years. Mainly that some of the rights will revert back to James Cameron(whether he wants them or not) in 2018. It could take years to get two Terminator films made, so this could get sticky very soon. Lin suggests that he'd definitely come back if Ellison and Co. can push the production back until after he finishes Fast Six or whatever it'll be called. 

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The list of directors for The Wolverine narrowed down to eight

The pang of loss still hits me when I think about it too much. When Darren Aronofsky had to drop out of directing Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine, the opportunity to see what the wildly creative auteur could do with a big budget comic book flick. 20th Century Fox has been pretty relaxed in seeking out a replacement, given additional time due to Hugh Jackman's schedule and all the turmoil going on in Japan right now. The bulk of Christopher McQuarrie's script takes place in the Land of the Rising Sun, a factor which contributed to Aronofsky's departure. So far we've heard Duncan Jones(Source Code) mentioned as a possible choice to direct, as well as David Slade(30 Days of Night), but neither accepted. Now Variety reports that Fox has narrowed their list of candidates down to eight, a healthy mix of indie and mainsteam.


The contenders are: Doug Liman(The Bourne Identity); Jose Padilha(Elite Squad); Antoine Fuqua(Training Day); Mark Romanek(Never Let Me Go); Justin Lin(Fast Five); Gavin O'Connor(Miracle); James Mangold(Knight and Day); and Gary Shore(???)

Out of this bunch, Romanek probably is closest to Aronofsky's indie sensibilities, and I'd love to see what the guy who made the disturbing One Hour Photo could do with a loner like Wolverine. But then part of me also wants to see a relatively fresh face take over. Padilha is a fast rising star who is already attached to the Robocop reboot, and could bring something new to the job. Gary Shore specializes in commercials, a popular launching pad of late. Fuqua, Liman, and Mangold are old hands and would be solid but likely wouldn't' add anything exciting. Lin is such a departure from Aronofsky that it just seems like a bad fit. I think I'm leaning towards Romanek here.

What do you think? Who would you like to see take over The Wolverine?

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New Terminator film with Schwarzenegger attached in the works; Justin Lin to direct

There isn't enough steel wool in the world to help scrub the images of Arnold Schwarzenegger's idiotic cartoon, The Governator, out of my brain. Fortunately, Arnie appears to finally be ready to help me remember why I used to like him to begin with. Deadline is reporting that a package is being shopped right now for a fifth film in the Terminator franchise, with Arnold attached to star in some way.  Justin Lin(Fast Five), who Universal had been pushing to direct any future Terminator flicks, is attached as well.

The Terminator rights have been scattered to a number of holders over the last couple of years, which I really don't want to get into right now. What you have now is a situation where studios are going to have to shell out some big time loot, somewhere around $25M and up, just to pick up the rights and make the movie. Deadline says that Sony, Universal, and Lionsgate are very interested, although it should be noted that the price tag had them all backing away last year. The last Terminator flick, Terminator Salvation, was hardly as much of a success as it's $371M gross would have you think. Supposedly there are no writers attached to the new film, but a number of scripts are floating out there.

So while the idea of another Terminator movie with Schwarzenegger is enough to keep me up all night with the potential awesomeness of it, there is a lot of work left to do and questions to be answered. Will the new film follow the Terminator Salvation story, or start fresh? Will a studio risk such a big chunk of cash for a franchise that has seen better days? Only time will tell.

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Universal wants Justin Lin to direct next Terminator film?

Justin Lin is finding himself in the driver's seat lately, thanks to his highly profitable work crafting the last three Fast and the Furious flicks for Universal Pictures.  In fact, his success could possibly force him to cross paths with a certain ex-California governor looking to make his way back into acting.  According to Deadline, Lin is Universal's choice to head up the next flick in the much loved Terminator franchise. 


