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Neil deGrasse Tyson: Why Star Trek Is Better Than Star Wars

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Why Star Trek Is Better Than Star Wars
May 15, 2013 By In Celebrity, science

In a recent interview with Business Insider, world-renowned astrophysicist, Star Talk Radio host and admitted Trekkie, Neil deGrasse Tyson discussed the age-old battle of Star Trek versus Star Wars.

“I never got into Star Wars,” Tyson said. “Maybe because they made no attempt to portray real physics. At all.”

He does appreciate one aspect of George Lucas’ creation, saying “I like the double star sunset scene (on Tatooine). Most stars you see in the night sky are double and triple stars, so that’s a very common thing we would expect in the universe.”

Check out the clip below to watch Tyson talk Star Wars, Star Trek and who his favorite captain is — Kirk or Picard.

via Business Insider

Spock Face-Off: Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto In New Audi Commercial [VIDEO]

Spock Face-Off: Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto In New Audi Commercial [VIDEO]
May 7, 2013 By In Celebrity

Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto star together in a new promotional video for the Audi S7.

The commercial, entitled “The Challenge,” includes several Star Trek references along with an updated version of Nimoy’s “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.”

Watch it below.

And if you need a refresher, you can watch Nimoy’s original version of “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” from 1967 below.

TV Guide Celebrates 60 Years With Special STAR TREK Cover

TV Guide Celebrates 60 Years With Special STAR TREK Cover
April 10, 2013 By In Celebrity, Star Trek: TOS

This year, TV Guide celebrates its 60th anniversary with six collectable covers — one of which features William Shatner as Captain Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Spock. The special Star Trek cover is composed of a mosaic of TV Guide covers from the 1960s.

Other 60th anniversary covers include I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Cosby Show, The Simpsons and LOST.

Star Trek premiered on September 8, 1966 on NBC.

The issue is available on newsstands now.

TV Guide 60th Anniversary issue - Star Trek cover

TV Guide 60th Anniversary issue – Star Trek cover

via StarTrek.com

Marina Sirtis Lands Role on ‘NCIS’

Marina Sirtis Lands Role on 'NCIS'
March 25, 2013 By In Celebrity, Star Trek: TNG

Marina Sirtis, who played Deanna Troi for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation along with four feature films, has landed a role on the CBS procedural drama NCIS.

Sirtis’ character, Orli Elbaz, will take over the Israeli intelligence organization Mossad, following the death of Ziva’s father Eli David (Michael Nouri).

“The search to replace Eli David as Mossad Director was tricky for us, but we ended up with a true find in Marina Sirtis,” said NCIS showrunner Gary Glasberg on casting Sirtis. “I’ve always been a Star Trek fan, but Marina really owns this part. And the cast loves her. She’s everything I wanted for the role and then some. We are lucky to have her.”

According to TVLine, the first episode with Sirtis will air sometime in April.

NCIS, now in it’s 10th season, airs Tuesdays at 8/7c.

Photo: Brian Wilkins

Chris Pine to Receive Male Star of the Year Award

Chris Pine to Receive Male Star of the Year Award
March 17, 2013 By In Celebrity, Star Trek 2013

The National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) has chosen Star Trek Into Darkness star Chris Pine to receive the CinemaCon Male Star of the Year Award. The award will be presented at the annual NATO convention during the closing night gala on April 18th.

“With this summer’s Star Trek Into Darkness … and then at year’s end, with the release of Jack Ryan, without a doubt 2013 is going to be Chris Pine’s year,” CinemaCon managing director Mitch Neuhauser said Thursday. “Chris Pine has emerged as one of Hollywood’s hottest and most accomplished young actors, and CinemaCon is thrilled to honor him as its 2013 Male Star of the Year.”

CinemaCon takes place April 15-18 at Caesers Palace in Las Vegas.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller, Bruce Greenwood and Alice Eve, will be in IMAX, 3D and 2D theaters everywhere on May 17th.

via Access Hollywood


Shatner Returns As Captain Kirk At The Oscars [VIDEO]

Shatner Returns As Captain Kirk At The 2013 Oscar Awards [VIDEO]
February 25, 2013 By In Celebrity, Star Trek: TOS

On Sunday night, William Shatner made a surprise appearance at the 85th annual Oscar Awards. Shatner, in full Captain Kirk uniform, appeared on the large onstage screen as host Seth MacFarlane kicked off the show.

“Enterprise to Dolby Theatre–come in Dolby Theatre. This is Captain James T. Kirk,” Shatner shouted as he made his first on-screen appearance as Kirk in almost 20-years.

Shatner told MacFarlane “I’ve come back in time from the 23rd century to stop you from destroying the Academy Awards.” He went on to read newspaper headlines from the future, including “Seth MacFarlane Worst Oscar Host Ever.”

Shatner as Kirk talks to Oscar host Seth MacFarlane

Shatner as Kirk talks to Oscar host Seth MacFarlane

The Captain Kirk uniform Shatner wore was last seen on screen in 1994′s Star Trek: Generations and had been on display at Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas until its closing in 2009.

Regardless of the situation, it was great to see Shatner back in Starfleet uniform once again.

Check out the clip below.

Video courtesy ABC.

WATCH: Leonard Nimoy Introduces the Playstation 4

WATCH: Leonard Nimoy Introduces the Playstation 4
February 23, 2013 By In Celebrity, Star Trek: TOS, Technology

Following the announcement of the upcoming release of Sony’s Playstation 4, Star Trek‘s Leonard Nimoy stars in a video released to hype the next generation video game system.

