Star Trek‘s J.J. Abrams has wisely added Trek alum Karl Urban and Friday Night Lights star Minka Kelly to the cast of his Fox pilot. The new series, called Human, is described as an action-packed buddy cop show set in a future where all LAPD officers are being partnered up with highly evolved human-like androids.  TV Line reports that Urban will play a character named John Kennex, a respected police officer who has shut down emotionally after a tragic mission left him critically injured. Hit the jump to find out more casting news for Human.

A very early debut trailer for director Steve Pink’s (Hot Tub Time Machine) remake of About Last Night has landed online.  The film is a redo of the 1986 Brat Pack romantic comedy of the same name that starred Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Jim Belushi, and Elizabeth Perkins.  This iteration stars Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Joy Bryant, and Michael Ealy and centers on a couple who start a romantic affair despite their friends’ disapproval.  Save for one use of the word “shit,” I can’t figure out why this qualifies as a “red-band” trailer.  The jokes aren’t exactly solid, and there’s an extended sequence with an unclothed Ealy that’s much more awkward than it is cute or charming.  That said, Hart and Hall have solid comedic chops so hopefully the full film delivers on the laughs.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  About Last Night opens on February 13, 2014.

The Underworld series has always been more style than substance. Or, more accurately, all style and no substance. That’s not necessarily a fault; plenty of films have succeeded primarily on flair. Alex Proyas’ The Crow, for example. The original Underworld, helmed by Len Wiseman and starring wife Kate Beckinsale, never approached (or aimed for) the haunting visual poetry of that film. But in the beginning, it got by on an inherently cool premise (werewolves and vampires at war) and competently staged action. Four films in, the novelty’s worn off.

Underworld: Awakening sees Beckinsale slipping back into her famed leather catsuit after sitting out the last prequel entry; and while she fits the role of undead “Death Dealer” Selene well as ever, the franchise to which she returns is a bloated corpse. Hit the jump for our review of Underworld: Awakening on Blu-ray.

In last week’s “Top 5″ I spent the opening paragraph musing about my anticipation for Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire. I also promised the readers a quick “Before & After” discussion this week which would address whether or not the pic lived up to my expectations. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but said discussion will have to be postponed. I know, I know, I’m disappointed too. Fear not, though, I’m slated to check out the film tonight which means that I’ll be able to deliver on my promise, albeit a week late. In the meantime…

…This week’s “Top 5″ installment brings you interviews with the cast of Underworld: Awakening and the aforementioned Haywire, a gallery of recent films in retro poster form, an ultra-disturbing Rugrats live-action trailer, and all of our Sundance 2012 coverage to date. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

With directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein’s Underworld: Awakening opening this weekend, I recently got to sit down with most of the cast to talk about making the movie.  Kate Beckinsale returns as Selene, “who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.”  Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, and Charles Dance also star.

During my interview with Ealy we talked about how he got involved in the Underworld franchise, did he watch the previous films, was he disappointed to play a human character, deleted scenes, and how much changed between when he first got the script to being on set.  In addition, we also talked about video games, karaoke, the difference between acting on a TV show and in the movies, and what else he has coming up in 2012.  Hit the jump to watch.

Screen Gems has sent over 5 movie clips and 12 images for Underworld: Awakening, the fourth entry in the Vampires vs. Lycans franchise.  Kate Beckinsale returns as Selene, “who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.”  Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, and Charles Dance also star; Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein directed the January 20, 2012 release.  While I’m under embargo from writing what I thought, I suggest watching my interview with Beckinsale from earlier today, as I may have said something on camera.

Click here for all our coverage on Underworld 4, including my set visit last year.  Hit the jump for the images and clips.

The theatrical trailer for Underworld: Awakening 3D has gone online. The fourth film in the Underworld franchise finds Kate Beckinsale’s Selene waking up to a world where humans have discovered the existence of vampires and werewolves and are working to eradicate both species. We get a better sense of the story here, as a young hybrid girl seems to be the key to the war between humans vs. vampires vs. werewolves. I’m not the biggest fan of the series, but it looks to have more of the action, effects, and blood-suckingness that permeated throughout the other films so fans should be appeased.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer. Be sure to check out all of Steve’s coverage of the film from his set-visit, including interviews with Beckinsale and directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein, as well as a full recap. Underworld: Awakening opens in 3D on January 20th, 2012.

