The Bulletin: 'Terminator' to Reboot

The future is near. Victor Kubicek, Derek Anderson and Moritz Borman will produce "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" (Summer 2009), the first sequel in a new trilogy to recalibrate the futuristic saga of man versus machine, reports Variety. Andrew Vajna and Mario Kassar sold the entire property to Halcyon CEOs Kubicek and Anderson. Warner Bros. and the financiers will next select a director, with McG ("Charlie's Angels") a possibility. "This is set in the future, in a full-scale war between Skynet and humankind," Anderson told the trade. John Brancato and Michael Ferris ("Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines") wrote the script. Peter D. Graves will executive produce. As for Arnold Schwarzenegger, no word on whether the California politician will ... be back.

Bana to Star as Villain in 'Star Trek'
Eric Bana (“The Hulk,” “Munich”) will star as Nero, the chief villain, in J.J. Abrams’ rehabilitation of “Star Trek” (Dec. 25, 2008), in which Abrams expands on the Enterprise crew’s ascendancy at Starfleet Academy, reports Variety. Chris Pine will star as James T. Kirk; John Cho (“American Pie”), as Hikaru Sulu; Simon Pegg (“Shaun of the Dead”), as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, the Enterprise’s engineer; Karl Urban ("Doom"), as Leonard "Bones" McCoy; Zoe Saldana, as Uhura; Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy, as Spock; and Anton Yelchin, as Pavel Chekov. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci wrote the script. Bryan Burk and Damon Lindelof will executive produce with Kurtzman and Orci.

'Jumper' Trailer Available
The trailer for Doug Liman's "Jumper" (Feb. 15, 2008), with Samuel L. Jackson, Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell, is available at the official site in Flash or in Quicktime at Yahoo! Movies.

Roberts May Join Kidman in 'Monte Carlo'
At the New York Film Festival premiere of Noah Baumbach's "Margot at the Wedding," Nicole Kidman said Julia Roberts may star in the actress' "Monte Carlo," an adaptation of Jules Bass' novel "Headhunters." Tom Bezucha and Maria Maggenti wrote the script, in which Midwest schoolteachers drop out of a lackluster Parisian vacation to pose as wealthy socialites in Monaco. Bezucha will direct, and Rick Schwartz and Kidman will produce.

Gyllenhaal, Liman Fly to the Moon
Jake Gyllenhaal will star in Doug Liman's project about a private expedition to the moon and the race for lunar colonization, reports Variety. Liman and John Hamburg wrote a draft. Mark Bowden ("Black Hawk Down"), in a complete reconception, will write the script. Alli Shearmur will produce with Simon Kinberg and Liman.

Fuqua to Direct 'Escobar'
Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day," "Shooter") will direct "Escobar," an adaptation of Roberto Escobar Gaviria's book "Mi Heramo Pablo," about the late, infamous cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar, reports Variety. "Escobar" competes with another Escobar biography, Joe Carnahan's "Killing Pablo," an adaptation of Mark Bowden's novel "Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw" with Javier Bardem and Christian Bale to star. "My brother will be portrayed as a ruthless head of the Medellin cartel," Escobar Gaviria, Pablo's confidant and accountant, said in a statement. "This is just 10% of the story. The other 90% is the story others trying to portray him simply don't have." Oliver Stone will produce with Justin Berfield, Jason Felts and James Reach. David McKenna ("Blow") will rewrite the script under Fuqua and Stone's supervision. Production will start next year in Colombia and Puerto Rico.

Pixar to Mine 'Mars'
Pixar representatives Jim Morris, Andrew Stanton ("Wall-E") and Mark Andrews will develop a trilogy to Edgar Rice Burrough's "John Carter of Mars" series, in which a Civil War veteran transports via a portal to a distant planet, reports ERBZine. The creative emissaries met with the author's representatives Danton Burroughs, Sandra Galfas and Jim Sullos last week to discuss the property, reports the site.

Mark Your Calendar
On DVD, "Eagle Vs. Shark" will be available for rental and purchase Jan. 8; "War," with Jason Statham and Jet Li, Jan. 2; "Stardust," Dec. 18; "Once," Dec. 28; "September Dawn," Jan. 2; and "Superbad" (B-), Dec. 4.