But, at the same time, the iconic starship captain has opened the way to high profile Hollywood career opportunities, exotic travel destinations and robust cultural exchanges that would not otherwise have been possible, Shatner told hundreds of listeners during a question and answer session held as part of the city’s two-day “Wizard World Comic-Con.”

The highly versatile pop-culture legend, known across generations, was the center of attention at the annual event. He appeared on Sat. January 28th. Other featured guests included Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, who played the “Incredible Hulk” in the 1970s and 1980s opposite the late Bill Bixby.

Instead of delivering a prepared talk filled with anecdotes about his career in entertainment, Shatner told attendees that he would rather take their questions and concentrate on their interests.

“Have you ever hated Captain Kirk?” one audience member asked. In response, “The Shat,” as he is commonly called now, described his romp down Bourbon Street the previous night.

“Last night we were having dinner, and the waiter comes up and says — what would you like? I said `oysters.” And he said — ‘Beam Me Up Scotty!!!’ — I mean come on.”

“On the other hand…,” he added. “I would not have been here ordering those oysters if it hadn’t been for Captain Kirk. It’s a two-edged sword. Imagine getting to do the things I’ve done as a result of playing the part of Captain Kirk.”

Getting angle or edge on Shatner in this kind of setting is a tall order; he’s battle-tested in this kind of setting. Another well-worn barb: “Have you really been where no man has been before?!”

The Shat: “It depends on the girl.”

“Wizard World” avoided playing up any single dominate theme as it blended Star Wars and Star Trek together with the larger comic book universe. To say the experience was “other-worldly” for someone who has never attended any convention of this sort, does not quite capture it.

The imagination, ingenuity and creativity that went into the costumes cannot be overstated; there were no half-measures. At times, it did feel like another planet.

Throughout the day, I encountered highly authentic versions of Batman, Superman, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Princess Leia (yes in the bikini), a few dragons, knights in armor, an Alien creature from the Sigourney Weaver films and superheroes and comic figures I didn’t know.

But no matter who was being interviewed the conversation flowed back to Shatner and his highly durable Hollywood career.

Let’s not forget his two “Twilight Zone” episodes, and his appearances on the “Columbo” television series, where he played the villain to Peter Falk’s detective. Shatner has also been recognized for his role as Denny Crane, the egotistical, bombastic lawyer on “Boston Legal” and for the “Priceline” commercials. (His character seemingly dies in bus explosion in the last one)

But invariably the fan base wants to know about Star Trek, its timeless appeal, and the enduring legacy of Captain Kirk. Here, Shatner has some definite insight. He wrote a book called “Get a Life” based on his famous Saturday Night Live skit from the 80s; the one where Star Trek fans are lampooned. In the book, Shatner explores who comes to Star Trek conventions and what accounts for the continued enthusiasm behind the television series. He found that fans all knew each other and had become an extended family of sorts.

“I discovered all of us are participating in a mythological ritual, we in this civilization have no mythology, so part of the need for a mythology is our participation in the mythology of Star Trek,” he said. “The need for heroes is supplied by the captains and the act of getting an
autograph or buying paraphernalia is participating in the ritual of the mythology.”

Standing a little outside of the mythology, I wore a suit and tie to meet Captain Kirk, that contrasted with costumes. This helped when it came time for questions in the convention center’s upstairs auditorium.

“Yes, you in the black,” he pointed, and I had my moment. Knowing the answer, I popped the question.

“Who would you say was the most formidable of all the Star Trek villains?”

“Ohhhhhhhhh…..ahhhh….” The Trekkers really liked that one.

“How would I say it in my old age?” He purrs and puffs and gingerly says – Kh..Kh.. khaaaan.

Then draws in a deep breath and screams….

“KHHHHHHAAAAANNNN”

Thunderous Applause.

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” co-starring Ricardo Montalban is widely viewed as the standout in the movie series and with good reason. The storyline draws from Moby Dick and it would be the last time that classic tale of revenge and obsession would figure into Star Trek. The
television show: “Space Seed” the film is based on is also worth viewing.

