J.J. Abrams is at it again. The filmmaker and his Bad Robot label will develop an untitled pitch Paramount bought for a couple of million from screenwriters Aline Brosh McKenna and Simon Kinberg.

As usual, Abrams doesn't reveal a word about the project. Plot details are strictly kept under wraps, and at this stage, I don't even know what genre to expect from this one.

Brosh McKenna penned "The Devil Wears Prada," "27 Dresses" and the upcoming "The Ivy Chronicles," which leads me to believe this one could be a comedy. Kinberg's credits include "Sherlock Holmes" and "Jumper."

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Bummer! Martin Scorsese's upcoming thriller "Shutter Island" won't be opening as scheduled on Oct. 2. 2009. Instead, Paramount has decided to push back the release to Feb. 19, 2010 because of economic reasons. Yep, that's how bad it is out there...

Paramount basically said that the slate for 2009 was set up under a different economic climate, according to Variety. I don't know why they waited this long to go forward with this or announce it, but the economic climate has been sucky for a while now, no?

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Here's what's currently going on inside the Hollywood studio world:

• Paramount is developing a project about online casinos in Costa Rica, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to produce and maybe star in. Brian Koppelman and David Levien ("Ocean's Thirteen") came up with the pitch. Look for DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island." (Variety)

• Fox is working on a project entitled "Family History," written by Marc Haimes from a draft by Michael Punke. Haimes told the Hollywood Reporter the film centers on a family embarking on a treasure hunt through time. Haimes also wrote "Elevator Men."

• Paramount also bought "Honey Pot," a pitch from Elizabeth Meriwether. Described as an action comedy, the film centers on two women caught up in the world of international espionage. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Stuart Beattie, whose credits include "Australia" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," is developing a flick based on John Marsden's novel "Tomorrow, When the War Began." The series follows a gang of Australian teens battling the invasion of their homeland. (THR)

So I guess the big news of the day is Paramount Pictures' plans to quickly develop a sequel to J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Trek" reboot.

It's not unusual for a studio to gear up for a sequel to a film that hasn't opened yet, and I guess Paramount is pretty confident "Trek" will do pretty well and satisfy the fans.

Now, according to Variety, the sequel is obviously still in the earliest developmental stages. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman will return to write the script, and joining them is Damon Lindelof.

The trade also said J.J. Abrams will be back as producer, although it's unclear at this stage whether he'll reprise his role as director. I guess he's smart enough to wait and see how the public reacts to his work on the first flick.

Interesting to know is that Paramount will try to get this sequel done rather quickly, with probably a summer release of 2011.

Orci and Kurtzman have been working together for quite some time, and their credits include "Transformers," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Mission: Impossible III," "Fringe" and "Alias."

Andy Fickman may end up picking up Paramount Pictures' upcoming big-screen adaptation of Sarah Mylnowski's novel "Gimme a Call."

According to Variety, the story follows a high school senior who pretty much dislikes her current life. One day she accidentally drops her phone into a fountain, and when she pulls it out, she realizes the only person she can call is herself.

The trade says the book won't be released until May 2010.

Fickman's most recently directed Walt Disney's remake "Race to Witch Mountain," a decent enough sci-fi adventure with a rather brainless story but a fast-paced enough plot.

Fickman also helmed "She's the Man," a comedy I surprisingly enjoyed very much, despite its massive silliness. His credits also include "The Game Plan," which I pretty much hated to death.

Paramount Pictures on Monday announced "Transformers 3" would open July 1, 2011, but according to director Michael Bay, that's incorrect.

As it turns out, Paramount made a mistake, and Bay cleared the whole thing up on his Web site:

"Paramount made a mistake in dating Transformers 3 - they asked me on the phone - I said yes to July 4 - but for 2012 - whoops! Not 2011!!! That would mean I would have to start prep in September. No way. My brain needs a break from fighting robots."

Bay's upcoming "Transformers" sequel, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," will open June 24, 2009.

You can find more Michael Bay news on his Web site here.

Here's your daily dose of film news for March 17, 2009:

• "Transformers 3" has an official release date! Paramount announced Monday it will release the third installment in the series July 1, 2011. No word yet on whether Michael Bay will return to direct. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," the next film in the series, is set to open June 24, 2009.

• Paramount has also acquired the rights to develop the big-screen version of John Le Carre's espionage thriller "The Night Manager," according to Variety. The story follows a European hotel night manager who is recruited to infiltrate the network of an arms dealer. Robert Edwards is writing the adaptation.

• Here's more from Paramount: the studio has acquired the rights to Joshua Davis' article "The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist" in Wired magazine. The Hollywood Reporter says J.J. Abrams will produce and may even direct the project. The upcoming article focuses on a massive diamond heist in Antwerp, Belgium.

• Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the U.S. rights to distribute Anne Fontaine's upcoming Coco Chanel biopic "Coco Avant Chanel" (Coco Before Chanel). Audrey Tautou stars as the lead character in the film, which chronicles the life and career of the fashion designer. (Variety)

Update on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:11AM by Franck Tabouring

Well, Paramount made a mistake, and "Tranformers" won't be released until 2012...