Access ‘Week In Geek’ (April 23, 2010)

‘AVATAR’ TO GO UNDER THE SEA

James Cameron told Access Hollywood this week at the Earth Day event for his DVD release of “Avatar” that he has grand plans to explore way beyond Pandora’s lush glowing forests in the forthcoming sequels, including outer space and the depths of the sea.

“Obviously I love the ocean, and what could be cooler than an alien ocean?” he teased.

Cameron first began development of the 3-D image capture system that changed the face of moviemaking in “Avatar” in his groundbreaking 2003 underwater documentary “Ghosts of the Abyss.”

“In very, very broad strokes there will be a little bit of a space element in the third one, and there will be a significant ocean element in the second one, which will be both above the water and below the water,” he revealed of the planned “Avatar” trilogy.

Cameron also shared what he has planned for the box office champ’s summer return to the big screen with some additional footage. “We’re working on finishing six more minutes of the CG of the film and we’re gonna reinstate it,” he told Access.

“It seems like the consensus was that the movie’s not too long, it’s too short. ‘I want more. I want more ‘Avatar,”’ he laughed. “So we’re gonna give people an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is on that and hopefully in August we’ll be back in theatres. We’re really trying a big experiment here: We’re putting out the DVD, and we’re gonna go back into theatres, and we’re gonna do an all bells and whistles gonzo ultimate DVD for Christmas.”

There’s a “We’re gonna need a bigger bank” joke in there somewhere.

‘SUPERMAN’ REBOOT TO TAKE A CUE FROM ‘WRATH OF KHAN’

Michael Uslan, who has served as a producer on all of the theatrical Batman films told MTV Splash at the C2E2 Convention that he hopes to see an action packed return for the Man of Steel when he flies again under the watchful eye of Christopher Nolan.

“I would hope that Superman will have his own ‘Wrath of Khan’ in the years to come,” Uslan said, referring to the subtitle of the second “Star Trek” film that considerably amped up the action from the first big screen adventure of the Enterprise crew.

Interestingly enough, “Superman Returns” helmer Bryan Singer made a similar promise to the attendees of the San Diego Comic Con in 2006 regarding the planned sequel to his own update of the DC Comics icon.

“I plan to get all ‘Wrath of Khan’ on it,” he said in reference to rampant criticism that his film lacked sufficient big budget action and a formidable super villain worthy of the Man of Steel. Either way, it looks like Superman won’t be pulling any punches in the future.

BOND’S FUTURE ON HOLD

The producers of the 007 franchise, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, announced last week that the development of the next James Bond film, the follow-up to 2008’s “Quantum of Solace” has been unfortunately indefinitely put on hold.

“Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on Bond 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of Bond 23,” Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in their statement.

Daniel Craig, who played the re-imagined gritty super spy in “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace,” will be seen saddling up next to Harrison Ford in Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys and Aliens.”

MGM is in the midst of a financial crisis while maintaining a major stake in producing “The Hobbit,” the planned two-part prequel to Peter Jackson’s “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy. Let’s hope a similar fate doesn’t befall the return of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf, since Peter Jackson has stated that the project still hasn’t been officially green lit by the studio.

FOX PASSES THE ‘TORCHWOOD’

To some fans relief, to some fans disappointment, FOX and BBC Worldwide Productions announced they will not be moving forward together to bring an American version of “Torchwood” to the U.S. airwaves.

Another network picking up the option is still a distinct possibility for the British cult hit. “We are currently in discussion with several interested networks,” BBC said in their statement.

LEONARD NIMOY TO RETIRE

Leonard Nimoy announced he would be retiring from Hollywood. His appearance as Spock in last year’s JJ Abrams directed “Star Trek” reboot was the crucial plot bridge between the old and new versions of the classic cast of the big screen Enterprise crew. So it looks like the new kids will be boldly going it alone from here on in. Fans will have to tune into FOX’s “Fringe” to see Nimoy’s farewell and the “The Big Bang Theory” may have seen the dream meeting of Sheldon and Leonard Nimoy now gone the wayside.