“He really was [the best villain] wasn’t he? I mean those pecs alone were heroic. Never mind his abs, but his pecs. Women would kill for those pecs. And he was a wonderful gentlemen.”Apparently, Montalban was also a great friend and supporter of National Review
magazine. Right on!

Another key personality Shatner has encountered in his travels is conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Shatner had an interview program called “Raw Nerve” that includes a lengthy interview with El Rushbo where the two discuss health care policy and other topics. Shatner was full of praise.

“I got to talk with Rush Limbaugh and found out all kinds of wonderful things about Rush,” he said. “In fact… even brought to tears to his eyes as he remembered things from his past, and I thought what a neat guy.”

The Shat invited Limbaugh over to his home for Monday Night Football after the interview where the talk show host encountered one of Shatner’s liberal friends who was a bit put out. But it was clear from Shatner’s take on his interview with Rush that he’s open and receptive to
various viewpoints.

But there was one Star Trek co-star who did not make out so well during the Q & A.

When Shatner was asked to name his heroes audience member shouted out, “George Takei!” – That would be the actor who plays Hikaru Sulu in the original series. Apparently, Takei has an axe to grind with Shatner.

Comedy Center did a “Roast of William Shatner” involving many of his friends where he rides in on a horse to start the program.

“The line is in the air, everyone knows the line, and it’s just a matter of who they are going to give the line to,” Shatner explained. “Now George hates me, I don’t know why he hates me, and he’s also not funny. So they give him the line and he says “F… you,, and the horse you rode
in on,” and it’s not funny, and I roll the film back, and his face is contorted. That’s not a funny face. So yes, George, was at the Roast.”

The Star Trek universe appears to have come full circle now that the movie series has reverted back to the original crew of the Enterprise but with a new cast of actors. Shatner said he was very impressed the latest film directed by J.J. Abrams and with actor Chris Pine who plays the
young Captain Kirk. Shatner interviewed Pine as part of a documentary he did called “The Captains,” which includes all of actors who filled in the center seat in the different programs.

“He’s a lovely young man, who is really talented, and looks really good,” Shatner said of Pine. “He’s got the demeanor, the body and the voice. So along with being a good actor he’s got all the right equipment.”

Shatner told the crowd that JJ Abrams is moving ahead with the sequel.

The actor who started it all sees a wide-open future for Star Trek and for anyone with imagination and initiative.

The “Star Trek” legend and “T.J. Hooker” star hit a pretty rough patch a while back. He was getting older, and his curious way with a line reading left him open … for … mockery.

Instead, he went to work. And, at 80, he’s not close to slowing down. Shatner’s next gig takes him to Broadway and then, later in 2012, across the country.

“Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It” will let the actor share his unique ride through the entertainment realm. Shatner could have rested on his “Star Trek” laurels decades ago and kept lining his wallet with convention appearances. But as those who read his most recent autobiography, “Up Till Now,” can attest, there’s no quit in the actor. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Except for Muhammad Ali’s, the most money I’ve ever spent on an autograph was for William Shatner’s, a signed copy of his 1993 memoir “Star Trek Memories.” The man is not only a living legend and one of the great show-biz survivors of all time, he’s one of the great larger-than-life actors — a dying breed in the realm of Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and Anthony Quinn who can convincingly bring to life unforgettable characters in ways true hams like our modern-day Pacinos and DeNiros only dream of. It is the rarest of skill-sets in the acting profession, but when one pulls it off there’s nothing quite like it.

For going on forty years, I’ve watched Shatner star in a half-dozen hit television shows, as many hit films, write numerous best-sellers, and win two Emmys — all while his critics slowly lost the smug smile on their collective faces. Shatner’s latest autobiography,”Up Till Now,” is another terrific read told by a truly self-effacing man who embraces life, loves America (he’s Canadian), refuses to get into divisive politics, and has enjoyed one of the most fascinating and eclectic show business careers in the history of Hollywood.

There is no “Star Trek” without William Shatner as Captain Kirk and we will never see another like him.

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But Shatner is a really talented comic actor, and he and the producers have given the show and its main characters a good deal more depth than one might have any right to expect. The concept turns out to have some potential for interesting situations reminiscent of real-life problems most people encounter.

