As someone whose only firsthand experience with the Star Trek franchise comes by virtue of J.J. Abrams‘ two Trek films, I know I’m in over my head when the topic presents itself. When you mention Trek, you’re referencing (either directly or indirectly) a rich legacy filled with peaks and valleys, genre-defining characters and moments, and an international fanbase that rivals any of pop-culture’s most enduring titles. And yet here I am, with two films under my belt (both of which I enjoyed), talking about it. Obviously, I have nothing at stake with regards to Star Trek Into Darkness. Whether you like it or dislike it is of no consequence to me. My only aim today is to extend a humble word of caution to the Trek fans who have years of equity built-up in their beloved franchise: be careful not to dismiss or begrudge it solely because it’s trying to appeal to the largest possible audience. Abrams’ Trek films aren’t above reproach, but they also aren’t void of redeeming qualities. Try to at least acknowledge some of those qualities when tearing into them or risk coming off as someone whose real issue is that a bunch of people now enjoy this thing that you once considered yourself unique for liking.

All preachiness aside, this week’s Top 5 includes several interviews from Star Trek Into Darkness, rumors surrounding Christopher Nolan being approached to direct James Bond 24, the first trailers for Marvel’s new ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a new trailer for Guillermo Del Toro‘s Pacific Rim, and new photos and a video from the set of director Jose Padilha‘s RoboCop remake. If I haven’t lost you yet, a brief recap and link to each of the above can be found after the jump.

New photos have leaked from the set of Jose Padilha‘s RoboCop remake, and they show that the cyborg police officer has a new set of wheels.  The motorcycle in the images looks nifty and futuristic.  It’s also nice when heroes can get their vehicles to resemble their outfit.  Imagine a future where everyone’s car was a reflection of their daily attire.  In the comments section, please tell me the automobile-equivalent of a t-shirt and jeans.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  The film stars Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jay Baruchel, and Jackie Earle Haley.   RoboCop opens August 9, 2013.

Last night, I managed to squeeze in a double feature of Dredd 3D and The Master. While I wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of not having a 2D showing available to choose from, I have to admit that director Pete Travis‘ film provided me with my first 3D screening since 2010′s Piranha 3D that actually felt worth the extra dimension and additional ticket price. As for The Master, it’s probably unfair to judge something so heavy after a single viewing. That said, my initial reaction is that I can’t remember watching a film where its individual parts so far exceed the sum the first time around. From top to bottom the pic’s technicality is superb. And yet, I don’t see myself in any hurry to revisit Paul Thomas Anderson‘s latest world.

Moving forward to the reason we’re all here, in this week’s episode of the Top 5, The Hobbit celebrates Tolkien Week in a big way with a new trailer and images, we get our first looks at a new suit from director Jose Padilha‘s Robocop reboot, Steve sits down to talk End of Watch with Jake Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick, and more, Kick-Ass 2 set images continue to roll out while Aaron Johnson talks about the film at TIFF, and Fantastic Fest 2012 kicks off. Continue reading for a brief recap and link to each.

Back in June, we saw a teaser banner for Jose Padilha‘s upcoming RoboCop remake at a 2012 License Expo.  Today, a high-quality version of the licensing banner has gone online.  I think the image is a close-up of the suit, but I have no idea where on the suit the logo is meant to be.  If I had to guess, I’d say top of the thigh, maybe?  Possibly?  It would be better if the teaser poster gave a better sense of the suit’s contours, although maybe keeping the suit under wraps might be a good idea considering the negative reaction to the leaked set photos.  Personally, I don’t have an opinion on set photo of the suit since A) it may only be one of multiple suits Murphy wears in the movie, B) it’s out of context, and C) it may be altered in post-production.

Hit the jump to check out the licensing banner.  The film stars Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jay Baruchel, and Jackie Earle Haley.  RoboCop opens August 9, 2013.

Well, that didn’t take long. Filming on director Jose Padilha‘s Robocop reboot began in Toronto today and already the first images of Joel Kinnaman as the part man/part machine in his new coat of armor have surfaced online. As a diehard fan of Paul Verhoeven‘s original, it’s likely that no design for RoboCop’s new suit would have been able to escape my scorn. In an attempt to remain as civil as possible, though, I’ll say the sleek, trimmed down design looks to give Murphy a more lightweight approach than the original. In terms of contemporary design comparisons, I’m thinking Dredd 3D meets Pacific Rim. Check out both images of Kinnaman and his new suit after the jump.

