Abrams Talks Kirk and Spock With TrekMovie.com

JJ Abrams was in Beverly Hills Wednesday to present an Atrios Award to his longtime casting director April Webster. TrekMovie.com was there and got a moment to talk a little Trek XI. Abrams confirmed our earlier story on the film’s current status and Spring 2007 production start. He also explained why he hasn’t yet committed to direct and talked a bit about why he thinks Kirk and Spock continue to endure…see  the (shaky) video.

video removed

full transcript for the TrekMovie.com Abrams ‘mini interview’ below…


TrekMovie.com: How will you decide if you will direct Star Trek XI?

JJ Abrams: It is too early, I haven’t even seen the script yet. It is one of those things where I want to make sure I am the right person for it. As we proceed…I won’t committ to anything that I don’t think I can deliver the way I think it needs to be delivered. It is a question of practicality more than anything else

TM: (Star Trek XI co-writer) Roberto Orci said…he that the end of October is when the first draft was  due

JJA: I would love to see that quote so I can call him up say ‘uh Bob?’…Well they are in the midst of it and it’s in progress.

TM: So shooting next spring is realistic?

JJA: The idea is to start shooting somewhere around there, otherwise we are not going to make the date that they have.

TM: Summer 2008?

JJA: 2008 ya 

TM: Would summer 2008 be preferable to winter 2008?

JJA: Well winter would be preferable because you would have more time 

TM: Why do you think the characters of Kirk and Spock endure?

JJA: That was an amazing relationship, it was an incredible relationship. It was brilliant writing and brilliant casting…and I agree with that.

TM: Any other message for the Trek fans?

JJA: No…no really. I dont say anything before its time

 

Unforunately the interview was cut short because the show was about to start, so the rest of our Trek questions will have to wait until next time.  It was interesting to hear that Paramount seem to be driving the advanced schedule and that Abrams would prefer more time. His answer regarding Kirk and Spock was telling, he seems to have an affinity with those characters. And what exactly does ‘and I agree with that’ mean?    

…and sorry for the poor quality video, anyone want to send TrekMovie.com a spare HD camera? 

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Great little exclusive Tony! Kudos to you!

So it’s about the Kirk/Spock relationship is it?
I can’t think of a more aggressively hetrosexual charcter that James T Kirk so I’ll be disappointed if we’re going into “gay subtext” territory here.

JJ Abrams does not seem to be as confident as his writen statements. Especially if the script isn’t what he wants it to be. Seems like he will bale if it isn’t to his liking. Sorry to rain on the parade.
I’m hoping for the best.

Capt. Pike……………
I did’nt even think THAT , until you mentioned IT! :-(

You guys are doing a fantastic job! The best source for trek news right now, and I’m sure for quite sometime in the future. Thanks for all the updates and reports!

WE NEED TO KIDNAP ABRAMS! Take him to a safe-house, get the truth serum out and let’s get all of the answers now!

I can’t wait for 2008! Help me Anthony! (You’re doing a great job, don’t mind me…).

“And what exactly does ‘and I agree with that’ mean?”

He got distracted and lost his train of thoughts. There’s nothing more to it.

Summer 2008?…I hope the anticipation is worth the wait.

Going off-topic for a second…may I remind fans of nostalgic classic effects that the excellent “Forbidden Planet” from 1956 is getting a welcome remastered, Dolby 5.1, 50th Anniversary DVD release on November 14th, with some terrific extras, including previously unseen footage. Check out the informative http://www.dvdactive.com for full details.

It’s reminiscent of a good original series Star Trek episode, with it’s mysterious plot, colourful, inventive visuals, and mixture of gravitas and humour. I hope the proposed Trek movie reboot proves as entertaining…

Ah, I can see and hear it now…An ALEXANDER COURAGE orchestral Main Theme update, played against the ORIGINAL William Shatner “mission statement” voiceover…then the ORIGINAL “Star Trek” logo, perhaps slightly embellished, S L O W L Y looming large into frame…then the wished for cameos of a now older Kirk and Spock played by the present William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, who are perhaps briefly reminiscing about glories past…then fading excitingly into an overhead zoom of the ORIGINAL DESIGN Enterprise, the camera “cutting through” into a reasonably faithful big screen adaption of the ORIGINAL DESIGN/COLOURS of the Bridge, and us, the audience, being thrown into the IMMEDIATE action of a, hopefully great, ALL-NEW cast in reasonably faithful DESIGN/COLOURED original series UNIFORMS, being buffeted by some as yet unseen force…played out against some updated, ominous, original series FRED STEINER musical cue…what comes NEXT, I leave to the hopefully brilliant storyline…

Hey, a guy can wish can’t he?