The story is laid out in a simple and direct manner in the pilot, but festooned with plenty of comical one-liners. A young, unemployed man and his cantankerous, hard-nosed father attempt to reconnect after years apart because of a divorce. The son barely knows the father, but he shows up on his doorstep anyway because he has nowhere else to go, having been laid off from his job. He is in fact rather afraid of the old man, for good reason, as the latter has always been very tart in his observations of others’ imperfections.

This being a situation comedy, however, the two eventually come to an understanding and recognize that they not only do love each other but that they can help each other—the son can help the father through the troubles of old age, and the father can help the son financially and teach him lessons about how to get on in life. The father, after all, received a medal in Vietnam for “sewing a guy’s sack back on.” And he is not presented as a jackass—he has something of value to offer the world and his son, behind his comical bluster.

Although told in the superficial terms of a situation comedy, this is a real relationship, and it even leads to a rather poignant moment near the episode’s conclusion (the inevitable but still satisfying “awwwww” moment).

But there’s no lingering sentimentality to any of it, as the writers recognize that the humor in Shatner’s vivid observations about the world around him will remain the show’s major selling point. And it’s rather refreshing in this time of boring political correctness in the mainstream media.

Shatner is excellent as the father, funny in his tartness but also perceptive and considerate in those rare times when he thinks others merit it. The rest of the cast are quite good, too. The jokes are funny. It’s a justifiable way to while away a half-hour.

‘$#*! My Dad Says’ airs tonight on CBS.

Nolan will oversee the film’s production and is currently looking at a short-list of potential directors:

Making the list are “Unstoppable” helmer Tony Scott, “Let Me In” director Matt Reeves, “Battle: Los Angeles” helmer Jonathan Liebesman (who tapped for “Clash of the Titans 2″), Duncan Jones of “Source Code” and “Sucker Punch” guy Zack Snyder.

Expect news of a decision to come sooner rather than later because Warner Bros. and Legendary need to get the picture made by 2012 because of a rights ruling that went against the studio and favored heirs of Superman creator Jerry Siegel and takes effect in 2013.

Though we will never enter into the business of second-guessing Mr. Nolan, we are lighting candles for Zack Snyder.

—–

2. ‘Twas political correctness that killed “Sex.”

[Chris Noth] told New York Magazine: “It’s over. The franchise is dead. The press killed it. Your magazine f**king killed it. New York Magazine. It’s like all the critics got together and said, ‘This franchise must die.’

“They all had the exact same review. It’s like they didn’t see the movie.”

The artistically dreadful but stridently anti-American “Machete” scored a 73% at Rotten Tomatoes, the only marginally better Christian-bashing “Easy A” scored even higher with 85% – and so when Noth says the elite media killed the “Sex and the City” franchise, he’s exactly right. The sequel might not have been a perfect film, but it committed the mortal sin of having the balls to criticize and mock militant Islam. Among the Hollywood left, commandment number one is that you bow to multiculturalism, even if those you’re bowing before hold dear the most sexist, racist, homophobic, and theocratic agenda on the planet.

Worldwide, SATC2 made $288 million – more than all of those anti-American Iraq flops put together…

You know, the ones they keep making?

—–

3. Insufferably Precious But Still Confusing Celebrity Tweet of the Day: Deepak Chopra:

Don’t judge your life. Every life is a step toward unity with God.

Really, even Jeffrey Dahmer’s?

—– 

4. More on Tom Selleck’s “welcome” return to network television here.

The LA Times sees a lot of potential in his new show:

If it pulls off what it seems capable of doing, “Blue Bloods” should be both a good cop show and an evocative family drama. So something for everyone, just like a good Sunday dinner.

“Blue Bloods” airs Friday nights on CBS.

—–

5. Lindsay goes back to jail.

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6. Just when you thought the Lindsay Lohan story couldn’t make you care less about something, along comes this.

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7. How many Emmys does William Shatner have to win, how many hit series does he have to star in before the jokes about his talent stop? How many, dammit?

