J J Abrams

Patton Oswalt is guest starring in this week's "Parks and Recreation," but the most impressive thing about his appearance is what you won't see on NBC. As part of the episode, Oswalt's character was supposed to appear before a Pawnee City Council meeting and filibuster a proposed vote. Producers invited Oswalt to "ramble a bit about whatever subject he wanted. " Oswalt decided his topic of choice was a pitch for the upcoming "Star Wars Episode VII. " While we wouldn't dream of spoiling the twists and turns the story takes, let's just say that he's found a brilliant way to merge two of the Disney corporation's biggest franchises (and even one they don't own)

A dedicated "Star Trek" fan with terminal cancer was granted his last wish with a private screening of "Star Trek Into Darkness" before dying just days later on Jan. 4. Daniel Craft, one of the directors of the New York Asian Film Festival, was able to view a DVD screener of J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Trek" movie thanks to Abrams. Craft died of liver cancer, according to fellow NYAFF founder Grady Hendrix. In a post on the "Star Trek" section of Reddit.com, Hendrix thanked the online community for helping getting the story picked up by the media and eventually onto the radar of Abrams, who dispatched a producer to Craft's New York home with a rough cut of the film.

A roundup of this morning's arts and entertainment headlines: Elvis Presley's doctor claims the king died from chronic constipation. Eat your fiber! (Fox News) The official site for J.J. Abrams' "Super 8" has launched. (Official site) Meanwhile, the much-buzzed-about trailer has leaked. (Movie Viral) Gustavo Dudamel pulled a neck muscle Thursday night while conducting the L.A. Philharmonic. (Los Angeles Times) The long-bickering actors unions are considering merging.

Forgive Liz Phair andA.R. Rahman for being unfamiliar with each other. Her world was the American indie-rock scene of the '90s, whereas his continues to expand. He's a Bollywood megastar who is said to have sold more than 350 million albums globally, and she is currently without a label, having released her last album direct to the Web. Only Hollywood could unite them. "I was not familiar with her, no," Rahman says of his songwriting partner on the score to"People Like Us,"the directing debut from frequent J.J. Abrams collaborator and"Star Trek"screenwriter Alex Kurtzman.

The Children's Defense Fund honors five local students with the `Beating the Odds' Awards. The students were profiled in short films by directors including J.J. Abrams and Gina Prince-Bythewood.

The boisterous applause of hundreds of admirers echoed through Palisades Charter High School's newly refurbished drama classroom on Saturday as Rose Gilbert steadied herself in a walker and made her way to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its entrance. The diminutive English teacher of 63 years smiled at the crush of people around her, many of them former students from 18 to 66 years of age, and said: "Gilbert Hall is now open. " In recent years, Gilbert, who retired three weeks ago at age 94, achieved celebrity status for being the oldest full-time teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District and one of the oldest in the nation.

Although I share Dan Neil's concern about any plans Paramount Pictures may have for the next "Star Trek" feature film, I do not agree that the "franchise" should be abandoned ("Galaxy for Sale," 800 Words, Oct. 1). Certainly the series' creator, Gene Roddenberry, wouldn't feel that way, nor do millions of "Star Trek" fans worldwide. What "Star Trek" does desperately need is some new blood. Hopefully with J.J. Abrams at the helm, the next film will get the ship and her crew back on course!

Keri Russell, the former star of the WB's "Felicity" and who can currently be seen on the well-watched TNT miniseries "Into the West," has accepted the lead female role in "Mission: Impossible 3," opposite Tom Cruise. Russell will play a junior agent mentored by Cruise's character. Scarlett Johansson had been cast in the role, but pulled out of the film last month due to scheduling delays. Russell will be reuniting with director J.J. Abrams, the co-creator of "Felicity."

"Star Trek" fans will have to wait a bit longer to see where the crew of the starship Enterprise is boldly going next. The release of J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek," with a new cast taking on the roles of Capt. James T. Kirk, Spock and other original characters, has been moved from Christmas Day to May 8, 2009, distributor Paramount said Thursday. Studio spokesman Michael Vollman said "Star Trek" would be finished by fall in time for its original release date, but studio executives decided to hold it until next summer, when the film could pull in more money.