In what could be called a bit of sci-fi synergy, original Robocop actor Peter Weller is reportedly joining the cast of J.J. Abrams upcoming sequel to Star Trek. While no other details are available at the moment as to what type or size of role Weller will be taking on in the film, you can be assured it will probably not be that of a robot or cyborg.

Of course, now that Weller is being cast in the film, speculation as to his role can begin in earnest, even without any “official” word. That’s just part of the fun. In addition to him most likely not being any sort of robot, bad or otherwise, It’s likely Weller will not play Kahn Noonian Singh — even if that role also doesn’t go to Benicio del Toro.

Weller will more likely take on a smaller yet pivotal role as a Starfleet officer or recognizable alien species who helps (or hinders) Kirk and company’s fight to destroy the greater evil threatening them and Earth. We have nothing to base that on of course, just spitballing here and trying to fill some column inches. That’s just how we roll. Who do you think Weller should play?

Paramount will release the Star Trek sequel May 17, 2013. Weller joins recently announced new cast members Alice Eve and del Toro and the returning Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, John Cho and Simon Pegg.

It’s always nice to see someone like Edgar Allan Poe get some love in a cinematic era when caped crusaders and the living dead are the hot items. That’s why we like it when someone like John Cusack and James McTeigue is getting his whack at the classic poet/writer in what is being marketed as a true crime thriller.

That’s what we’re hearing about Relativity’s The Raven, which is set to hit March 9th of next year. Here’s an in-depth synopsis of what you can expect to see in the film.

When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) makes a startling discovery: the crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper–part of a collection of stories penned by struggling writer and social pariah Edgar Allan Poe. But even as Poe is questioned by police, another grisly murder occurs, also inspired by a popular Poe story. Realizing a serial killer is on the loose using Poe’s writings as the backdrop for his bloody rampage, Fields enlists the author’s help in stopping the attacks. But when it appears someone close to Poe may become the murderer’s next victim, the stakes become even higher and the inventor of the detective story calls on his own powers of deduction to try to solve the case before it’s too late.

Take a look at the brand new trailer after the jump.

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Now that steam is picking up for Fox’s other Marvel movie franchise, it looks like the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot wants a seat at the cool kids table as well. Last week, we brought you news that both Adrien Brody and Jonathan Rhys Myer were the leading contenders to play the role of Mr. Fantastic, and now it seems we have a similar situation for the voice of the CGI Thing.

In an attempt to up the ante on their superhero projects, Fox has a new strategy of stunt casting the films, like they did with Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt in X-Men: First Class. It now looks like they are pitting Kiefer Suthland and Bruce Willis against each other to play the stone behemoth in the Fantastic Four reboot.

Comicbook Movie originally reported that the studio was in talks with Willis to lend his voice for the film, and now the chaps at Screenrant are adding to that, saying Sutherland is also up for the role. Awkward.

Also up for debate is the director’s seat, as the studio is playing with the idea of David Yates (Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince), Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces), or James McTeigue (V For Vendetta) to take on the project, so you know the film will either be for kids or…definitely not for kids.

Other casting rumors that don’t seem to have conflict is that Alice Eve will be playing Susan Storm, Kevin Pennington is in talks to play Johnny Storm, and True Blood’s Stephen Moyer will be taking on the role of Victor Von Doom. Much like how the casting news for First Class poured out inside of a few weeks, we can expect the same for Fantastic Four: Reborn in the coming months.

With X-men: First Class scheduled to start filming next week, 20th Century Fox has turned their focus to the their next Marvel film. That film? A reboot of Fantastic Four.

Rumors about the films casting have started with news that The Thing will be completely CGI and Sue Storm being played by Alice Eve or Amber Heard, and it seems the film’s star power will be stemming from the group leader Mr. Fantastic. The two actors in the running for Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards are Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Adrien Brody.

While Jonathan Rhys Meyers is probably best known for his starring role in the Showtime series The Tudors, he also has From Paris With Love in which he starred opposite John Travolta under his belt. He’s also been seen in film such as Mission Impossible III, Match Point and Bend It Like Beckham.

The bigger get would obviously be Adrien Brody, who is quietly growing into an action film with the recent releases of Predators and Splice. Brody is also the forerunner for Edgar Wright’s Ant-man for Marvel Studios. Having the Oscar winning actor attached to the film would add some credibility to the project.

The title of the film will not be Fantastic Four Reborn as previously report, but the actual title has not been released. Now that Chiklis is moving on to No Ordinary Family on ABC and Evans is headed over to work on that other Marvel movie, who would YOU cast as The Thing and Human Torch in the upcoming reboot?

It’s been quite a week for director Matthew Vaughn and the team on Fox’s upcoming X-Men: First Class. Not only has Oliver Platt joined the cast as the “Man in Black”, but Rose Byrne has also joined the project as Professor Xavier’s Scottish love interest Moira MacTaggert.

But even with the new additions, other changes are also being made to the cast with one actor leaving and another taking her place. What am I talking about? January Jones has been added to the cast and will take the place of Alice Eve as The White Queen, Emma Frost.

While initial reports about Eve signing for the role were legitimate, it turns out the deal was not completely done and January Jones will officially fill the role for Vaughn. Most people know Jones as Betty Francis, the recently divorced wife of Don Draper on AMC’s Mad Men.

Jones has found quite a home for herself back in the 60′s, so it will be interesting to see how she can take on playing a British school teacher. Jones joins an already packed cast consisting of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Zoe Kravitz, and Kevin Bacon.