—–

8. Send Big Hollywood money and for every dollar we receive, two cents will go to the poor — making us twice as generous and effective at ending poverty as Bono.

Sarah’s terrific, but Shatner’s reactions to her readings are beyond priceless…

Bow down to The Shat.

Two of America’s finest: William Shatner and Rush Limbaugh talk about life, their upbrining, hearing loss, health care and addiction.

Shatner’s gracious, intelligent, curious and passionate. A gentleman every step of the way… It’s a terrific interview. Well worth your 20 minutes.

Before you tell me it is just a movie, recall the words of series creator Gene Roddenberry: “I have no belief that Star Trek depicts the actual future,” Roddenberry said, “it depicts us, now…”  And right now, the latest Star Trek depicts men as insecure, impulsive lechs who need women and aliens to keep them out of trouble.

Consider four attributes of the ideal man: self-control, bravery, confidence and sex appeal.

In the original series, Kirk has supreme self-control. He sacrifices himself for the safety of his crew and, in more than one episode, even chooses duty over true love. In the latest “Star Trek,” Kirk is Peter Pan, an irresponsible, reckless man-boy.  (Warning: plot spoilers ahead.) The new Kirk tears down an empty Iowa highway in a stolen hot rod and drives off a cliff, jumping out to save himself, not the car.  He gets into bar fights to serve his vanity, not some higher cause like rescuing the crew from aliens. 

While the original Kirk used reason, the new one mostly leaves that to Spock.  Even when the new Kirk does sometimes get things right, he does so by being impulsive not shrewd.   The 1960s Kirk destroyed evil computers with logic problems to save the ship. The new Kirk almost gets thrown out of Starfleet Academy for manipulating the computer program to his advantage. 

Even bravery gets a dressing down in the new “Star Trek.”  In the film, Captain Pike lectures Kirk about the importance of the peacekeeping and the humanitarian missions of Starfleet to the multi-cultural, multi-world Federation.  The original Kirk bluffed aliens, threatened planets, started wars and keenly understood the necessity of maintaining peace through strength.  The new “Star Trek” punishes Kirk on an icy planet because of his aggressive desire to take the fight to the enemy rather than consulting with the bureaucracy of the Federation.   But then again, what do we expect with the headquarters of Starfleet being based in San Francisco?  In the end, Captain Kirk is honored for his correct decision to attack the enemy, but only because, I suspect, the producers do not want an empty box office.

One of the most dramatic differences between 1966, when the “Star Trek” series first aired and today is the diminishing role of the father – and that change is mirrored in the two “Star Treks.”   In the 1960s series, Kirk and Spock respect and honor their fathers, who were clearly present in their earlier lives.  Today’s Kirk is fatherless.  Naturally, he is also reckless, aggressive, impulsive and desperately seeking guidance.  While the original Kirk was an authority, the new Kirk is openly insubordinate. The film’s producers consider these behaviors normal tells us how much American society has changed in the past 40 years. 

The 1960s Kirk was a skillful seducer of women across the universe, a trait feminists now find unacceptable.  So the new Kirk is a lecherous lad who suffers rejection by confident, professional women throughout the film.  In fact, Mr. Spock gets more female attention than Kirk.  When Kirk first meets Uhura, she immediately dismisses him as an uneducated Iowa farm boy.  She later passionately kisses the emotionally distant Spock. Women are a civilizing force in making men accountable for their behavior throughout history.  Feminism changed that. It was only in sexual liberation that women unleashed the Kirks from of their cages, transforming the male-female relationship into one of suspicion and cynicism.  In Kirk’s old days, men’s adventurous freedom-loving thirst was quenched with a love of women and new landscapes.  Today’s Kirk gets the blow off while Uhura throws herself at the emotionally unavailable Spock.  (Of course, feminists are still unsatisfied.  Melissa Silverstein writing for WomenandHollywood.com summarized the new “Star Trek“: “The three female characters of significance were insignificant – one gave birth, one was a mother, and one was a girlfriend.”)

“Star Trek” might be set in the 23rd century but the emasculation of men affects us today. How are we going to fight war and recession without a country of Kirks? 

