With J.J. Abrams Star Trek Into Darkness now playing around the world, we recently landed an exclusive phone interview with Karl Urban.  During the interview, he talked about making the sequel, his reaction to reading the script, how things changed on set, who was the one who broke the most while filming, filming with IMAX cameras, the 3D, and more.  He also talked about the possibility of a Dredd sequel, his upcoming Fox TV show Almost Human, and The Loft.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

In the international thriller Erased, ex-CIA agent Ben Logan (Aaron Eckhart) discovers that he and his teenaged daughter (Liana Liberato) have been marked for termination as part of a wide-reaching conspiracy that he unknowingly ended up right in the middle of.  Logan must outsmart their hunters and uncover the truth, all while still getting reacquainted with the daughter he hasn’t had much of a relationship with in years.

At the film’s press day, actor Aaron Eckhart spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about what attracted him to the film, why audiences like spy thrillers, the challenges of doing hand-to-hand combat, how tiring this film was to make, and the physical preparation he did ahead of time.  He also talked about how hardcore the Kali stick fighting was that he had to learn for his role as the famous monster in I, Frankenstein, due out in theaters in January 2014.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

If there’s one thing the last few months have demonstrated, it’s how rapidly the film industry is changing.  From funding to production, to distribution and marketing, all aspects of the filmmaking process have been drastically impacted by new media.  We’ve recently seen the way that Kickstarter is controversially altering traditional methods of film funding and, with the success of films like Bachelorette and Arbitrage, VOD has stepped up as a viable distribution method.  With less and less people heading out the theater, and a steady incline in viewership on streaming devices, filmmakers have been searching for new ways to keep up with evolving consumer habits.  The latest innovation aimed at capturing modern viewers is Haunting Melissa, a hybrid-app created by film producer Neal Edelstein (Mulholland Drive, The Ring) that combines Hollywood horror film-making, long-form structure, and the unique distribution opportunities provided by the popularity of personal tablets and smart phones.  It’s a clever idea, one I think a lot of people have been waiting for, and I will definitely be checking out the app to see if it delivers.

I recently met with Edelstein to talk about the project and get a sneak peak at Haunting Melissa.  He filled me in on the genesis of the project, what kind of interactivity people can expect from the app, figuring out the writing process on such a new format, how post-production was different than his work on films, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

When Shaun of the Dead hit theaters in 2004, audiences the world over were rocked by a brilliantly original, funny, and genuinely touching piece of filmmaking that just so happened to revolve around a zombie apocalypse.  Writer/director Edgar Wright, co-writer/star Simon Pegg, and star Nick Frost reunited again in 2007 on the action comedy Hot Fuzz, this time working within the buddy cop format and again turning out something wholly unique and wildly entertaining.  Wright, Pegg, and Frost have now teamed up for the final entry in their unofficial “Three Flavours” trilogy—this year’s The World’s End—and the pic promises to be another fantastic effort from the trio as it follows five childhood friends who happen upon dire circumstances as they make their way through a pub crawl.

Steve recently spoke with Pegg for an interview in anticipation of the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, and the actor was gracious enough to also talk quite a bit about The World’s End.  He discussed the soundtrack that he and Wright have put together for the film, how his writing process with Wright on World’s End compared to Shaun and Hot Fuzz, bringing every actor that appeared in the previous two films back for World’s End, the possibility of a Comic-Con screening, and more.  Hit the jump to read on.

