‘Star Trek’ Scouting Iceland For Location Shooting

According to the Reykavik-based newspaper DV (via Trek Today), Paramount are scouting locations in Iceland for their upcoming new ‘Star Trek’ movie. No further details on what kind of location they are looking for, but it is reasonable to assume it would be some kind of alien landscape. Iceland is often used for commercials and films (such as Batman Begins pictured right) for it’s desolation and beautiful vistas.  Apparently Paramount are using a company called Sagafilm to assist them, check out their ‘showreels’ to get an idea of what Iceland offers. TrekMovie.com has already reported that the producers plan on using a large stage at Universal for alien planet shots so it is possible that the location shooting would be ‘2nd unit’ establishing shots (like the Alaskan glacier standing in for Rura Penthe shots in Star Trek VI). If it isn’t second unit, then JJ Abrams is already familiar with location shooting. Lost is shot almost entirely on location (especially the pilot which Abrams directed). On Mission: Impossible III Abrams shot all around the world, including China and Italy.

(CALLING ALL ICELANDER TREKKIES: any TrekMovie.com readers in Iceland, contact me)

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Looks good! I always thought Trek could use some sweeping vistas like Hoth in Empire Strikes Back.

Andoria?

On location! Yeah! One more indication that they’re doing a quality job of it. Sound stages look like what they are. They’re perfect for starship interiors and some other stuff… but even decades, later a papier mache rock looks crappy.
And I always thought Iceland was green and Greenland was icy. Ah well. As long as it’s alientastic.

On the other hand, Treks I, II(The Greatest) and III were shot on soundstages, but then so was Nemesis, so definately there’s no tellin’.

Re: Tigress – Andoria – good call

OR perhaps Zarabeths Planet!!

Yellowstone subbed for Vulcan in STTMP.

Co-ol!

#8 True.

But, an intriguing possibility since, IMHO, Andorians were under-developed (until ST:Enterprise) characters of the purported ‘founding’ members of the Federation.

(admiting my own bias in ‘the most intriguing Trek species’)

Andoria? That’d be interesting. Nice to see a TREK movie scouting world-wide for locations. A good sign of the $ and energy that’ll be going into this film.

#2 – My first hunch was the same. But in the end we’ll all be wrong and it’ll turn out to be… Iceland.

There’s the new movie title: Star Trek: Iceland Adventure!

Join Kirk and Spock on their first mission together as they travel to Iceland to pass their wilderness survival training exercise! Spock mindmelds with a polar bear! Kirk gets his shirt torn by a seal!

What the heck I hate speculating but, I hope it is Andoria, one of the things I lived about ENT was the Andorians been in it, heck I just loved ENT particularly seasons 3 & 4. but any way, this is good news maybe Paramount realised that they were forcing the writers, directors and cast to make a block buster with no support etc.

My good feeling has turned into a great feeling.
Bob, The Evil Klingon Frontline Leader – June 26, 2007 – Q’apla!

NOW…the information is starting to drip in, bit by bit.

16. Xai – June 26, 2007 – and wetting the taste buds of all us fans.

One of the greatest shots it Trek history was the Ice Shelf that they filmed for Rurapenthe (I think thats the right spelling…Xai?) It reflected the grand scale of the film, not only that the Music score was brilliant as well! A big part of me hopes that this film will in a way, draw on the work Nic Myers (again hope I got his name spelt correctly) work as well as Manny Cotto’s.

#17 Rura Penthe according to the article above… no matter. Any information will help calm down the flamers that keep insisting this will be a reboot or not written as a true TOS story.
I hate disinformation and the result it has on people looking for the right facts. And the fact is right now that we know dam little.

I think that would be pretty cool if it were Andoria, but I don’t think these guys ever watched Enterprise, so they wouldn’t know the landscape which was established on that show. I guess they could find out pretty easily.

Actually, the producers are filming the whole movie in Iceland to afford them the privacy they need in not having the script/storyline leak out. They know that once the fans get wind of the plot, that a young Kirk and Spock first meet up, and fall in love, while working in the Ice Capades one summer to pay their tuition to Starfleet, the shit’s really going to HIT THE FAN!! (funny how that phrase can mean a couple of different things). Oh, by the way, the working title to the movie is ICECAP MOUNTAIN!

The name “Rura Penthe” is lifted from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It’s a slavers’ island that pisses off Nemo. (One of countless literary references in this very literate series, by the way.)