Heather Smith is a radio and documentary film producer based in Washington, D.C.  www.politicaldiva.com

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5. Star Trek: Generations (1994) – Yes, “Where the hell’s Kirk?” was my mantra through most of the second act, but the Next Generation (TNG) crew got off to a promising start with William Shatner’s Captain Kirk bookending events to graciously hand off the baton. Plot holes riddle the story of Malcolm McDowall’s Soran and his maniacal attempt to return to the Nexus, an energy ribbon with a crack-like addictive ability to deliver its inhabitants into a dream-like nirvana (there had to be easier ways to get in the thing other than blowing up an entire friggin’ planet), but the concept of the Nexus – the idea of choosing between a false perfection and an imperfect reality is Trek at its best, and the scene where Picard enjoys a heart-wrenching Christmas with a family he’ll never have is a franchise high point. The best moments, though, arrive when Kirk and Picard, two Captains wildly different in personality but who share a love called Enterprise, come together to save the Universe. The complaints about Kirk’s death being anti-climatic are valid and the less than iconic setting for the demise of an icon is obviously due to budget and imagination constraints, but for me it works. When heroes fall it’s often in nondescript places we’ve never heard of where a stand has been taken to risk one’s life for those they’ve never met. Kirk may not have been real, but his final moments are.

–

4. Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – In an episode of TNG series, the crew captures a Borg and creates a virus that once implanted in their captive will wipe out the entire Borg collective. But because TNG could be over-the-top stupid, Picard chooses not to commit “genocide.” The point of my digression? Simple… Mark this moment as the point when, without even knowing it, TNG became the perfect example of how selfish, do-gooder leftism is a recipe for never-ending war and countless miseries. Ever after, every murder and assimilation at the hands of the Borg is solely the fault of Captain Jean-Luc Picard — including those lost in this superb entry that ranks as one of the all-time best time travel movies. This is the only time TNG cast ever came close to gelling, but it’s the menacing Borg, especially the oddly sexy Borg Queen and a truly clever script that creates the kind of stakes and real peril no other TNG film would come close to. The “Moby Dick” allegory is a little on-the-nose, I was kinda digging Picard’s single-minded quest for revenge, but some very charming sequences involving the inventor of warp drive combined with outstanding villains and well-crafted action scenes earned enough audience goodwill to buy the franchise a couple more dismal outings.

–

3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Note to my fellow Right-wingers: Don’t let the film’s Save the Whales message interfere with your embracing the warmth, humor and excitement of this thoroughly charming and exciting time travel adventure. You would think that after three television seasons and feature films the relationships and characters would have no place left to grow, and yet the writers and director Leonard Nimoy not only squeeze the fish-out-water concept for all its worth, but forever crystallize the Enterprise crew into a very real and believable family. One of the funniest and most delightful movies of the 80s and a blueprint for how make a cinematic political point without diminishing the fun. Oh, and Catherine Hicks is all kinds of hot.

–

2. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) - The deaths of James Doohan and DeForest Kelley sadly insured that this would be the final outing of the full Enterprise crew, but it’s hard to imagine a more fitting send off. Filled with political intrigue, a terrific, old-fashioned mystery and an adventurous subplot on a prison planet, those who thought a crew stocked with senior citizens wouldn’t be able to deliver the goods were in for a pleasant surprise. The first act is the best of the franchise, a perfect setting up of the dynamic between our crew and the prideful but desperate Klingons that all leads to a truly shocking and very well staged assassination sequence. That the remaining 85 minutes lives to the opening 25, never once dragging or releasing the tension for a moment, is a testament to just how good this film is. Another testament is that I walked into the theatre inconsolable with the knowledge that this was it, but left fully satisfied that seven individuals I’d known all my life would live on forever thanks to five timeless feature films that closed with a grand adventure worthy of an emotional investment as strong today as it ever was.

