Don't get put off by the first two minutes, I promise you it pays off around 4:03 when you get to see a side-by-side break down of Zoe Saldana flipping out as herself, and as her alien character Neytiri. I think I've watched that part 30 times. Say what you will about the plot or the blue people, you can't deny that the technology in this film is pretty impressive. Especially since Cameron can basically pick any shot he wants from any angle, and the computer will recreate the scene. But on the downside, why does Neytiri sound like Natasha from Bullwinkle?

Found the youtube version for those that have trouble viewing Hulu:

In an interview with Movie Score Magazine Mike Knobloch, the executive vice president of Fox Music, reveal that the almost three-hour long movie will have a score that is equally as long, yikes.

The music is being composed by James Horner, who also worked on Aliens with Cameron. But when he wrote the music for Aliens, Horner "had 3 1/2 weeks to finish about 80 minutes of music." He's had almost a year to finish Avatar. The score includes a vast array of musical instruments, both electrical and acoustic. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a jungle-cat band, with guitars made from vines and sticks.

For more information about the musical work check out Movie Score.

What you're seeing in blue is the face of a Na'vi people who James Cameron described as giants with eyeballs four times the size of a human eye.

Pandorum, remains a mystery, we're still not sure what happens to the humans on board to make their skin peel off so, but it's creepy.

The four megastars met on stage as part of Entertainment Weekly's "Wonder Women" panel. Weaver, of course, starred in the Alien movies, plus Ghostbusters and countless other genre classics. Saldana is playing Uhura in the new Star Trek movies as well as an alien in Avatar. Dushku has co-starred in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and starred in Tru Calling and Dollhouse. And Mitchell is moving from Lost to V this year.

How Weaver got into playing Ripley:

Weaver explains, "I was the one who didn't want to do science fiction. It wasn't until Ridley Scott took me and showed me the pictures and the eggs had little [H.R.] Giger faces on them, and I realized I hadn't seen anything like this before."

What's next on Lost and Dollhouse:

Mitchell says she loves playing "complicated women" like Juliet, and she doesn't feel Juliet is slippery – she's just telling the truth as she sees it, but sometimes she takes wee shortcuts to get to the truth. So will she be back on Lost? "The best thing to say is it just depends if Jack's plan works or not. Which is amazing, because then it's not my fault."

Dushku says in Dollhouse season two, we'll be seeing more of Echo's glitches, but Echo will continue to emerge as a real person in her own right, distinct from her original personality, Caroline. "We'll see more of Echo as a composite. She's glitching and she's bring out all the characters."

Saldana on taking on Uhura:

Saldana says she wanted to convey the "normalcy" of being a woman of color in a respected position, among a bunch of men. "As a woman, an American woman, a woman of color, to be able to be granted an opportunity to play a character that symbolizes strength... a woman my mother wanted to be with when she was a little girl, is nothing but a humbling position to be in." And there are "very interesting" ideas for the second Trek movie, she says. "I couldn't be more excited."

So why aren't there more female action heroes?

Says Weaver:

The challenge that some writers take on very well, like Joss Whedon or James Cameron... They're not trying to create a woman action hero, they're creating a character who has a certain intelligence and drive and ferocity. That is the core. What they are trying to do, who they are trying to save, etc. Hollywood goes a little crazy, trying to figure out what you're supposed to wear. I feel grateful that I got to wear actual clothes. I never thought about being a woman, I was playing a person. I just think in writing, you just write it the way you write a man: they believe in things, they fight for things. There's a hero in each of us... and that's what Avatar is about.

In fact, Weaver mentions that the part of Ripley was originally written to be a man, but then she won the part instead. "Because she was better," Saldana adds.

So how do you get more awesome female roles and less drek? Allow Saldana to elaborate:

If we continue, as women, to see this as a battle, it will take so much energy away from what we are. What it takes is education. When i have to fight an army of men, and try to convince them that I shoudl wear pants for an action scene, where I'm running from one building to another, and jumping, and they are convinced that I shoudl do it in a short skirt and Gucci boots — fighting that small battle takes education. We are trying to teach how a women should be created, and how a woman should be treated. [When a male creator does get it right, the correct response is] a little pat on the head like "You did it." (She says this, like she's talking to a small child or a puppy.)

Later, Saldana added: "I do think if we continue to do it, one day we won't have to meet with our produciers and writers and directors and say, 'I don't have to understand why my character has to sleep with the lead guy just because she digs him.'"