With J.J. Abrams Star Trek Into Darkness now playing around the world, we recently landed an exclusive phone interview with Damon Lindelof.  During the interview, the Into Darkness screenwriter/producer talked about making the sequel, the length of the first cut, deleted scenes, how the beginning of the film changed during the editing process, whether an extended cut of Into Darkness will be on the Blu-ray, when a third film could possibly get made, and a lot more.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

One of The CW’s most anticipated new series for the upcoming fall season is The Vampire Diaries’ spin-off The Originals.  The sexy drama, set in the city of New Orleans, will follow Original vampires Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Rebekah (Claire Holt), who quickly find themselves in the middle of tensions between the town’s supernatural factions, which are nearing a breaking point as the city’s leader, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis), commands his devoted followers and rules with absolute power.  The show also stars Phoebe Tonkin, Daniella Pineda, Leah Pipes and Danielle Campbell.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Daniel Gillies talked about how much fun he’s had on The Vampire Diaries, how he felt about Elijah’s relationship with Katherine (Nina Dobrev), the experience of shooting the backdoor pilot for The Originals in New Orleans, that the series itself will shoot primarily in Atlanta (where The Vampire Diaries is shot), and that he’s hoping for possible cross-over episodes between the two shows.  He also talked about the challenging experience of making his directorial debut, Broken Kingdom, which you can now view on Showtime, along with the documentary about his journey with the film, Kingdom Come.  Check out what he had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

The indie thriller Black Rock tells the story of three young women – Sarah (Kate Bosworth), Abby (Katie Aselton, who also directed the film from a script by her husband, Mark Duplass) and Lou (Lake Bell) – who decide to renew their bond by revisiting a moment from their childhood and returning to an empty island off the coast of Maine.  Once there, they realize they are not alone when they encounter three recently returned servicemen who have come to the island to hunt, and things quickly get out of hand, leaving the women to fight for their lives.

At the film’s press day, actress/director Katie Aselton and actress Lake Bell talked about surviving the challenging shoot, the crazy weather, being game for anything, having no trailers or bathrooms on set, what they did to unwind, and wanting to do lighter fare once the film was finished.  Bell also spoke about the experience of directing her own first full-length feature In a World….  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

With Star Trek Into Darkness opening around the world, I recently landed an exclusive interview with Simon Pegg.  While we’d planned for an in-depth video interview in Los Angeles, his busy shooting schedule for his next movie turned our interview into an email exchange.  Since we covered so many different subjects, I’m breaking it up into two or three parts, and we’re starting with Trek.

During our interview, Pegg talked about finally being able to speak openly about the sequel, if he felt any additional pressure playing Scotty in the sequel, his preparation process, what it was like working on the huge practical sets, filming the bridge scenes first, lens flares, what he took home from set, who broke character the most on camera, what he remembers most about making both films, voicing the video game, deleted scenes, Trek 3, and more.  Finally, Pegg sent over a video he made on set with Zoe Saldana and Anton Yelchin using the Bad Robot’s Action Movie app.  You can watch it when he brings it up during the interview.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

The A&E drama series Bates Motel is currently wrapping up its first season and has already been picked up for Season 2.  To celebrate the show’s success, the Paley Center held a panel called Bates Motel: Reimagining a Cinema Icon, and Collider was there to cover and attend the event.  From executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights), the show is a contemporary prequel that gives an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ (unsettlingly portrayed by Freddie Highmore) psyche unravels through his teenage years and just how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma (in an awards worthy performance by Vera Farmiga), truly is.

During the panel, Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin, along with Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga, talked about the challenges of pulling this show off, what makes the relationship between Norman and Norma Bates so compelling to watch, what the actors bring to their characters, learning more about Norma’s backstory and what made her the way she is, how exhausting it is to write for crazy people, what they look for in directors, and the ideal plan for how long the show will run.  Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Ray Stevenson is a great actor.  So, when I heard that he would be playing the villain on Season 7 of the Showtime drama series Dexter, I was very intrigued, and he definitely didn’t disappoint.  As Isaak Sirko, the ruthless leader of the Koshka Brotherhood, Stevenson gave a complex and layered performance of a character where there was certainly more than meets the eye.