–

1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – After a feature debut so dismally disappointing I’ve still not quite recovered from it, like something out of a storybook, “Trek” rose again with a grand space adventure that ranks among the greatest sci-fi pictures ever made. The scene where James T. Kirk inputs the code to drop Khan’s shields is, by a wide margin, the single finest moment of the entire “Trek” canon. The fact that Kirk needs reading glasses to accomplish this combined with Ricardo Montalban’s reaction – a delightful mix of shock and admiration for an “old foe” – upon realizing he’s been tricked, is simply exquisite. “Khan” also represents its own kind of reboot. An entire new mythology was so well crafted here that it built an infrastructure that would see the franchise through four more adventures, thanks mainly to Spock’s death which became the rallying point to turn our intrepid crew into a close-knit family willing to take any risk to stay together. And for my money, this was always the heart of the series.

Addendum: Star Trek 11 (2009) — Now that I’ve seen the latest entry it can be properly ranked among the others.  Easy call. Thanks to a solidly entertaining first hour but a choppy, emotionally disconnected second, the latest incarnation ranks as 7th best, just below “The Search for Spock” but well ahead of “The Motion Picture.”

A shiny new Enterprise is luring in a new generation of STAR TREK fans

J.J. Abrams is officially the Lazarus of movie directors as his all-new Star Trek has gone “Boldly Gone Where No Star Trek Movie has Gone Before.” With a cast of relative unknowns, the 42-year-old has resurrected a franchise that had been killed by insular “nerdyness” and timid imagination. The Gene Rodenberry creation didn’t so much bomb as it died slowly over a period of years. First, the 2002 movie Star Trek: Nemesis starring the Next Generation cast disappointed with a meager $43.3M domestic. Then, the final TV series Enterprise, which starred Scott Bakula, was not embraced by core fans or broader audiences and was canceled after four seasons, ending May 13, 2005.

Director J.J. Abrams will definitely "Live long and prosper"

Now riding a staggering 96% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes – that’s 96% of America’s movie critics issuing positive reviews – The Enterprise is riding high again thanks to the creator of TV hits Alias and Lost. Try getting 96% of any group to agree on anything. It’s no small feat. Compare Star Trek’s RT score against the ratings for the last 5 Best Picture winners.

STAR TREK has better reviews than Oscars darling SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORES FOR THE LAST 5 OSCAR WINNERS
2004 – Million Dollar Baby – 91% Fresh
2005 – Crash – 75% Fresh
2006 – The Departed – 92% Fresh
2007 – No Country For Old Men – 94% Fresh
2008 – Slumdog Millionaire – 94% Fresh

The original STAR TREK cast (above) with the next generation of franchise stars

With the ringing endorsement of tough-to-please critics, Star Trek hit warp speed at the box office last night with lightly-promoted preview screenings starting at 7pm. The impeccably-reviewed feature film seized an estimated $7M or so in Thursday night ticket sales. The idea may have been to get some of the hardcore Trekkies and Trekkers out of the way, clearing multiplexes for mainstream movie audiences today, and they have showed up in massive numbers.

William Shatner (left) with Captain Kirk 2.0 Chris Pine

With Chris Pine (Bottle Shock) in the legendary role of Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto (NBC’s Heroes) wearing the pointy ears made famous by Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek has soared to a history-making $26M on its official opening day according to multiple studio execs, double the previous-best opening day for any movie in the franchise. That means in the first 29 hours of general release, the re-imagined sci-fi blockbuster has delivered an estimated $33M.

STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT had the previous-best opening day in franchise history

ALL-TIME TOP 5 OPENING DAYS FOR STAR TREK MOVIES
1. Star Trek (2009) – $26M [$33M in its first 29 hours]
2. Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – $13M
3. Star Trek: Generations (1994) – $9.7M
4. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) – $9.5M
5. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – $7.7M

How will the weekend play out? The Thursday night preview screenings will probably make Star Trek a bit less front-loaded. In fact, I’m guessing that, based on word-of-mouth and its family-friendly PG-13 rating, my sources believe that the movie could get a 5% boost on Saturday to a possible $27.3M, followed by an aggressive Mother’s Day drop of 40% on Sunday. That would mean a 4-day gross of almost $77M or so.

