Joe Taslim Joins STAR TREK: BEYOND!

With all the Star Wars blurbs and murmurs regarding titles like Mile 22 and Beyond Skyline, it's become quite clear that some of the biggest names in Indonesian action are making headway beyond their domain, and for all intents and purposes, this is an excellent thing. Actor Joe Taslim can certainly fit the mold having joined the other two in the 2011/2012 movie, The Raid, a film that has certainly garenered them a spotlight in the film industry, leading to great prospects and with specific regard to Taslim's role in the 2013 action adventure franchise thriller, Furious 6 for Universal Pictures.

That particular film came at a time when Taslim was supposed to be moving forward on a film titled The Night Comes For Us from a script by Todd Brown over at production and international sales outlet XYZ Films which would no less continue the fervor from The Raid for a niche that has grown to include what Indonesia has to offer. Unfortunately that title never came to pass, although that is not to say it put a damper on his prospects there after, because clearly, it hasn't.

The word from THR now states the former Judo practitioner-turned-actor is now ready to go where no man has gone before, thus rejoining Furious 6 director Justin Lin for the forthcoming July 8, 2016 release of Star Trek: Beyond. The report says little of Taslim's role although it does mention one opposite actor Idris Elba who recently made his own addition to the cast official via video for the production's Boldly Go campaign earlier this month.

The trend is major and huge, and not one to look away from with folks like Taslim breaking the mold little by little for Asian stardom in Hollywood, which also makes this a win for martial arts fans. An actor with an immense athletic capability to do what is required is always welcome, and hopefully we will be seeing some of it in the film.

Stay tuned for more info!

Win a Chance To Visit The Set Of STAR TREK: BEYOND For A Good Cause Or Two...Or Nine!

Production on director Justin Lin's Star Trek: Beyond is in full swing and the cast can now be seen in a new campaign video to forward each of their personal causes by way of fans' entry to pay a visit to the set of the new sci-fi adventure. With all the perks imaginable, if you have the time, resources and opportunity to do this, it would be unforseeable to pass this up.

Check out the details for what's in store for the Star Trek: To Boldly Go Campaign, and

In an unprecedented event, the cast of the Star Trek film franchise has created a unique philanthropic initiative in partnership with Omaze. The Star Trek: To Boldly Go campaign will support the cast’s personal selection of nine global causes, which will each receive equal portions of the funds raised when fans enter for a chance to win a walk-on role in director Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond, the third film in the blockbuster franchise, released on July 8, 2016. The campaign runs from 12:01 a.m. PST on July 14th until 11:59 p.m. PST September 1st. 

To coincide with the campaign’s launch, cast members John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Idris Elba recorded a special video message on the iconic Starship Enterprise bridge set. The video, released today, kicked off production and features the cast inviting fans to make franchise history as the first fans to ever win a walk-on role in a Star Trek movie. For each $10 contribution made through the Omaze fundraising platform, eligible participants will be automatically entered for a chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

The Star Trek: To Boldly Go Grand Prize winner and a guest will: 

⚫Fly to Vancouver and stay in a 4-star hotel 

⚫Go behind the scenes of Star Trek Beyond, hang with the cast, and experience the filming of the movie 

⚫Be transformed by hair, makeup and costume teams into a Star Trek character and filmed for a scene in Star Trek Beyond 

In addition to the Grand Prize Winner, six additional winners will be randomly selected throughout the campaign to form the honorary “Star Trek: To Boldly Go” crew. Star Trek: To Boldly Go is the first Omaze campaign to have winners every week. 

The Star Trek: To Boldly Go Crew will: 

⚫Visit the closed set and meet the cast of Star Trek Beyond 

⚫Be among the first to see scenes from the latest film 

⚫Travel to Vancouver 

“Omaze is excited to bring this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience to Star Trek fans around the world,” said Ryan Cummins, Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “We are proud to give fans the chance to live out their dream experience while simultaneously helping nine great causes. By allowing anyone to enter for just $10, we are seeing the power our community has in making an impact around the world.” 

By donating directly to Omaze.com/StarTrek, fans will be supporting these nine global causes: 

⚫Brave Beginnings, an organization dedicated to ensuring that ventilators and life-saving neonatal equipment are always available to newborns in critical need. Nominated by Zoë Saldana. 

⚫Camp Sunshine, a place where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families can regroup, reenergize, and restore hope for the future. Nominated by Anton Yelchin. 

⚫Direct Relief International, one of the premiere disaster relief organizations that operates world­wide. Nominated by Zachary Quinto. 

