Edgar Ramirez Now Front-Runner To Play Khan In Star Trek 2

ShowBlitz now reports that Spanish actor Edgar Ramirez is now the front-runner for the villain role in Star Trek 2. Ramirez is gathering some steam after his profile was raised after the epic Carlos which he was the lead. He's also no stranger to action taking parts in films like Tony Scott's Domino and the upcoming Wrath of The Titans. Benicio Del Toro had been wanted for the part but couldn't agree on the payment side of things. Also in the mix for the role is Spanish actor Jordi Molla best known as the villainous Cuban drug lord in Bad Boys 2. This casting trend of Spanish speaking actors for the villain is again confirming previous reports that the villain is indeed Khan.

Khan Is The Villain Of Star Trek 2, Benicio Exits

Vulture reports that Benicio Del Toro will not play the villain in Star Trek 2. They say the two parties couldn't agree on the money side of things. LatinoReview reported last week that the villain Benicio was going to play was Khan. Not long after J.J. Abrams himself told HitFix the scoop was "not true". However, Vulture now confirms previous reports that Khan will be the movie's villain. The question now will be who will play Khan?

Robocop Actor Peter Weller Joins Star Trek 2

Deadline reports that actor Peter Weller best known for his role as Alex Murphy in the cult classic Robocop has joined the cast of Star Trek 2. Weller has fallen off the map in recent years but took a rather decent role in the last season of Dexter. His role of course like every new to the project is unknown but his involvement has to be more exciting than just a cameo. I wouldn't be shocked to see Weller end up in the villain role to be honest. Alice Eve and Benicio Del Toro are also expected to join the film as well.

Is Benicio Del Toro Actually Playing Khan In Star Trek 2?

Back in 2009 Trekkies gathered to The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas for a special screening of Wrath of Khan. They instead were treated with an exclusive screening of the Star Trek reboot. From that moment it's been rumored that Khan would be the villain of Star Trek 2. When Benicio Del Toro's name came up as a possible candidate for the villain role. It started the fuel again since both Benicio and Ricardo Montalbán who originated the role are Latin actors. Now LatinoReview reports with insider information that Benicio will indeed play Khan Noonien Singh.

The genetically altered human was marooned by Kirk in the television series only to enact revenge in Wrath of Khan. Which is considered to be the best film of the franchise. There are so many angles they could go with Khan since the timeline has been altered. He could very well be a hero who becomes a villain or is straight up villain at the start. There has also been speculation of the Klingons being in the film. In the last film J.J. ultimately cut the scenes from the Klingon prison which showed guards not looking the Klingons we know. I assume it was cut because the redesign didn't work and they knew they'd have to end up going back to them eventually.

Alice Eve Lands Female Lead In Star Trek 2

While we're still waiting to find out if Benicio Del Toro will indeed be the villain in the Star Trek sequel. Along with what/who the role is. There is finally confirmation of a new cast member from ShowBlitz. British actress Alice Eve has nabbed a lead female role in Star Trek 2 which is yet to be named. However, the character is reported to be brand new and not from previous incarnations. Nothing is really known about the sequel even it's title hasn't been named. Yet the release date is set for May 17th 2013.

Eve is slowly becoming a bigger player in the blockbuster world being contentions for leads in X-Men First Class and Captain America. The former she dropped out as Emma Frost which was filled terribly by January Jones. There had been talk that she was still in talks with Marvel Studios for a future role. Alice previously worked with Simon Pegg in The Big Nothing who plays Scotty so she very well could be a new crew member or a love interest for Kirk.

Who Could Benicio Del Toro Be Playing In Star Trek 2?

We now know that J.J. Abrams wants Benicio Del Toro to play the unknown villain in the untitled Star Trek sequel. There has been speculation of who exactly Benicio could be playing. Here is a bit of a run down of the options. Considering we're now in the original series timeline and time travel won't be a plot point. The show and original films are fair game to pull villain ideas from.

KLINGONS: In this current timeline the Klingons are enemies of the Federation. Over the years their design has had an evolution. While in the original series they only had funny looking eyebrows and bronze face paint. They've developed a ridged forehead with sharped teeth. The guards in the Klingon prison holding Nero wore masks but that scene ultimately got cut out of the film. Giving the impression that they weren't happy with the designs or wanted to save them for the sequels. Benicio doesn't shy away from movie makeup playing wolf boy in one of the Pee Wee Herman films and the amazing makeup from Joe Johnston's The Wolfman. The latter makeup work from Rick Baker won him an Oscar.

KHAN: He's been considered the best villain in the film franchise with The Wrath of Khan the most well received installment. Khan Noonien Singh was one of the only cannon villains in the movies and has been rumored since the second installment was mentioned in scripting phases. The Spanish angle might work here as the legendary Ricardo Montalbán played Khan and Del Toro's accent would work in his favor.