Originally recorded in the early-80s to promote Laserdiscs, the video features Nimoy talking to an illuminated rock with an overdubbed audio track.

This description—or any other—won’t quite do this video justice. You’ll have to check it out for yourself.

Announced during a press event on February 20th, the PS4 is set to hit stores in Q4 of this year.

For good measure, here’s Nimoy singing “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” in 1968.

via IGN

WATCH: William Shatner Calls Astronaut Aboard the International Space Station

WATCH: William Shatner Speaks Live to NASA Astronaut in Space
February 8, 2013 By In Celebrity, science, Star Trek: TOS

Following an earth-to-space Twitter exchange last month, William Shatner spoke to Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency, who is currently aboard the International Space Station, on Thursday.

Shatner began the conversation by telling his fellow Canadian “I’m so moved to be able to speak to you for this brief moment,”.

The entire 20+ minute conversation was captured by NASA and is available for you to watch below.

After the call, both Shatner and Hadfield tweeted about the monumental experience.

J.J. Abrams To Direct “Star Wars Episode VII”

J.J. Abrams Set To Direct "Star Wars Episode VII"
January 24, 2013 By In Celebrity

It’s all but official. After months of speculation, Variety, along with several other sources, is reporting that J.J. Abrams will indeed take the helm of the Star Wars franchise.

Following a $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm Limited by Disney last fall, we reported that Abrams, along with The Incredibles’ Brad Bird and Raiders Of The Lost Ark‘s Steven Spielberg, were in the running to direct Star Wars Episode VII. Last December, Abrams himself put some of the speculation to rest, when he told Empire that his loyalty to Star Trek would keep him from directing the next Star Wars film.

“I declined any involvement very early on. I’d rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them.” he said then.

The Variety story reports that Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy continued to court Abrams for the job, until he ultimately accepted the challenge.

J.J. Abrams with the cast of Star Trek (2009)

J.J. Abrams with the cast of Star Trek (2009)

Where does this leave the Star Trek franchise following the release of Into Darkness on May 17th? Only time will tell and we’ll be sure to report on any future developments.

via Variety

Kaley Cuoco Revealed as William Shatner’s Daughter in New Priceline Commercial

Kaley Cuoco Revealed as William Shatner's Daughter in New Priceline Commercial
January 10, 2013 By In Celebrity

In a new Priceline commercial which is set to hit the airwaves next week, Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco is revealed to be the daughter of William Shatner’s character, the Negotiator.

In a press release, Cuoco said “It’s definitely exciting working with Bill, and being part of a campaign and a brand that I’ve pretty much grown up with,”

“He has single-handedly built the Priceline Negotiator into a pop culture icon. I think there’s a lot of overlap in our fans, who will appreciate seeing us together as a father and daughter team. And who wouldn’t want to be William Shatner’s daughter?” she added.

The release goes on to imply that both Cuoco and Shatner will appear in future Priceline ads. So, for now the Negotiator isn’t as dead as we may have previously thought.

While the commercial won’t hit TV until January 14th, you can check it out now in the embedded Youtube video below.

WATCH: George Takei in Old Navy’s Black Friday Commercial

WATCH: George Takei in Old Navy Black Friday Commercial
November 15, 2012 By In Celebrity, Star Trek: TOS

The biggest shopping day of the year is upon us, as next week is “Black Friday.” This year, Old Navy is promoting their “Cheermageddon” campaign with a new commercial featuring Star Trek’s own George Takei.

In the commercial, George Takei plays an Old Navy Mission Control Scientist, singing “I Don’t Want to Miss a Deal.”

The commercial, featuring Star Trek’s original Sulu, will hit television on November 18th during the American Music Awards.

Check it out below.

J.J. Abrams Could Direct Star Wars: Episode VII

J.J. Abrams to Possibly Direct Star Wars: Episode VII
November 10, 2012 By In Celebrity, Star Trek 2013

Following last week’s surprising merger of Lucasfilm and Disney, it has already been announced that three new Star Wars films are already planned.

With Star Wars: Episode VII scheduled to begin filming sometime in 2014 and a release set for the following year, the search for a director has become a top priority for the Disney team. The official Star Wars website has already reported that award-winning writer Michael Arndt has been tapped to write the screenplay.

As pre-production of Star Wars: Episode VII begins, Lucasfilm has confirmed that award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay for the new Star Wars film. As revealed in the ongoing video series posted here on StarWars.com, Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas have begun story conferences with Arndt.

According to Vulture, some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Star Trek‘s J.J. Abrams, The Incredibles‘ Brad Bird and Raiders Of The Lost Ark‘s Steven Spielberg will (or possibly have already) receive a 40-something page treatment of the film to gauge their interest in taking on the directing duties for the film.

UPDATE:

Hollywood Life recently discussed the possibility of directing the next Star Wars film with J.J. Abrams during an interview. While Abrams plays down the possibility, he doesn’t entirely rule it out.

Look, Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of all time. I frankly feel that – I almost feel that, in a weird way, the opportunity for whomever it is to direct that movie, it comes with the burden of being that kind of iconic movie and series. I was never a big Star Trek fan growing up, so for me, working on Star Trek didn’t have any of that, you know, almost fatal sacrilege, and so, I am looking forward more then anyone to the next iterations of Star Wars, but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.