⚫Heaven Homes, an organization helping establish children's homes and centers, while providing secure, safe and loving environments where children can be nurtured to realize their full potential. Nominated by Idris Elba. 

⚫KidsCan, an organization that provides food, clothing and healthcare to disadvantaged youth in New Zealand. Nominated by Karl Urban. 

⚫Koreatown Youth & Community Center, an organization serving the evolving needs of the Korean American population in the greater Los Angeles area as well as the multiethnic Koreatown community. Nominated by John Cho. 

⚫Make-A-Wish, whose remarkable work is making wishes come true every day for children suffering from life­threatening illnesses. Nominated by Chris Pine. 

⚫Time is Precious, an organization helping to create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for children, which in return helps assist with their treatment and recovery. Nominated by Simon Pegg. 

⚫St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization that is leading the way in advancing cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Nominated by Susan Nimoy in honor of Leonard Nimoy. 

In addition, fans who donate set amounts larger than $10 can receive special limited edition Star Trek rewards including t-shirts, posters, a cast-autographed red shirt, an advanced private screening of Star Trek Beyond, and a replica Captain’s chair. 

Visit Omaze.com/StarTrek to learn more about this new initiative. “Live long and prosper.”

Chris Pine And Zachary Quinto Confirmed For A Fourth STAR TREK Film

Star Trek: Beyond is reportedly revving up production this week in Canada and the word now is that lead actors Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have signed onto a fourth film, according to THR. Both, who respectively reprise the roles of James T. Kirk and Vulcan-born Spock, were reportedly optioned a fourth movie as the result of concessions made by Paramount when the intial 7-year deal in 2007 prior to the two appearing in J.J. Abrams 2009 reboot, Star Trek, expired last year as development on the upcoming third film languished.

As a result, compromises were made to help stave off settling anything in court, which, incidentally, allowed not only for a bigger pay for both actors, but the additional attachment of a fourth film which essentially confirms a fourth Star Trek is now in order. The third, to be directed by Fast And Furious franchise helmer Justin Lin, with a script by co-star, actor Simon Pegg and co-scribe Doug Jung which forsees our crew of the USS Enterprise well underway in their 5-year mission into deep space. Zoe Saldana, John Cho and Anton Yelchin, also round out much of the cast with expected appearances by Idris Elba and Kingsman actress Sofia Boutella.

The course is set for a July 8 release next year. Energize!

HOLLYWOOD ADVENTURES Takes A Tumble In The Explosive Final Trailer!

All things considered, director Timothy Kendall's latest road romp with Fast And Furious helmer, producer Justin Lin, Hollywood Adventures, seems like nothing short of a love letter to American cinema written bilingually. Actress Vicky Zhao Wei and actors Huang Xiaoming and Tong Dawei are front and center with a short array of celebrities and guest stars, with actor Sung Kang channeling his best cornrowed Hangover-style villain, and yes, that's Robert Patrick in uniform - No sharp liquid metal arms though, but he does wear the uniform well.

SYNOPSIS:

When the girl of his dreams breaks up with him, Xiaoming (Huang Xiao Ming), a mild-mannered car salesman from China, buys Hollywood Adventure, the last available package tour from a shady travel website, so he can get to Los Angeles to win back his girlfriend. Along the way he’s paired up with a loony, cinema-crazed tourist named Dawei (Tong Dawei) and a slippery but hot Hollywood tour guide, WeiWei (Zhao Wei), whose scam finds her caught between a rock and a rhino horn - literally. When Xiaoming’s search for his girlfriend suddenly transforms into a rambunctious action comedy of errors across Hollywood, the quarrelsome partners Xiaoming and WeiWei finally discover what’s really important in life.

All this and more with fast cars, Superman punches to the face, Dawei in drag, and, at the behest of Stephen Tobolowsky, explosions. Because Hollywood, and why not?

Enlight Pictures hits the gas on this one in China on June 26, so watch the final trailer below, as well as the official subbed music video featuring the musical stylings of Wallace Cheung.

Lin To Direct Cinemax Bruce Lee-Inspired Crime Series, WARRIOR

Well this is fancy!

Cinemax is reportedly beefing up efforts toward developing a Bruce Lee-inspired serial crime drama titled Warrior. Fast And Furious franchise helmer Justin Lin is  poised to executive produce and potentially direct the pilot from a script by executive producer, Banshee co-creator Jonathan Tropper which centers on an anti-heroic, gifted fighter who is thrown into a crisis that undermines his quest for revenge.