CARDASSIANS, ANDORIANS, BORG OR NEW VILLAIN: There is a slew of other enemies that would be kicking around this timeline but never bumped into Kirk and the crew in the movies. Perhaps pulling villain species from other series could happen or even creating a completely new villain/threat.

Benicio Del Toro Might Play The Villain In Star Trek 2

Variety reports that Benicio Del Toro has met with director J.J. Abrams about taking the villainous role in Star Trek 2. Filming is expected to start in early 2012 with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Salanda, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Simon Pegg returning. The villain is unknown but there have been rumblings that the Klingons could be the group of villains the U.S.S. Enterprise have to go up against. Nero (Bana) and his crew were prisoners of Klingons in the first movie but their escape was latter cut from the film. In that Trek timeline Klingons are still enemies of the Federation.

Benicio Del Toro isn't new to big films landing one of his first roles in License To Kill in which he played a Bond villain. Along with solid performances in movies like The Usual Suspects, Snatch, Traffic, 21 Grams, Sin City, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Che and the upcoming Oliver Stone film Savages where he also plays a villain.

Emile Hirsch Also Joins Oliver Stone's Savages

Variety reports Emile Hirsch (Into The Wild, Milk) has also joined Oliver Stone's Savages in an unnamed role. The cast already includes Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Uma Thurman and John Travolta.

Blake Lively, Uma Thurman & John Travolta Confirmed For Savages

Deadline reports that Blake Lively (The Town, Green Lantern) has officially joined Oliver Stone's Savages. They also confirm that Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) and John Travolta have also been cast. They join an already impressive group that includes Aaron Johnson (Nowhere Boy, Kick-Ass), Taylor Kitsch (John Carter of Mars), Benicio Del Toro and Salma Hayek. 

It would seem that Lively has chosen Savages over the Glinda role in Sam Raimi's Oz, The Great & Powerful. I have high expectations for this new Oliver Stone film as he hasn't been able to make compelling film that I've enjoyed since Any Given Sunday (1999). The subject matter could be the key element to Stone returning to his Scarface roots.

Blake Lively Frontrunner For Oliver Stone's Savages

Recently Taylor Kitsch (John Carter of Mars), Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) and Benicio Del Toro had been confirmed as the main cast for Oliver Stone's Savages. Variety has word that Blake Lively (Green Lantern, The Town) is the frontrunner for the role of O the friend of the two pot growers (Kitsch, Johnson) who is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel. Other actresses who had been looked at the role included Abbie Cornish, Teresa Palmer and Olivia Wilde. An official offer has yet to go out to Lively but it is expected. The report also mentions Uma Thurman is up for a part in the film.

Actors Confirmed For Oliver Stone's Savages, Actresses Start Testing For Lead

Oliver Stone's drug-themed crime thriller Savages is looking very promising. Universal has picked up the film and now is testing actresses for the role of O, the kidnapped friend of the two pot growers. After Jennifer Lawrence left to star in Gary Ross' Hunger Games. Deadline confirms that Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch and Benicio Del Toro are locked in while Salma Hayek is still in talks. They also say that along with Olivia Wilde (Tron Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens) testing for the female lead is Abbie Cornish (Sucker Punch, A Good Year). Variety adds that Blake Lively (Green Lantern, The Town) and Teressa Palmer (I Am Number Four) are also in the mix.

Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson & Olivia Wilde Could Star In Oliver Stone's Savages

Deadline reports that Oliver Stone's next movie will be Savages based on the novel by Don Winslow. The film focuses on two Laguna-based pot growers arm-twisted into working for a Mexican cartel when they kidnap O, the free spirited best friend of the growers.

Stone is currently in talks with both Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy) and Taylor Kitsch (John Carter of Mars) for the two leads. I love the sounds of this drug based crime thriller and it doesn't hurt that Stone wrote both Scarface and Midnight Express. I expect this could be a another drug epic in the making.

They add that Olivia Wilde is currently in talks for the role of O which had been linked to Jennifer Lawrence before she signed on for Hunger Games. Benicio Del Toro and Salma Hayek had been linked for Mexican cartel roles.

Michael Shannon, James Franco & Benicio Del Toro Confirmed For Iceman

This could be the swan-song for Mickey Rourke's competing film based on the real life mob hitman Richard Kuklinski. MovieHole reports that Michael Shannon, James Franco and Benicio Del Toro have signed on to star in Iceman. There were teaser posters floating around online for months and the actors had been attached but it's now official. It's another high tension action driven project coming from Nu Image/Millennium Films. Who recently released The Expendables and the upcoming Mechanic remake.

Shannon will play the notorious hitman known for freezing his victims' bodies to throw off police to the time of death. Del Toro will play his mob employer Roy Demeo and Franco his mentor.