Back in early May, I got to visit the set of Underworld: Awakening when the production was filming in Vancouver.  While on set, I got to participate in a group interview with Michael Ealy.  Here’s some of the highlights:

• Ealy plays a human cop who starts to investigate into the world of vampires and Lycans.
• In the world of Underworld: Awakening, most humans believe that Lycans are extinct.
• He was jarred by the fact that the directors and the producers and everyone watched the playback of each scene in 3D in the tent.
• He said at the beginning, when everyone was getting the hang of it, it took a while to shoot because working with 3D was more difficult. But as the production went on, it got faster.
• He’s in the big action sequence at the end of the movie, but he doesn’t get to fight the twelve-foot uber-Lycan?

Hit the jump for the full interview. He also talks about working for two directors at the same time, Comic-Con, sports, and a lot more.

Earlier this year, I got to visit the set of Underworld: Awakening while the production was filming in Vancouver.  While I’m embargoed for a few more days from writing about the visit, I’m putting the articles together in our backend and just pulled a ton of screengrabs from the teaser trailer that hit a few days ago.  Since Screen Gems has barely released any images from the 4th Underworld, after the jump you can check out 18 new ones.  I was able to get a few of the creatures, and a number of images of Kate Beckinsale.  For more on Underworld: Awakening, I suggest checking back on Monday morning.  Until then…

The first trailer for Underworld: Awakening has been released. The fourth film in the Underworld franchise features the return of Kate Beckinsale to the series as her character “escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.” If you liked the previous Underworld movies, it looks like you’ll be getting more of the same: blue filter, slow-mo fighting, Kate Beckinsale in a skin-tight black leather outfit.  I don’t much care for these movies and they only cause me to wonder if the director knows that the blue filter adds nothing to the movie.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. If you missed our Comic-Con coverage, check out Steve’s interviews with directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein, and producer Len Wiseman. Underworld: Awakening opens in 3D on January 20, 2012.

The latest installment in the Underworld franchise, titled Underworld: Awakening, is headed to theaters soon and we got our first look at the film at today’s panel in Hall H. The 3D action-horror film stars Kate Beckinsale, with a script by franchise staple Len Wiseman. Hit the jump for my full recap of the panel, where we were treated to the first footage from the film (in 3D), a Q&A with the directors, and Wiseman addressed future entries in the Underworld franchise.

Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment have signed Michael Ealy (Takers) and his beautiful eyes to play the male lead opposite franchise star Kate Beckinsale in Underworld 4: New Dawn.  In the script by J. Michael Straczynski (Ninja Assassin) and John Hlavin (The Shield), vampiress Selene (Beckinsale) wakes from a coma-like state after fifteen years to learn she has a 14-year-old vampire/Lycan hybrid daughter: “they must stop BioCom from creating super Lycans that will kill them all.”  Ealy plays a police detective who first hunts Beckinsale, then teams up with her.  Underworld 3D just started shooting in Vancouver under the direction of Swedish team Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein (Shelter); the film is scheduled for release on January 20, 2012.

Hit the jump for news on the true nature of Robin McLeavy’s involvement with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, plus details on the indie thriller A Single Shot.

Last weekend, the six stars from Screen Gems’ upcoming heist film Takers sat down to talk with the media, and I was there.  Takers follows a close-knit crew of thieves who plan the perfect heist, one that will leave them set for life.  Of course, the cops have to chase the robbers, and the robbers aren’t even sure if they can trust each other.  Stars Idris Elba, Hayden Christensen, Jay Hernandez, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, and Tip T.I. Harris all had plenty to say about planning the perfect heist, working together, and their upcoming projects including Jumper 2 and Thor!  You can watch all three interviews after the jump.

The TV casting news is in full force today. First up, EW reports that Gregory Itzin, the once deceptive president of 24, has signed on for another government role as the actor will join the cast of Big Love as a pivotal politician. Itzin will take on the major recurring role of Senator Richard Dwyer, the Republican Majority Leader of the Utah State Senate. And since series lead Bill Paxton has just become a member of the State Senate, you can be sure they’ll be having plenty of interaction once the series starts production for its fifth season sometime this week.

Hit the jump for casting additions to The Good Wife, Detroit 1-8-7, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and the prequel series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.