The series was the first of several projects that began conception early on as Lin pacted with Chinese media magnate Bruno Wu for the launch of TV enterprise, Perfect Storm Entertainment a few years ago. The project is based on Lee's earlier writings which never saw the light of day after his death in 1973, until they were discovered by Shannon Lee, daughter of the iconic film legend and CEO of Bruce Lee Enterprises, prior to jumping aboard with Lin and Wu and introducing it to Cinemax.

The series is another meaty add-on to the forthcoming roster for Cinemax with its currently successful line-up of action-heavy shows with Banshee getting ready for new season and Strike Back premiering its forth and final season soon. The series also serves as a reminder of the prospects that await as Lee herself is getting ready to assemble what she deems as the "definitive" Bruce Lee biopic.

It's busy times indeed. There's plenty of Bruce Lee-releated material in development other than the aforementioned, so fans of the late film legend should be quite excited. In the meantime, Lin's latest producer credit on the June 26 release of American/Asian cross over road comedy, Hollywood Adventures, while his pilot for the second season of True Detective airs on June 21.

Lin is also directing Star Trek 3 which has a July 8, 2016 release.

In seperate TV-related news, NBC has reportedly dropped the pilot for its own series similarly-titled Warrior, which may see its new home at Fox instead.

Stay tuned.

Chinese Language U.S. Action Comedy, HOLLYWOOD ADVENTURES Scores An Explosive Teaser!

Many films and television shows in recent memory are further continuing to exemplify the growing proximity between respective industries in Hollywood and China. Such is the case for the on-going partnership of Beijing-based Perfect Storm Entertainment's own, producer and Fast & Furious franchise helmer Justin Lin and Chinese media mogul Bruno Wu with one of their most recent crossover endeavors heading to Mainland cinemas this June.

I speak of Hollywood Adventures, the latest romantic road action comedy romp from debut director Timothy Kendall and the largest Chinese-language production to film primarily in Southern California. Leading lady Vicky Zhao and actors, The White-Haired Witch star Huang Xiaoming and Badges Of Fury co-star Tong Dawei headline the sprawling cast with a story centered on a man desperately searching for his sweetheart in the heart of Hollywood. This, all while crossing paths with an array of colorful characters to enhance the challenging danger along the way as one might expect, including co-star Stephen Tobolowsky who likes his explosions done right. Dammit.

Anyway, Hollywood Adventures looks like a great package for moviegoers between its shared home in the U.S. and China. Lin's name alone is an assurance of just what fans can expect with tons of comedy, action and spectacle with stunt sequences coordinated by Mike Gunther (Transformers: Age Of Extinction, Sabotage) on hand. The rest can speak for itself and with a trailer now online, to each his own. Take a look!

Lin's STAR TREK 3 Adds 'Kingsman' Co-Star; TRUE DETECTIVE S2 Gets A Teaser

Fans of Kingsman: The Secret Service enjoyed their fair share of watching actress Sofia Boutella light up the screen starting back in Feburary. Nowadays, little is known about her newly reported participation in the tentatively-titled Star Trek 3, but according to Deadline, she's been cast nonetheless.

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban are all expected to return among others following the 2009 reboot launch and 2013 sequel, in which our main crew of The Enterprise will surely be on their five-year long mission to seek out new life and new civilizations, and to boldly go...well, you know the rest. Justin Lin is directing the third installment for its expected release dated for July 8, 2016 with a script by returning actor Simon Pegg which is expected to be complete this June.

Lin is also making the rounds with a new teaser for the second season of the HBO series, True Detective (of which he helmed two episodes) starring Rachel McAdams and Colin Firth, which you may view below ahead of its airing this June.

Dame Helen Mirren Wants In As A 'Fast And Furious' Villainess, And I Say Make It Happen!

I've pretty much spent the past two years I've been blogging as Film Combat Syndicate, in part, musing about the Fast And Furious franchise. No, my fixation wasn't immediate upon the first film in 2002 - it only became so in the months leading up to this article I wrote in 2013, and to say the least, I stand by my fandom.

That said, I love just how much diversity has gone into this cast and the immense scope this story has taken, from the streets of L.A. and Miami to Tokyo, Mexico, Rio and London, and a variety of talented actors and surprising new faces adding to the mix. Who would have thought that the likes of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Djimon Hounsou, or even Gina Carano or Jason-frickin-Statham would find their way into the franchise. It's unbelievable, but the potential here is quite obvious even as we embark on a seventh journey into Universal Pictures's most beloved franchise built on speed.