The great news for Paramount and Abrams and Pine and Quinto and the rest of the cast is that Star Trek will almost certainly have the best legs of any of this summer’s major tent-pole movies. Rank-and-file moviegoers are likely to discover Star Trek for the first time in coming weeks or, now that Trek is cool again, it may rekindle interest with core fans who rejected the most recent incarnations.

STAR TREK could have "legs" like BATMAN BEGINS

It will not be a surprise to see Star Trek sail past $200M. After all, 2005’s Batman Begins performed that way. The Christopher Nolan Batman reboot opened on a Wednesday with $15M and had banked $72.9M in 5 days. Based on that movie’s Friday-thru-Sunday of $48.7M, the first Batman movie in 8 years reached its $205M domestic total at a 4.2 multiple (4.2 X $48.7 got Nolan’s original to $205M). Anticipating a 4.2 multiple for Star Trek is probably overreaching, but a 3.4-3.5 multiple is possible. That would propel Abrams and company to well past $200M.

Competing studio execs  tell me that X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox) took a big tumble as expected. The Hugh Jackman X-Men spin-off only mustered $9.15M or so on its second Friday, but it will still likely top $27.95M for the weekend, down about 67%. Meanwhile, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Warner Bros) coaxed about $3M to start the frame, and it will likely be helped by Mother’s Day, grabbing a possible $10M, down a mere 35% from last weekend.

Beyonce continues to sell tickets in OBSESSED

Obsessed, the low budget sizzler from Sony Screen Gems, continues to outperform its low expectations with $2M on Friday, which pushes the Beyonce catfight flick past $50M. The thriller should finish the 3-day with about $6.25M and a spectacular $55.89M by Monday.

The urban-geared comedy Next Day Air (Summit) got off to a disappointing start with just $1.25M (likely #5 for the day), and it will drift down the top ten to #6 for the weekend with a meager $4.1M or so from its thousand or so playdates.

The Zac Efron comedy 17 Again (Warner Bros) will likely spend another weekend in the top five with about $1.15M on Friday and about $4.5M for 3 days. That will give the Efron vehicle a new domestic cume of about $54.26M.

EXCLUSIVE STEVE MASON EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW – Star Trek (Paramount) – $26M, $6,755 PTA, $33M
2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox) – $9.15M, $2,231 PTA, $111.77M cume
3. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Warner Bros) – $3.05M, $961 PTA, $22.84M
4. Obsessed (Sony) – $2M, $769 PTA, $51.64M cume
5. NEW – Next Day Air (Summit) – $1.25M, $1,098 PTA, $1.25M  cume
6. 17 Again (Warner Bros) – $1.15M, $396 PTA, $50.91M cume
7. The Soloist (Dreamworks/Paramount) – $1M, $478 PTA, $20.89M cume
8. Monsters vs. Aliens (Dreamworks/Paramount) – $847,000, $388 PTA, $184.36M cume
9. Earth (Disney) – $697,000, $389 PTA, $24.29M cume
10. Hannah Montana: The Movie (Disney) – $690,000, $300 PTA, $72.35M cume

EXCLUSIVE STEVE MASON EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW – Star Trek (Paramount) – $69.68M, $18,103 PTA, $76.68M
2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox) – $27.95M, $6,814 PTA, $130.57M cume
3. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Warner Bros) – $10.06M, $3,170 PTA, $29.86M
4. Obsessed (Sony) – $6.25M, $2,402 PTA, $55.89M cume
5. 17 Again (Warner Bros) – $4.5M, $1,550 PTA, $54.26M cume
6. NEW – Next Day Air (Summit) – $4.1M, $3,603 PTA, $4.1M  cume
7. The Soloist (Dreamworks/Paramount) – $3.6M, $1,722 PTA, $23.49M cume
8. Monsters vs. Aliens (Dreamworks/Paramount) – $3.55M, $1,625 PTA, $187.06M cume
9. Hannah Montana: The Movie (Disney) – $2.62M, $1,140 PTA, $74.29M cume
10. Earth (Disney) – $2.44M, $1,361 PTA, $26.03M cume

Steve Mason is on Facebook and now also on Twitter@LAMase.