Currently slated to hit theaters on August 9th, 2013, Padilha’s Robocop reboot also stars Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jay Baruchel, and Jackie Earle Haley. [Update: Click here to check out the new hi-res teaser banner for the film]

The script for the RoboCop remake may have gotten panned, but the movie still has an incredibly strong cast: Joel Kinnaman, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Jay Baruchel, Abbie Cornish, Michael K. Williams, and Jackie Earle Haley.  We previously reported that Hugh Laurie was in negotiations to play the film’s villain, but now Variety’s Jeff Sneider is tweeting that Laurie won’t be squaring off against the cyborg police officer.  According to Sneider, Laurie was never really “in” since he was still in negotiations for the part, and those talks have now fallen apart.  It’s a bit of a bummer since I’d like to see more Laurie especially now that House, M.D. is over, but hopefully he’ll land another big role soon.

RoboCop is set to open on August 9, 2013. [Update: Deadline reports that MGM is now looking at a small group of actors to fill the villain role, and one of them includes Clive Owen.]

I tend to stay away from script reviews.  Scripts go through multiple revisions, the movie can then undergo changes while filming, and then it can be further revised in the editing room.  The script is rarely a bible where every sentence and plot beat has to be followed to the letter.  That being said, I trust the word of HitFix‘s Drew McWeeny.  He’s covered this business for well over a decade, and he’s also worked as a screenwriter.  So when he went on Twitter yesterday and took apart the script for the RoboCop remake, it’s worth our attention.  To put it as lightly as humanly possible, Mr. McWeeny did not care for the screenplay.

Hit the jump for what he had to tweet about the script.  The film, directed by Jose Padilha (The Elite Squad) stars Joel Kinnaman, Hugh Laurie, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Jay Baruchel, Abbie Cornish, Michael K. Williams, and Jackie Earle Haley.  RoboCop opens August 9, 2013.

We knew that RoboCop was getting a hard reset with the upcoming reboot starring Joel Kinnaman, but thanks to a new press release, we now have some details about the plot itself.  The original 1987 Paul Verhoeven picture starred Peter Weller as a cybernetically-enhanced super-cop who dealt swift justice in Detroit.  The new version keeps the same city and the same nucleus of the story, but introduces new elements.  From director Jose Padilha, RoboCop, also starring Gary Oldman, Hugh Laurie, Abbie Cornish and Samuel L. Jackson, opens August 9th, 2013.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.

There is a new viral site for the Robocop remake devoted to the diverse product line of Omnicorp, the corporation in the business of making your city safe again.  In the video that greets you when you enter the site, Omnicorp is especially proud of the RC-2000: “Where human resources meets robotic engineering.  The RC-2000: the next generation in defensive products.”  The clip gives you the briefest glimpse of the new design for the RoboCop suit Joel Kinnaman will sport in the new movie.

Hugh Laurie was tapped to play the CEO of Omnicorp, the villain of the film, so Omnicorp is set up to become one of the better evil movie corporations in recent years.  Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Abbie Cornish also star in the remake, directed by José Padilha.  Unfortunately, I get an “Access Denied” message when I try to click on too many links at the official site, but I imagine more content will be added in the months leading up to the August 9, 2013 release of Robocop.  Hit the jump to watch the introduction video.

Joel Kinnaman, the Swedish actor best known for his breakout role in AMC’s hit series The Killing, plays a pivotal role in Lola Versus as Lola’s (Greta Gerwig) erstwhile fiancé, Luke, a handsome and sensitive visual artist who is preparing for a prestigious solo show of his paintings based on images from celebrity sex tapes.  When he breaks off their engagement just weeks before the wedding, Lola spirals out of control as she struggles to adjust to her new life as a suddenly single woman in the city.   Kinnaman plays Luke as a thoughtful guy who realizes he can’t marry Lola right now and he manages to keep the character sympathetic even after he dumps her.