With any luck, we will learn more about whether or not there will be another Fast And Furious film, and hopefully previous calls to cast the likes of Jason Statham's Expendables 2 screenfighting half, action star Scott Adkins following previous fan-based efforts to help get him recognition. In the meantime, Yahoo! has forwarded a quote from Red and Red 2 co-star and The Queen star, actress Dame Helen Mirren who is making the case for her own role as a villainess in the franchise. And you know what? I'm for it!

"My great ambition is to be in a Fast and Furious movie." she said. "I so want to be a mad driver in a Fast and Furious movie. My claim to fame is I always do my own driving — I was on Top Gear, and I did [my lap] in a very good time. I keep putting it out there, and they never ask me. I’ll be in Fast and Furious 8. I have to say Vin Diesel is brilliant. I love Vin Diesel. He’s a great guy, smart — I love him. It’s partly because of him I’d like to be in one, but also the driving. I’d also love to do another Red-type movie, because those are such fun to do."

Considering the saga has already come off the heels of its London adventures and our heroes have already made an enemy of the Shaw family after taking out Deckard's brother, Owen (Luke Evans) in number six, I would not mind seeing Mirren portray a similar-accented villain - possibly a Matriarch of the Shaw family who learns who Dom Torretto (Vin Diesel) is, and sets her sights on trying to kill them as well...but not before a searing race to the deadly finish first. Now that's something I'm down for, but either way, I hope Universal sees something in her. She's a damn good actress and would certainly add to the dramatic caliber and framework of the Fast And Furious formula for high octane action, suspense, poignance, thrills and continued themes centered on family.

I can't forsee an end right now, and I hope Universal plans something epic with the next phase of F&F films. In the meantime, don't forget to purchase your tickets this week for Furious 7!

QUESTION: What do you guys think? Would Dame Helen Mirren make a great villain for a this saga or not? Speak freely below or on our Facebook page!

FURIOUS 7 Gets A New Clip, Poster And More!

I've written and rambled to almost no end about the Fast And Furious franchise, and at this point, I think director James Wan's latest installment with Furious 7 is in no commercial danger of failing at the box office. This franchise has long been a hit having turned from a standalone action thriller into a sprawling saga of epic proportions that continues to stand the test of time.

Probably the most fascinating thing will be observing at least one half of this new film with a digitally inserted Paul Walker who departed us in late 2013 halfway through the production, and watching how this will affect the story when it commenses on April 3 in theaters and IMAX. For this, there's plenty of reason to appreciate what's been done here ahead of how Universal Pictures, as well as this amazing cast plan on delivering the rest of this epic tale of globetrotting road warriors to a fully-fledged finish.

I love this franchise, and next month, the fans will get a chance to share just how much. Henceforth, along with a new extended clip and poster, the studio has finally unveiled a trailer for the Fast And Furious Limited Edition Blu-Ray Collection releasing later this month which chronicling all six movies so far (Specs are now available at Blu-Ray.com).

As for the six, well, Japanese film trailer portal, MoviecollectionJP has a new retrospective montage of all the films leading up to the release of Furious 7 - titled Wildspeed: Sky Mission『ワイルド・スピードSKYMISSION』in Japan for its own release on April 17.

STAR TREK 3 Boldly Goes With 'Fast And Furious 6' Helmer Justin Lin To Direct

Well, it took long enough, but Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions and Bad Robot finally found a director for the third installation of Star Trek in Justin Lin. The search for a director began last year as J.J. Abrams, who directed the first two movies which earned major commercial success in 2009 and last year, was in talks to possibly take the reigns of Disney's latest efforts with Star Wars: The Force Awakens as of late.

Lin, notably known for his work on four of the now seven Fast And Furious films for Universal Pictures, was among a shortlist of five other directors a week ago. The director is currently in the running for other projects which, as things stand, include directing Jeremy Renner in a new Bourne movie, as well as a yet-uncertain return to the Fast And Furious franchise for a multi-film finale as reported in November. Roberto Orci, who is still producing the film after rescinding on directing the film in recent week, is said to have already turned in an approving script for a production that could start sometime in February. Actors Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, actress Zoe Saldana and actor Simon Pegg are among those expected to reprise their roles from the first two films while details and announcements await pertaining to plot hints centered on the crew's five year voyage and the studio's hopes of echoing the successful vision of James Gunn's Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Star Trek 3 awaits a new title, among other things, while currently aiming for a release in 2016 in tandem with the 50th Anniversary celebration of the original series.

H/T: Deadline