Because it’s just not good enough to make films about the E*Trade Baby or Battleship, Columbia Pictures is now taking it back to the 1980s with a remake of the Val Kilmer sci-fi comedy Real Genius.

That’s right. Not many people remember it, but before he was Batman, Jim Morrison, Dieter Von Cunth, Iceman, and the voice of K.I.T.T., Kilmer got his start in a little teen sci-fi comedy from 1985. In it, Kilmer plays Chris Knight, an incredibly bright university student that has to use his intellect to get back at a nefarious professor who steals his newest project for military purposes.

The super producer team of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, who were the driving force behind such projects as The Davinci Code, 24, Angels & Demons, Arrested Development and many more, will be taking the lead on this one, so expect to see a few big names to drop by.

No word on a production schedule just yet, but since Columbia and the two producers are already on board, expect to see movement on this remake in the next few months.

The only thing now is to propose a remake of other great science fiction comedies of the 1980s such as Zapped! and Mac and Me.

Parenthood, which is based loosely on the Steve Martin comedies from a few years ago, is a new the new series from Brian Grazer and Ron Howard covering the ins and out and trials and tribulations of modern parenting. We’ve brought you some info on the show previously and now we’ve got even more info to bring you this time around about the show, its cast and creators.

In this series of nine video clips videos you get to know the main characters of the upcoming comedy. These clips showcase some footage from the series itself and interviews with the actors as they talk about their roles on the show. And, as a bonus, creators Ron Howard and Brian Grazer discuss the inspiration for the show which came from their real life parenting experiences.

With a cast that includes Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Lauren Graham, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepherd, Bonnie Bedelia and Craig T. Nelson, the show looks to have all the requisite acting power necessary. Combine that with creators/producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer and it seems to have a great mixture for success. Let’s hope the show lives up to its potential.

Catch the premiere of Parenthood on Tuesday, March 2 at 10/9C on NBC. Check out all the videos after the break.

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This clearly falls into the “no surprise” category as Columbia Pictures has confirmed that Dan Brown’s novel, The Lost Symbol, will get the big screen treatment. The third film in the Robert Langdon series, this time we find Langdon traversing the mysteries of the Freemasons in Washington D.C.

Scribe Steven Knight is set to adapt the screenplay from the novel which sold over 1 million copies in the first day. Knight’s other credits include drafts for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Shutter Island as well as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

While both Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are set to return no word on whether Tom Hanks has committed to the project. That said, I find it highly unlikely that he would not reprise the title role of Robert Langdon.

While the second installment of the series, Angels and Demons, performed less then The Da Vinci Code, $486 Million compared to $768, the resounding popularity of  The Lost Symbol is sure to help.  Moreover, The Da Vinci Code was wrapped in controversy which had people eager to check out what all the fuss was about by seeing the film. Angels and Demons had little to no controversy surrounding it. Regardless, a $400 + million take is by no means a failure.

I, for one, was not blown away by either film. However, they were serviceable thrillers with solid production value. While all these stories involve enigmas at some level, there’s no mystery as to why they’re popular and I’ll certainly check out The Lost Symbol when it hit theaters.

Screenwriting duo Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) recently told Sci Fi Wire they turned in their draft of Cowboys & Aliens on Aug. 5 and are awaiting feedback on their adaptation of Fred Van Lente’s graphic novel.

“We’ll find out, literally,” Orci said. “We’re waiting to hear from the principals. We try not to turn it in until we think it’s ready. Obviously, there are always things you can improve.”

Van Lente’s graphic novel deals with feuding frontier settlers and Native Americans in the Old West who team up to fight extraterrestrials. Orci and Kurtzman have stated that they put their own spin on the adaptation, and now producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg and potential star Robert Downey Jr., will have the opportunity to voice their opinions.

“We’re just literally waiting to hear if they hate it or what,” Orci said.

Cowboys & Aliens is tentatively slated for a summer 2011 release.

The good people at NBC have seen fit to send us some promos for three of their upcoming Fall tv series. The shows, Parenthood, Community and Trauma, each have recognizable and likeable casts, good production value and look to be worth checking out. Here’s a bit about each show.

Parenthood – From Imagine Entertainment’s Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, writer/executive producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), and Emmy Award-winning director Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing) comes this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film Parenthood, focusing on the everyday challenges that modern families face while raising children and starting over.

Community – From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Arrested Development) comes a smart comedy about higher education…and lower expectations. Community focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, The Soup). They form a study group and, in Breakfast Club fashion, end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work.

Trauma – From executive producer Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights), Trauma is the first high-octane medical franchise to live exclusively in the field, where the real action is. Trauma is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics.

Be sure to check out all three promos after the break. For all the latest news on NBC’s upcoming Fall schedule, go here.

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