For the last few weeks there has been a bit of buzz surrounding the proposed 2012 sequel to J.J. Abram’s Star Trek. According to a recent interview with writer/producer Robert Orci, the film is currently being prepped using a 70-page outline. The script hasn’t been finished, and Abrams is busy wrapping up work on Super 8, and with the film currently set for a June release, things have been looking rather bleak. Now, we’re hearing a rumor that the film’s release has been pushed to the holiday season. A December release date would give them the time they need to throw the film together, but I have to admit I’m disappointed. Still, I wonder if anyone didn’t see this coming a mile away.
And no, we’re not talking about Khan. Pop Culture blog Badass News managed to snag a scoop on the upcoming Abram’s flick that should have Fanboys and girls relieved. According to an informant whom they claim is close to the production, the basic plot of the film has been decided. Rather than attempting to top Ricardo Montalbán’s legendary portrayal of the genetically engineered tyrant, Khan Noonien Singh, they’ve opt’d for more of an unconventional approach by instead focusing on a villain archetype that’s never been done before.
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 13, 2010 in Star Trek
The Star Trek reboot was one of the biggest cinema hits of 2009, for good reason — it was a great movie. Director J.J. Abrams did a lot of things right, and he’d like to keep that pattern going for the film’s sequel, according to a new interview with SFX Magazine. Fans have been clamoring for Klingons to be featured in the second film of the rebooted series, and Abrams says he isn’t deaf to those pleas, but it’s a matter of seeing what works in the lens of this slightly different film universe. He said that adding something that’s popular with fans to the franchise for the sake of likeability isn’t necessarily the best idea, but if it can work, they’ll do it. He also told fans not to worry — the tone of the first film should be carried over to the second, in terms of humor interspersed with the drama. Good news there. No evidence of gritty sequelitis found — put that needle away, Bones. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 10, 2010 in Star Trek
Back in the day you’d only think about doing a sequel if a film was a cut above everything else — however these days if you’re a studio who is investing huge sums of money to get it right you plan to shoot several films at a time. Lucas did this with Star Wars in 1999, and the Matrix and Lord the Rings used the same formula. So you’d think if you were an executive at Paramount and you had J.J. Abrams signed up you wouldn’t be producing a one shot? Well that bet would be incorrect — and the next Trek film won’t be due out until 2012 at this rate. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 12, 2009 in Star Trek
The above video shows a J.J. Abrams and a great deal of the Star Trek XI cast at a charity event which is put together by Bill Shatner (the Hollywood Charity Horse Show). There was a previous video put out by Shatner from this even featuring him meeting Chris Pine, but until I came across this more recent video I had realized that Abrams was there too. What at first seems like a chance meeting becomes something very planned — so I have to wonder out loud if this means that Shatner is in talks with Paramount and or Abrams to be in the next Star Trek film? Because if he isn’t this footage seems very out of place.
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 1, 2009 in Star Trek
This is some amazing new footage (posted with permission) which shows J.J. Abrams in action directing the new Star Trek XI film. I like the little touch in the bar scene of having the poster of Neil Armstrong on the moon, and there are also a few new details of the Starfleet Academy that I hadn’t seen before. Also worth looking at is this interview with a few of the folks working on the film from about a month ago: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Apr 18, 2009 in Star Trek
I haven’t seen this film yet, but I know one thing for certain: J.J. Abrams really knows how to promote a film! I’ve now seen him pushing this film every where from Australia to Wired magazine — and I like the fact that he’s not taking his audience for granted. He seems to understand that this isn’t just about making a film, but rescuing a franchise that could fade away. Of course at the end of the day this film has to be damn good, but the amount of work I see him doing is a good indication. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 11, 2008 in Star Trek
According to Variety it looks like Majel Barrett-Roddenberry will be returning to Star Trek XI to resume her role as the voice of the Enterprise computer system! Although I wish they gave her an on screen cameo relating to her original role as Nurse Chapel, however to me this is a sign that J.J. Abrams is getting things right.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 3, 2008 in Star Trek
There was a time not so long ago where I seemed to be doing nothing but covering every marketing scheme and merchandisable goodie that the George Lucas empire would produce — and looking back on it to my amazement I actually lamented Paramount’s inability to do anything with Star Trek. But then J.J. Abrams came along and changed all that in no time!
The evidence of this came face-to-face to me today as I suddenly noticed that one of my new followers on Twitter was the USS Kelvin: My first reaction was that this was just a fanboy with a cool icon, but them upon checking out the tweets it turns out to be a Star Trek XI trivia contest sponsored by Intel and Lenovo. Needless to say the contest looks pretty cool, but I’d wish they’d take even a step further and customize those IdeaPad laptops with a Star Trek theme.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 25, 2008 in Star Trek
Yes it’s the very same Star Trek XI trailer that you’ve been watching again and again for a week now — but this time J.J. Abrams added some extra special secret sauce: Leonard Nimoy as Spock!
Posted by Guest Author on Nov 24, 2008 in Star Trek
Editor’s Note: Today we have a special treat for all Star Trek fanboys (which includes myself). Our good friend Joe Strike gives us a behind scenes report of the recent Star Trek XI preview:
Paramount sneaks us a peek at… ‘Slash Trek’!
I put on the freebie Star Trek t-shirt I picked up at Comicon ’07, the one that says ’12-26-08′ on the back and went to see Paramount shake their big sci-fi moneymaker – the return, after a blessed multi-year respite, Star Trek. The lure (apart from free popcorn, soda and a big bag of candy): a quartet of scenes from its May ’09 guaranteed blockbuster or, as the studio exec introduced it, “a great re-invention of a classic American franchise.” (Well, at least he didn’t call it a brand.)
Director/producer J.J. Abrams, he of Cloverfield and Mission: Impossible 3 ‘fame,’ intro’d the quartet of clips. (Cloverfield sucked, by the way, but you probably figured that out on your own.) “I’ve never been a Star Trek fan,’ JJA all but boasted. (Evidently he’s been doing this at every press opportunity.) “I never got it,” sez he, because as a grade-schooler he couldn’t figure out whether he identified with Spock or Kirk (Me, I was always more of a ‘David Vincent’ fan, Roy Thinnes’ character on the contemporaneous Larry Cohen sci-fi/paranoia series The Invaders.) Now however, and just in the nick of time, he’s “become a Trekker,” just to let everyone know he’s hip enough not to say ‘Trekkie.’ Read more…