Cervantes, how are you doing? That Battle of Lepanto leaves a mark on a man. Listen, Roberto Orci wrote Men in Pink on Hercules; in fact, here are all his scripts.

http://www.episodelist.com/shows/view_category_item.php?category_item_id=859

Amazing all the junk you find on the Internet.

OK, he wrote Porkules too, so I should give him more credit!

Listen, let’s hope for the best, but my hopes aren’t too high right now.

Does J.J. remind anyone else of Rick Moranis? Just a thought…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Moranis

I am strangely ambivalent towards this new feature… for many years I wanted the various incarnations of Star Trek to be this or that. Sometimes, I was hugely gratified, other times I was disappointed. I can rememeber vividly the huge bugaboo when the first rumors of TNG started… Some said there’s no way you can do Star Trek without Kirk and Spock… others said the more Star Trek, the better. Both sentiments had validity… at the time. Both have proven to be partially accurate.

There is a part of me that wants J.J. Abrams to “re-boot” the entire Star Trek Universe and there is this part of me that won’t let go of forty years of history. There are times that i am amazed at how well that “universe’ holds together. Certainly. there are some inconsistencies, both glaring and subtle but overall, it is amazingly cohesive.

Then i think of all the story possibilties because one isn’t limited to KIrk did this or Janeway said that or Picard met so and so… well, you get the idea.

My feeling is… if Abrams had a really kick-ass story to tell… and that story had the potential to kick-start Trek for another forty years, I’d be happy to lose a place I’ve lived in for an hour or two a week.

Conversely, I’d be sad, too. Mainly ’cause the latter part of that second forty-year run, I’d be hittin’ that button to get the nurse in to give me a sponge bath. Christ, I hope the hospitals have better audio systems than they do now. I mean, by that time, what’s it gonna be Dolby 27.1 Surround?

8. Cervantes

My wife and I saw Forbidden Planet on the big screen last summer at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania’s annual “Blobfest”.

They projected Forbidden Planet, It Came from Outerspace (in 3D!!!), and The Blob (of course, with mandatory “flee the Colonial Theater” re-enactment”).

Let me tell you it was a fine looking film even as it was. Anne Francis… drool!

I was just thinking, you can’t just bring kirk/spock and crew without bringing the Entrerprise back to restart the franchise. Does that mean we’ll see a Capt. Robert April or Capt. Pike!?

A change of command is traditional. We may see it. That would be cool!

I am looking forward to this project. Like so many of you, Trek in all it’s guises has been a fixture in my life. I want to see it revitalized and I think some new visions and blood will only help that. JJ has proven to be imaginative and seems to have energized fans and non-fans to be interested in the ST universe again.
And who brought up “gay subtext”? This is Kirk, who has kissed many a scantily-clad alien females. Right?
I want new ideas, but the charactors should not change to that degree.

I posted this on another thread…

Let’s add more speculation.
There’s nothing out there to support this… just theorizing.
Just suppose that the studio likes the story-line well enough that they see the option of this being a 2 or 3 movie arc? Similar to “Pirates of the Caribbean” it could film all of them together, tie the cast’s contracts to do all the movies and make a grand sweeping 6 to 8 hour story line to be viewed over a 3 to 4 year period.
Let’s throw that ‘enterprise” out here and see what ya’ll think.

And regarding Shatner… Cameo or large part… at some point he needs to actually take a bow and hang up his space boots. Then he should pass the torch… before it’s too late. I’d rather his legacy was one that he played the part to the hilt and knew when it was time to let the next man become James T. Kirk.

#15 -MichaeIT –

Yeah, whoever plays Captain Kirk ( IF that is going to be a character in the movie reboot…) should absolutely retain the original character and still have a glint in his eye for the ladies.

The original series was actually a very sexy show with crewmembers of BOTH sexes ogling at one another at various times. I say get rid of the later formal interaction and give us back the political incorrectness and fun of crewmembers eyeing each other up, down, and sideways once again. This movie should be about bringing the life and fun back of the classic series.

#12 – An olde timey fan –

And yes, along with the still lovely Grace Lee Whitney ( Yeoman Rand ), I too still harbour an unrequited love for Anne Francis…

By the way, what did your wife think of your drooling at the time?

I’m getting sick of this! Jesus freakin’ Christ, Abrams, tell us what Star Trek XI is going to be about. Cut the bullcrap already, sweet jesus…im getting tired of this waiting crap.

#19 David,
Guess what?….. you’ll have to wait awhile. Studios just don’t come out and tell you the story BEFORE the release. Makes for more paying bodies at the theater.
But , I have it on a reliable source that Jesus Christ won’t be a character in ST:XI, so on your next post try using someone else’s name in vain. k?