Ever since the disappointing results from 2009's Terminator Salvation, most of the activity surrounding the franchise has been behind the scenes. You might recall all the bankruptcy stuff from last year(covered only very briefly here because me and numbers don't mix), but the end result was that the Terminator rights ended up in the hands of Pacificor.  With that outcome, the connection to the last film(distributed by Columbia Pictures and Warner Brothers), the first part of a proposed trilogy directed by McG, was essentially severed. So what could the Lin-helmed flick possibly be about? 

Well, the answer to that question remains unclear.  The biggest thing is that whatever shape it takes, there's a serious clamoring to get Arnold Schwarzenegger back in leather jackets and metal exo-skeletons. With the Governator stating his desire to jump back into acting, his participation in any Terminator film is a no brainer. Universal would want to pair Lin up with his Furious screenwriter, Chris Morgan(who also wrote Wanted), but Lin might be tied up with the Highlander relaunch. Pacifico hasn't struck a deal with Universal or anybody else for distribution rights, so who knows how this will play out.  And even if this does come together, would they just ignore Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation? 

Well let's hope not. Afterall, there are still the treatments for possible fifth and sixth Terminator movies, written by Terminator co-creator William Wisher. Those have been floating around for well over a year now, and would continue with the Terminator Salvation world.  Thanks to Deadline for the reminder about those, and a refresher on exactly what they entail....

His version continued the post-apocalyptic battleground scenario from Terminator Salvation, but added in the element of time travel. There was a reunion for Sarah Conner and Kyle Reese beyond their brief encounter in the original, and a role for Schwarzenegger in the finale. There were also plenty of hi-tech killers, including a swarm of “Night Crawlers,” 4 1/2-foot tall border sentries that are set like mines to spring up out of the ground and ambush rebel fighters with 10 MM pistols built into their wrists, and fingers and feet that are razor sharp. Also fresh off the Skynet assembly line in Wisher’s version are new shape-shifting cyborgs that can morph together in Transformers-like mode, and are more lethal than anything seen in previous Terminator installments. The blueprint also set out a resolution in mankind’s struggle with Skynet.

Hard to believe anybody would want to abandon a franchise that could potentially see Christian Bale duking it out with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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Twilight writer to pen Highlander relaunch

I almost forgot Summit Entertainment was prepping a reboot of the once popular Highlander franchise, which featured Christopher Lambert(and occasionally Sean Connery) as a member of an immortal race of beings destined to fight and kill eachother until only one remains. One of the reasons it slipped my mind is that it was way back in September of 2009 when we last heard anything about it, and that was when Justin Lin(Fast and Furious) was confirmed to direct.  At the time the script was being drafted by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway(Iron Man), but now that's changed, with Melissa Rosenberg reportedly close to signing a deal that would see her pen the adventures of the Clan MacLeod.

Rosenberg has been busy the last few years as the sole writer of all of the Twilight movies, and she'll be expected to help usher in a new franchise for Highlander as well. Justin Lin remains attached, with the plan to expand the Highlander mythos for a different audience. 

To be honest, the script for the majority of the Twilight flicks has been a major stumbling block, so I don't know if this is a good thing or not.  The only other movie she's written was Step Up, and that was....well...Step Up.  I'm sure a few of my Highlander lovin' buddies are not going to be pleased with these developments.

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Highlander Reboot Lands 'Furious' Director

A few months ago we had reported on the script for the upcoming Highlander reboot, to be spearheaded over at Summit studios. Well now it appears the project continues to run smoothly as Fast and Furious director Justin Lin has officially signed on to helm the project. Highlander tells the story of a group of immortals, destined to engage in single combat against eachother until only one remains. The original Highlander was released in 1986 and starred Sean Connery(as a Spaniard!!!) and Christopher Lambert. Numerous sequels were released afterwards, including a long running TV show(which kicked ass).

Justin Lin is a good choice, as he's already shown he's got a knack for high octane action/adventure franchises. I still have some concern about the script, which seems to miss the point of what Highlander is supposed to be about, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for now.

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