Adds Weaver:

Jim Cameron was saying earlier that science fiction is sort of an investigation into what it is to be human. There are no rules. It's sort of a reflection of real life. Anything goes. Happily in this case, they weren't trying to control what women did in science fiction. It wasn't an important enough genre, and it just slipped through.

So what's going on with Wonder Woman?

Everyone on the panel agreed that it just takes the right script and the right take on the character. "People are taking passes at it," says Dushku, who presumably knows about Joss Whedon's attempt. "I think the stakes are set high for Wonder Woman, and Lynda Carter is so memorable."

Says Saldana: "They need to find the right writer to bring out all the stuff rom the comics, all the beautiful layers, and add all of the Neo stuff from the Matrix, instead of just this beautiful girl with beautiful buns and a great rack and a big smile." (She does a big fake smile with one pinky as she says this.) Someone asks about Megan Fox playing Wonder Woman instead of a woman in her thirties who can bring more stature to the Amazon princess, and Saldana responds:

I happen to have a huge crush on Megan Fox. I'm not hatin on that possibility. Do you want the real answer? I think it's just 65 year old men just want to see 25 year old little girls, but those are the people cutting checks not only in Hollywood but in America. I have to question: why they won't share a decision like that with a younger crowd that's part of this generation? There aren't enough african American superheroes or women or even Asian American. Have you ever met a superhero named Juan Gonzales? I would kill for that.

If you've been following the movie's press lately, you'll already be aware that the film's big love story is between Spock and Uhura. We know, some of you are running from this scary change right now, but before you grab your phaser rifles, we went directly to writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and asked them about it.

How did you go about deciding and executing such a huge canon-changing relationship?

Orci: A lot of the things in the movie could conceivably match with what happened in any Universe. We know that Kirk cheated on the Kobayashi Maru, [for example]. In the original series, the first interracial kiss was Kirk and Uhura. One of the things we tried to do with this movie was, try to play with keeping some things the same - and other things, maybe the exact opposite.

That was one of those scenarios where we thought, "If that's in the original universe, maybe this one becomes Spock and Uhura." It brings out his human side, it fits Spock's arc for the surprise of the fact that he does share humanity and in the revelation that his father did love his mother, and therefore Spock himself is then capable of that and you see that with him and Uhura. It fits him.

Kurtzman: Knowing that it was a really controversial decision, the most important thing for us was, to not be cute or try to be clever about how we were going to reveal it, but to actually provide genuine emotional context. And I think whether or not you agree with our choice, what you can't argue with is: You just watched this man, who you really care about, show that he's struggling with his identity, lose his mother, and watch his planet blow up. And because he's a Vulcan, he has to be stoic about it.

When you as an audience want somebody to give the man a hug, you want some connection for him. So when Uhura does that, you're simultaneously taken aback, but also a bit relieved that he has somewhere to take that. So we felt like that would be the best access point to reveal that to the audience. We built it up in those earlier scenes, [so] you get that sense. There are little seeds planted along the way.

But what about the rest of the crew? What do they think? At this weekend's press conference, we got the chance to hear Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto's impressions on a love that could potentially change the universe..

Saldana described the moment she learned about it:

They locked us in the office at Bad Robot, so that we could read the script, and I dropped it and grabbed my Blackberry and kept saying, "This man's crazy! J.J.'s out of his mind. I'm not that aware about Star Trek, but I do know that [Spock and Uhura] never mingled. It's crazy!" But once I finished the script, it just made so much sense. They have the most similar characteristics. I almost feel like she had this admiration for Spock because he was older and sort of like a teacher, and there was this crush or platonic infatuation with someone that's wiser, wittier, handsome and had pointy ears. Why not?

Quinto went on to explain what he felt it meant to baby Spock to have this outlet.

The relationship between Spock and Uhura, that dynamic provides a lot of levity and humor between Kirk and Spock and between Kirk and Uhura. But between Spock and Uhura, I think it actually represents a depth, whereby Uhura is almost a canvas onto whom Spock can project the emotion that he is not able to express himself.

But of course Leonard Nimoy felt left out by Young Spock's conquest:

Frankly, I was extremely jealous of his scenes with Zoe Saldana, and I think it's totally unfair that I never got to do that. I will never forgive the writers and the director, for having put me in this position, to have to be watching that, rather than participating.

