Filmmaker J.J. Abrams has made it clear he's boldly going where no "Star Trek" has gone before with his upcoming big-screen saga of Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew's early days, while reportedly promising, "We're serving the people who are completely enamored with Star Trek."

Be that as it may, Clifton Collins warns die-hard fans of the original series that this ain't your grandmama's "Star Trek" for sure.

"He's totally reinvented the whole thing and taken the cheese out of it," says Collins, who co-stars in the film with Chris Pine, Eric Bana, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto. "I tried to watch some of the old 'Star Treks,' and with all due respect, they were probably cool at the time, but I couldn't watch them."

He says of the new "Star Trek," "This is the real deal. It's just got a lot of reality. It's not corny at all."

Collins and Eric Bana portray Romulans in the film. "I can't tell you too much, but me and Eric are some real bad dudes," says the actor who's starred in such films as "Traffic," "The Replacement Killers" and "Menace to Society."

"If you think you've seen me play some bad dudes on this planet, wait 'til you see me off this planet, raisin' up in outer space."

THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Cole Hauser reports that "the most heart-wrenching scene" in the forthcoming "Like Dandelion Dust" drama will have to be re-shot — because of an airline X-ray machine snafu that destroyed the footage containing performances Cole calls brilliant.

The film, also starring Mira Sorvino and Barry Pepper, is director Jon Gunn's adaptation of Karen Kingsbury's novel about a set of adoptive parents who face a nightmare. An abusive ex-convict asserts a legitimate claim to take his 5-year-old biological son away from them.

"Being a parent now, I understood my character's feelings in a way I couldn't have before," notes Cole, whose wife, Cynthia Daniel, gave birth to their son, Colt, June 12. They also have son Ryland, 3. "The thought of someone coming to rip my child away ... " He trails off. "The characters decide that all the money and power they have is worth nothing if they can't have their child."

The re-shoot will be soon, but details have yet to be ironed out. "We're going to try to do it here (in Los Angeles), which would be easier than going back to Florida location," says Cole.

MEANWHILE: Hauser's "The Stone Angel" with Ellen Burstyn, Christine Horne, Ellen Page and his father, Wings Hauser, as the elder version of his character, is newly in release — and Burstyn's powerful performance is garnering raves citing its Oscar-worthiness. Handsome Cole plays the farmer Burstyn's character weds against her father's wishes in the saga that shifts back and forth between time frames.

Cole also has the gritty drama "Tortured" with Laurence Fishburne coming up, and the Sept. 12 release comedy "Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys Together" — plus a CBS pilot ("The Tower") for a potential midseason slot. In fact, after wrapping up his work on the now-defunct "K-Ville," "I worked a year straight 'til I got to the two-week window before the birth of my son," says Cole. "I'm trying to keep it different and interesting, finding new characters. I'm at my best when my mind is being used." And when he's bored, he admits, he's been known to do things like go out and ride his motorcycle at a 180 mph clip.

THE REAL DEAL: Here's a heads-up for "Deal Or No Deal" addicts likely to see some sort of crazy stunt involving host Howie Mandel in a forthcoming installment of the hit NBC game show. The production recently put out the word that they were looking for a Howie look-alike to carry out that scheme — a look-alike of about 5-foot-7, 165 pounds, with a 33-inch waist and bald noggin. Criteria also included "must be fit and look like Howie."

HUMBLE AND LOVEABLE: Brendan Fraser, who has both "Journey To the Center of the Earth 3D" and "The Mummy: Rise of the Dragon Emperor" in theaters this summer, points out that he's actually "had six films inside of the last four years." Of course, not all were of the blockbuster kind. He good-naturedly notes, "Two only showed in New York and Los Angeles. You can find them at a Netflix terminal near you."

INTERNET INSIDE: Casting is underway for the title character on an in-the-works Internet site, angrygreengirl.com. It's an effort to reach out to younger people — of course — with webisodes featuring a hot-looking gal in her late teens or twenties, who'll promote environmental awareness and tips on a greener life.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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