During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, actor Ray Stevenson talked about how he came to be a part of Dexter, how he wished his character could have gotten Dexter (Michael C. Hall) on a kill table, that he loved working with such a great cast and crew, what it was like to work on such a secretive show, and just how much more villainous a stone cold killer can get when you break his heart.  He also talked about being a part of the Marvel universe as Volstagg in the Thor films and the challenges of wearing such an extensive fat suit, as well as what appealed to him about Divergent, in which he’s playing Marcus.  Check out what he had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

While everyone associates Bad Robot with J.J. Abrams, he actually has a producing partner that rarely does press and usually stays out of the limelight: Bryan Burk.  If you look over his IMDb profile, you’ll see he’s tremendously involved in all Bad Robot productions and was a key component in both Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.

With the movie getting ready to premiere around the world, I recently landed an exclusive interview with the busy producer.  During our wide-ranging interview, we talked about making the sequel, the editing process, the secrecy, the title, if we’ll get Star Trek 3 in less than four years, whether a new Star Trek TV show could happen in the near future, and more.  We also talked about other Bad Robot productions like Star Wars, Mission: Impossible 5, Infinitely Polar Bear,  Person of Interest, Revolution, Alfonso Cuaron‘s pilot Believe, Karl Urban‘s pilot Almost Human, and more.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

Mickey Sumner shines in a fantastic supporting role playing Sophie, the lifelong best friend of Greta Gerwig’s titular heroine, in Frances Ha, co-written by Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach.  Shot in black and white against the backdrop of New York City, this modern comic fable about the 20-something generation explores love, friendship, self-doubt, and finding your way in life.  Sumner and Gerwig’s natural on-screen chemistry makes their characters funny and relatable and fuels some of the film’s most insightful and best comedic moments.

I recently landed an exclusive interview with Sumner who talked to me about the liberating experience of playing a role without a script, how she identified with her character, working with an amazing cast, Baumbach’s directing style, her reaction to seeing the film premiere at Telluride, why she loves being in front of the camera, and what she learned interning during summer holidays with her godmother, costumer designer Colleen Atwood, on the sets of Beloved and Planet of the Apes.  The daughter of Sting and Trudie Styler, Sumner also discussed landing her first serious acting role in The Borgias, playing out her rock star fantasy as Patti Smith in CBGB, and her new romantic comedy, Misconnections.  Hit the jump to read more.

From filmmaker/actress Sarah Polley, Stories We Tell investigates the search for truth, as told by a family of storytellers who paint a portrait of a complicated but deeply loving family.  As each interview subject relates their version of the family mythology, they attempt to uncover the secrets of their mother, who departed too soon and with too many unanswered questions.

At the film’s press day, Sarah Polley talked about the value in getting this narrative out to audiences, what was most important for her to get right with this story, what the film did for her personally and how she felt when it was complete, whether everything in the film is factual, how she wanted to account for her own voice as the filmmaker, and the process of taking breaks in shooting to edit the material she already had.  Check out what she had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Last week, Collider (along with a handful of other outlets) was invited to hang out at the L.A. offices of DC Entertainment and chat with comic book legend Grant Morrison.  Known for pushing boundaries, exploring the unknown, and redefining legendary heroes and concepts for classic and new audiences, the Scottish-born writer talked about why he loves writing for Batman and Superman, and the new books he’s working on for Wonder Woman and the universe-hopping Multiversity.

Grant Morrison also spoke to Collider for a few minutes about what it’s like to be a rock star of the comic book world, meeting one of the actors who’s played a character that he’s written for, the first comic book he ever read, and when he realized he could make a career out of writing comics.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

With J.J. Abrams Star Trek Into Darkness opening soon around the world, we recently landed an exclusive phone interview with Zoe Saldana.  During the interview, she talked about making the sequel, how nice it is to finally be able to talk about it, whether Klingon or Na’vi is more difficult to master, filming the bridge scenes first, who the biggest joker on set is and who tries hardest to make the cast break on camera, script changes, and so much more.  We also talked about Nina, Out of the Furnace, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more.  Hit the jump for what she had to say.

Star Trek Into Darkness also stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Peter Weller, and Alice Eve.  The film opens in IMAX 3D on May 15th and in 2D and 3D on May 17th.