Were you a Star Trek fan before the movie?

I did watch a couple of episodes. I followed J.J.'s advice. He said, "If I have to advise you guys at all, I would advise you not to watch [Star Trek]. Just inform yourself of the whole concept of Star Trek, if you're not already a Trekkie or fan. I don't want you to cloud whatever contribution you guys can make yourselves to the role that you are jumping into." I thought that was very encouraging. And then I met Nichelle Nichols and she practically gave me the same advice. So I thought that I needed to make the important aspects about Uhura a priority.

Well, out of the episodes that you did you watch, what were your favorites?

Definitely the episode with Abraham Lincoln [The Savage Curtain] and the episode where Kirk and Uhura have that kiss [Plato's Stepchildren], because of what that kiss represented at the time as well. I spoke to Nichelle about it. She talked about how that work was very dear to her and how they had no idea how big it was going to be. Back then they had no idea that Star Trek was going to be what it is now. They were just artists doing a show that was putting money their pockets, as artists they were working, and they were very grateful to be doing that. She also said as artists, you always live way ahead of your time, so it wasn't a big deal for her. They were aware of what the world was like, but they didn't know it was going to stir up so much.

Where did you build your character from? Did you pull stuff from the script?

Reference pictures, speaking to Nichelle Nichols, talking a lot to J.J. After I met Zach Quinto and Chris Pine, that changed a lot, talking to them. For some reason's Zach's Spock and Chris' Kirk brought out my Uhura. The conversations and sharing the knowledge of Star Trek, it was all really good. And I saw all the physical things that were important about her that the fans need. It was a mix of all of that.

Speaking about what the fans want, what about Nichelle's voice? It's legendary did you work on recreating that at all?

The one thing I can tell you is that I know in my heart that the fans are not going to be disappointed. When they see Star Trek they are going to see all of the characters that they've been in love with. The way the plot is laid out, it's not going to compromise the whole legend of Star Trek. If I did imitate the voice I think J.J. and Nichelle managed to get it out of me with out making me feel like I was stepping on anyone's shoes. Maybe it came out here and there.

Did you meet ahead of time with Chris and Zach ahead of time to build a relationship since the movie is about how everyone met and came together?

Everything went so fast we really didn't have much time and I was shooting Avatar [a little more on that later] and they sort of overlapped. But when we started working, the chemistry was inevitable. It was a great set. Chris and Zach could not have been better cast. I can't even tell you if I met the real Zach or the real Chris, because they were so committed to their character.

Do you feel the pressure form fans and media to deliver?

I think maybe that's why J.J. didn't want us to watch every single episode and go that extensively into the research. He knew that there would be a point when we would confuse the responsibility and turn it into pressure. He wanted us to keep it light and fun. He just kept saying, "just trust me, trust me it's going to be great."

What about the rumors that the skirts in this new Star Trek are shorter than the show? Did you think so, was it hard working in a mini?

I'm actually still waiting for the phone call from Paramount producers saying, "You know what Zoe? That skirt wasn't short enough." After watching the show...those skirts were pretty short. If you made them any shorter, it would be a t-shirt. I think they're going to be happy. But the funny thing is, I don't think we went far enough.

What actor went through the most transition?

I think we all did because at times I would think that it was Zachary turning into Spock. But then Chris Pine would walk onto the set in the morning with his blown out hair doing the Kirk walk. We were all transforming ourselves into these characters.

I what was it like working with all the old cast members, like Leonard Nimoy?

Mind boggling. Leonard is the classiest artist I've ever met, by far. He has such grace and his energy and his approach are amazing. After all these years and he just puts on his Spock shoes and transforms into Spock. When his character comes to life it blew everyone away. When I heard Nichelle was on the set I nearly died. I'm sure for Zach it was the same. You are trusted with this precious stone and you have to babysit and make sure you deliver it properly because it was created way before you. And it's going to be living way after, so you need to deliver. That responsibility was kind of humbling.

Tell me about being a one of the few women on the Enterprise?

I think it's awesome. To be on the Enterprise with all these guys, the message speaks loudly. She's a female, she's of high rank and she has her shit together. And never is it ever about, or was it ever about her female presence. It was pretty great. I loved being the only girl.

AVATAR

How did you prep for your role in Avatar, I heard your role is very intense?

