Follow Directions

The ingredients for this, the latest edition of Cinema Stew include: A second direct to home video sequel for a sci-fi flick; Star Trek XI "officially" gets its director and may get pushed back to 2009; Director Spike Lee is about to cause a "riot"; Mist gets its man and an action star turns himself in...

Stax of IGN Filmforce starts things off

Another sequel is reportedly in the works to the 1997 cult fave Starship Troopers, based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein. Phil Tippett directed 2004's direct-to-video Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, which was scripted by Edward Neumeier.

Now Neumeier, who also scripted the first Troopers as well as Robocop, will script and helm the second sequel. Neumeier will be making his feature directing debut on the pic.

The filmmakers are negotiating with Casper Van Dien to reprise his role as Johnny Rico. ProductionWeekly.com claims that Rico is "now a General in the Terran Mobile Infantry embroiled in a vast interplanetary war with the 'Bugs.'"

Starship Troopers 3 begins filming this March in South Africa and will be shot in hi-def

I liked the original Starship Troopers quite a lot. But I have avoided Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation ...It would be nice to see Casper Van Dien return I guess. Even though I think they are just beating a dead franchise with a third trip to the well

Jill Goldsmith of Variety updates us on how things are going over at Paramount Pictures/Viacom:

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said Paramount is in a "very good place creatively" but needs to diversify its revenue stream to defuse the intrinsic volatility of the film business.

The exec, three months into his new gig, wasn't specific. But he recently said the studio wants to beef up its TV operations, which mostly moved to CBS after the company split.

The studio has "a good mix of products," he said, with tentpoles plus targeted pics, some built around Viacom's MTV, Nickelodeon and, soon, BET brands.

And "DreamWorks brings a tremendous creative talent," he told investors at the CSFB media conference Monday. "I think we are well on our way to remaking the studio ... I'd like to see it go back up to the level it was -- it was once a business that was making $400 million-$500 million a year."

He touted "Dreamgirls," which had its Gotham premiere Monday night, and upcoming Eddie Murphy starrer "Norbit." "Transformers," out this summer, could potentially become a franchise for [the studio], he said.

And he noted the studio is bringing back "Star Trek" in 2008 or 2009. "We're revitalizing it in a new and interesting way," he said.

J.J. Abrams, who recently inked a film deal with Par, is set to direct...

...Still, Dauman said, "We can do a much better job of monetizing our digital presence."

I am not surprised that J.J. Abrams will be calling the shots on the next Trek film...I'm surprised it took so long for someone in the know to make it official. Was there anyone out there who actually thought Abrams wouldn't direct it?

Michael Fleming also of Variety is next up:

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment are teaming with helmer Spike Lee on "L.A. Riots," a drama framed around the racially charged April 1992 riots.

John Ridley will write the script. Brian Grazer will produce.

Lee, who's also developing an "Inside Man" sequel for the studio and Grazer, said the goal is to have a script in front of [studio president] Donna Langley before business closes for the holidays.

Project could well be his next feature and shoot next year.

The riots, which followed the acquittal by a white jury of four police officers who were videotaped beating black motorist Rodney King, caused the death of 55 people, thousands of injuries and close to $1 billion in damage.

Lee, who's coming off the HBO docu "When the Levees Broke," about Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, said he and Grazer fixed on the idea together and felt the subject matter was ripe for a revisit.

"This isn't about some cavalcade of stars, but rather a truthful and realistic examination of what happened, what the ramifications were and where we are now, in hopes that something like this doesn't happen again," Lee said.

Grazer said the subject matter was "the best way to use Spike's power as a filmmaker, to tell an even-handed story that gets beyond the iconic pictures that we all remember. I was most interested in looking at the idea of universal group dynamics that manifest themselves under the highest amount of stress and to get all these points of view as they converge into each other and ignite in flames."...

There's no one better suited to tell the story of April 29th 1992 better than Lee

Click here for more of the story...

Sci-Fi Wire has the next item in the line-up via UGO.com:

Punisher star Thomas Jane told UGO.com that he has signed on to star in Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novella "The Mist." Jane revealed the casting while a UGO.com correspondent was talking with him this week:

"Well, I have an e-mail from Frank right here," Jane told the site. "Why don't we open it and see what's going on with The Mist? [reads] He says that he just heard my deal closed today, and he's happy and looking forward to working with me."

Darabont (who directed the film adaptation of King's The Shawshank Redemption) will helm The Mist for Dimension Films, based on his own script. A spring production start is envisioned. Published in 1985 as part of King's short-story collection Skeleton Crew, "The Mist" takes place in a small town where a thick mist engulfs the area, killing those caught in its darkness.

The Mist marks Jane's second involvement in a King-spawned project: He also starred in Dreamcatcher. "I think it's destined to be some kind of cult classic in a weird B-movie way, only in that no one has ever spent $80 million on a movie where weasels come out of your ass," Jane said.

Another casting rumor made official...

And finally Wesley Snipes is officially indicted in person for tax fraud, according to the International Herald Tribune...TMZ has more...

That's all the Stew for now...