Recently we spoke by phone to Kinnaman in London about his contemporary romantic comedy, Lola Versus, which opens in theaters on June 8th.  He told us what drew him to the project, what it was about the character that spoke to him when he read the script, how he views the differences in gender politics between the U.S. and Scandinavia, what the directing process was like with Daryl Wein, and why he enjoyed shooting on location in New York.   He also discussed his upcoming role in the RoboCop reboot which starts filming in September.  He talked to us about working with director José Padilha, being a fan of the original film directed by Paul Verhoeven, how Padilha plans to make the remake different from Verhoeven’s version while still throwing in nods to the original film, why he believes retelling a story can break new ground, and his excitement at having the opportunity to work opposite Gary Oldman whom he considers a master at his craft.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

This weekend Hero Complex in association with The Los Angeles Times hosted the third annual Hero Complex Film Festival.  Highlights to which included a screening of Shaun of the Dead with Edgar Wright, Wall-E with director Andrew Stanton and A Clockwork Orange with star Malcolm McDowell.

I was on hand Saturday for the fest at a midday screening of Paul Verhoeven’s seminal satirical ultraviolent masterpiece RoboCop. Star Peter Weller appeared after the screening for a lengthy and animated Q&A wherein he discussed prepping for RoboCop, learning to appreciate the satirical bend of the film and his thoughts on a hypothetical remake, among many other topics of conversation.  For highlights from the Q&A, hit the jump.

Earlier this afternoon, Collider was invited to participate in roundtable interviews for Season 2 of the AMC drama series The Killing, which premieres on April 1^st. While Season 1 was all about questions and red herrings, Season 2 promises to start uncovering the answers while delving into and exploring the notion that everyone has past secrets that are now coming back to haunt them. And, the resolution of who killed Rosie Larson (Katie Findlay) will be answered at the conclusion of this season.

We will run what the actors had to say about the show’s return later in the week, but we did want to share what actor Joel Kinnaman had to say about his upcoming role in the RoboCop reboot, working with director José Padilha, his love of the original film and Paul Verhoeven’s work (including Starship Troopers), how they start shooting in August, and how adamant he is about the importance of an R rating for the film. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

If you wanted your half-human, half-robot super-cop to be more grounded in reality, well you’re in luck! Star Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) has teased some information about the RoboCop reboot directed by Jose Padilha (Elite Squad). Fans of the 1987 original by Paul Verhoeven will remember that Peter Weller starred as the titular hero, a cop revived with the use of state-of-the-art robotics and weaponry after a brutal murder at the hands of some ruthless criminals. The only thing you could see of Weller himself was a narrow band across his lower jaw. That won’t be the case in the reboot, says Kinnaman; we’ll even get to see RoboCop’s eyes! I wonder if this will be more or less reactive than the backlash to Michael Bay’s approach to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Hit the jump to see what Kinnaman had to say.

Director José Padilha said that when he signed on to remake RoboCop, he didn’t read any drafts left over from the Darren Aronofsky era because he “wanted to focus on my own thing and do my take.”  To create that vision, Padilha has turned to Gran Torino writer Nick Schenk.  Heat Vision makes no mention of Josh Zetumer’s reported involvement with the script, but MGM was initially looking at a February or March start date, so I don’t imagine Schenk will have to start over from page one.  Yet despite the hubbub over Michael Fassbender‘s candidacy to play the cyborg police officer, no cast is locked in.  So Schenk should have some time to craft a solid shooting script in time for a production later in the year.

Hit the jump for details on the pitch Oren Uziel (Mortal Kombat: Rebirth) sold to Neal Moritz (Fast Five).

Director José Padilha will be bringing RoboCop back to the big screen and while that may give some fans pause, his Elite Squad movies have been met with acclaim and I’m willing to give him a chance.  He recently spoke about what he has planned for the reboot.  First off, he never read any of Darren Aronofsky’s scripts from his planned remake back in 2009.  Padilha says he avoided Aronofsky’s draft because “I wanted to focus on my own thing and do my take, even though Aronofsky is a genius.”

So what is Padilha’s take on the material?  Hit the jump to find out as well as Padilha’s response to recent casting rumors.