I took marshal arts, archery, horseback riding everything. I did an intense six-month prep for Avatar and I loved every minute of it. I was training non-stop. Because we were creating a language that was from scratch. Jim wrote this amazing story out of nothing. It has an amazing message. And the technology that he's using is so ahead of his time that's why it took so long to shoot it. And it's going to [take] a long time for the film to come out, but it's going to be so worth it. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.

How did you get ready for this new technology?

It's about trusting your director. I think with the technology that they decided to use, everybody knows that James Cameron is the biggest perfectionist in this business. I was afraid and we had endless conversations at first. But he just said figure out whatever you need and I did. Because we shot in motion capture and you had to have to create this world in your imagination. He didn't want it to look like I was working in front of a green screen and I didn't want that either. So I worked with what I had and I fell so in love with the story and the characters that it all became very real to me.

What can you tell us about your character, sounds like she's tough?

Given the female characters that James Cameron is known to write, it's just the most impressive ass-kicking girl I've ever played, it's pretty cool.

Is there going to be a lot of war and mayhem?

I'm not going to go into that. The story is very deep, but it's a story that everyone can watch.

Why should people go and see Avatar?

Because Mr. Cameron never ceases to excite. He's always pushing the envelope. I think Avatar is going to represent a lot of change in film history. With motion capture, it's not like shooting green screen. It's deeper it's Beowulf and The Polar Express. But the difference between those films and Avatar is those films were aiming to look like a cartoon. As opposed to Avatar which is aiming to look real. I've seen only three minutes of the film and I can't even put it to words. I can't compare it to anything I've ever seen, because I haven't seen anything like it before. It's going to be just as big as when sound was introduced, or color.

When do you think we might be able to see a trailer for Avatar?

I would say, maybe by the end of this year, but I could be pushing it. So maybe the beginning of next year.

What were you most impressed with on the three minutes that you saw?

I would have to say Jim and what he's done. He's working with Peter Jackson's company Weta in New Zealand and I was down there and I had the honor of meeting all of these people who were working for Weta and I was so blown away. Just Jim, he will not settle for anything other than great. And those three minutes were great, they were beautiful.

Did you get to see what you looked like in Avatar?

Yes I did, all I'm going to say is oh my god, I was so impressed.

This isn't the first time that Zoe has dealt with Star Trek. In the movie The Terminal she played a Trekkie customs worker:

According to synopses released so far, Avatar is the story of an injured ex-marine who gets taken to an alien planet, the Avatar world. There, he's forced to help humans colonize it against his will. But he eventually rebels and helps to lead the aliens in their fight for freedom.

Weaver said a few times that she's not a supporting character in Avatar, but "the female lead." Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana may have the "romantic leads," but Weaver has just as big a part. On her character, she says:

[James Cameron] created a wonderful character for me. She's a lot like him — she's very impatient, she's very driven, she's got a big heart, she's very complicated and you see very different people in the human world and in the avatar world. It's a fantastic canvas for me to paint on.

Avatar is "gonna blow the mind of this industry," with its vivid emotions and 3-D motion-capture visuals using Cameron's own self-designed cameras, Weaver predicts. The story is about ecology and greed, but also about love and "becoming a man." (I don't think Weaver meant her character becomes a man. But you never know.) "It's a very dense piece of work," she adds.

Not only did Cameron design the new 3-D cameras used in Avatar, but he also designed the sets, the guns and a lot of the alien creatures we meet. So it's understandable that he's a bit impatient with people who can't see inside his head and understand his vision, Weaver insists. "He's operating the camera," she adds, possibly exaggerating, but maybe not. "Considering what he's taken on, he's quite angelic, actually."

Weaver has turned down a lot of not-that-compelling parts in science fiction movies, and she doesn't think she has that much of a following among science fiction fans. But she loves the genre, because it involves "doing the impossible."

Separately, Cameron wrote to Ain't It Cool News about the status of Avatar:

I'm in New Zealand right now, working on effects, while Steve Quale shoots some second unit. We've worked together a lot (he did the engine room scenes on "Titanic", plus co-directed "Aliens of the Deep" with me) and he's the only guy I trust to shoot stuff for me, especially in 3D. We still have a little performance capture work to do with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in March, when we get her back from Star Trek (she's Uhura — but of course you already knew that.) And we have a couple of days with Stephen Lang in April or May, to shoot his character's last scene, which is so technically difficult it will take us until then to figure out how to do it.

[Premiere Magazine, via Jenni]