Principal photography for the film begins in London next week, and we can expect to see more news develop soon as X-Men: First Class makes it’s way to theaters on June 3, 2011.

With filming set to begin later this month, some of the final pieces of casting for the film X-Men: First Class are falling into place. Joining the recently announced Rose Byrne and Jason Flemyng, Oliver Platt is the newest addition to the start studded cast.

Along with James McAvoy as Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Alice Eve as Emma Frost, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee, Lucas Till as Havoc, Edi Gathegi as Darwin, Kevin Bacon as the villain, Jason Flemyng as Azazel and Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, we now have Oliver Platt joining as “The Man in Black”.

Like Kevin Bacon before him, Oliver Platt’s character has yet to be described fully.  So far the only information being released is that Platt will not be playing a mutant character.

Even though I feel that I’m versed in the world of geekdom and comics, I’m not sure who this “Man in Black” character could  be. If he was a mutant, many names come to mind ranging from Black Tom Cassidy to the Black Rook of the Hellfire Club. The moniker may just be a blanket government agent title.

There are still some glaring absences in the list of parts that have been cast. If this film is to mirror the comics at all, we are still missing Cyclops, Jean Grey, Angel and Iceman.

Who do you think Platt will play? Who do you think will play the remaining major parts?

X-men: First Class will be released in theaters June 3rd 2011.

It’s no surprise that director Matthew Vaughn likes to work with people he’s established a relationship with. He used actor Jason Flemyng in Layer Cake, Stardust and even Kick-Ass. Vaughn brought writer Jane Goldman onto Kick-Ass and now X-Men: First Class after they worked together on Stardust. Now he’s doing it again as Kick-Ass star Aaron Johnson has just been cast to play Cyclops in First Class.

It’s really not much of a surprise, given Vaugn’s casting decisions with previous roles. According to a tip received by Aint it Cool, the part is pretty much 100% locked down for the Kick-Ass star.

This would be the second comic book role for Johnson, even though he put down critics who were asking him about doing another film in the genre, saying that “just because I’m doing one, doesn’t mean I’ll do others.” It seems that the right amount on a check made him eat those words.

Johnson will be joining an already star-studded cast of James McAvoy as Professor X, Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League) as Emma Frost, and Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds) as Magneto. Other rumored casting names Amber Heard as Mystique, and Benjamin Walker as Hank McCoy aka Beast.

With the film expected to hit theaters in less than a year — June 3, 2011 — you can be sure we’ll hear plenty of casting news in the days leading up to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Of course, we’ll be sure to bring them to you.

In some casting news that seemed to slip under our radar yesterday, it looks like we can add yet another actor to the growing list of those with a part in The First Avenger: Captain America. Tommy Lee Jones has joined the cast as Super Soldier program supervisor Colonel Chester Phillips.

Jones will star in Captain America alongside Chris Evans as the star-spangled superhero, Sebastian Stan as his sidekick Bucky, Stanley Tucci as Dr. Abraham Erskine and Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull. In addition, it looks like the front runner to play the enticing Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class is now Alice Eve, late of the movie She’s Out of My League.

Previously, it seemed she may have ended up with the role of Peggy Carter in Captain America but, as we previously reported, that went to actress Haley Atwell. Instead, Eve will reportedly take on the Emma Frost character and join others already in the film including James McAvoy as Professor Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto and Benjamin Walker as Hank “Beast” McCoy. Matthew Vaughn is directing and co-writing the adaptation with Jane Goldman.

Captain America is currently slated for a July 22, 2011 release. X-Men: First Class is currently scheduled for a June 3rd, 2011 release. So, lots of good superhero action next Summer. Can’t wait.

With Kevin Smith’s Cop Out defying the tidal wave of negative reviews and still managing to bring in nearly $20 Million this past weekend, other studios are looking to amp up their comedies in hopes they will be a trending genre for moviegoers this year.

With that, Paramount and Dreamworks is gearing up for next week’s release of She’s Out of My League, starring Alice Eve and Tropic Thunder’s Jay Baruchel. The film throws an interesting twist into the “boy meets girl” dynamic by adding the fact that the guy is a lanky geek and the girl is a “10″. Never heard that one before, right?

The film hits theaters on March 12th, but we were lucky enough to get our hands on a few tasty new clips to share with you. Check them out after the jump. In addition to Barchel, the film also stars Mike Vogel, Debra Jo Rupp, Kim Shaw, Geoff Stults, and T.J. Miller. It hits theaters on March 12.

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Jay Baruchel has got quite a lot going for him lately. He gets to run along a crazed Nic Cage while he does in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and now he gets to play the not-so-good-looking guy in a romantic comedy called She’s Out of My League.

Leaning towards more “comedy” than “romantic,” the story takes the convention of “Average boy meets hot girl” and throws it on it’s head. Baruchel (Tropic Thunder) plays Kirk, an average Joe who happens across Molly, played by Alice Eve (Big Nothing, Starter for 10). They end up dating, and Kirk has no idea what to do with himself.

The plot doesn’t sound all that inspired (Hello, Knocked Up), but the trailer does it a bit more justice, showing off some of today’s up-and-coming character actors in the comedy world. Nate Torrence (Get Smart’s Bruce And Lloyd Out of Control), T.J. Miller (Cloverfield) and a few others join Baruchel and Eve.

Check out the trailer for She’s Out of My League after the jump, which hits theaters on March 12th.

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