I think the Iceland location is going to be for the sequel film to Spock’s Brain — where Kirk and company go back to planet Sigma Draconis VI and kick the Morg and Eyemorg’s arses for stealing Sarek’s brain!

Yes, moments after Kirk and Company leave Sigma Drac…using knowledge gained from “the Controller” — i.e., Spock, Kara learns of Sarek, boards the ion-cruiser — and proceeds to Vulcan where she — um — steals SAREK’s brain to serve as the new Dominatron-class Controller — a controller equipped with phaser turrets and force shields!

Why Vulcans? Vulcans get more miles to the brain-fluid gallon than other alien brains…easy.

But, the gallant crew of the Enterprise is having NONE of it and return in haste to the frozen excuse for a planet to kick a little arse!

Forgot to add, that Kara is aided in this little plot of evil, by the nefarious android RUK — who is quite comfortable in sub zero temps….and by the thoroughly demoralized Alexander of Platonius who now hates Kirk for not pumping up his kyronide count and making him Supreme Emperor of Platonius. It seems Kara once stole Alexander’s brain but Parmen kicked her arse and used his powers of telekinesis to put the hapless midget’s brain back in his noggin.

But, this plot digresses…we now return you to your regulan programming…

Lol sleeper agent:) bravo

Doubt very much Andorians will feature.

1. They are just funny looking – C’mon, blue guys with Martian Antennas??? – I think Abrams will look to something more alien and different, especially on a “first mission”

2. Andorians are very familiar. Doubt that will a focal point on this new feature, that I think aims to draw in a new audience and well make trek cool again like with ST:FC and when Jeri put on her spandex.

The problem with most of you die hard fans above is you expect and hope for the familiar. I for one loved the experience of seeing a trek Eps I’ve never heard or read about – (Spoiled every movie that way).

I truely hope the new flick will give me something that will bring back a sense of wonder and awe. What I don’t want is just another reincarnation of previous stories and remakes of Aliens previously made with lower budgets.

I’d love to see andoria, but its probably a new place (which is also good)

Iceland (unlike Greenland) is actually not covered in ice most of the time.

Personally I don’t think we should be seeing already seen places like Andoria or Rura Penthe. Trek is about exploring the Galaxy. Let’s meet someone new and creative. I see nothing wrong with seeing some updated aliens we’ve seen before but I don’t think they should be the focal point of the story.

We’ve already reached the point where we’re going to go back to Kirk and Spock. In several series we’ve seen the same tired plot get reused (actually since The Motion Picture). Familiar’s fun, I understand that but let’s not make that the focal point of the story.

re:28 That is intriguing, if this new movie is to be Kirk Begins i’d like to see Tarsus IV, the Farragut, and a lot of the other things that we learn in the series.

# 27 Totally Agree.

Star Trek should revert back to “Exploration” as Jean -Luc so ironically said in the turbolift on Insurrection: “Does anyone remember when we used to be explorers?”

To Boldly go..

They had the right idea in TMP, but since then its been conflict and politics. I would like to see amazing new life and new civilizations. Space is so big and so wonderful, especially in Roddenberry’s universe, yet lateley that idea has become so small in our minds. The Alpha quadrant has become so small do fast.

#28 Anthony

Agree with you.

As long as they make an attempt to have sets, uniforms, other staples look similar to TOS, I’m happy. Let’s see some new things also and maybe throw in a few surprises we all recognize.

i wanna see Kirk and the Farraget vs the cloud in this – that would be sweet…like honey

btw whats the budget for this one? $100 million?

I hope it’s not about Global Warming with Iceland doubling as the Frozen Earth. Yikers!

Star Trek is special.

I have to say that I hope they don’t go to someplace like Andoria for a huge chunk of the movie however would it be interesting to have one Andorian on the ship either as a officer or just helping them somehow? So anyway… I hope this is a sign of what I had strongly hoped for. I hoped that as soon as all this Transformers ruckus had passed by the Star Trek news would more steadily trickle in especially as we get closer and closer to filming itself. JJ Abrams sure doesn’t say much to tantilize us does he… Oh well.

Aaron R.

I demand red bridge rails!!!!!!

I still think it would be cool if they made the new movie look EXACTLY like TOS, except using very expensive materials, effects and sets to accomplish it. Not only would the “old fans” cream, but the new audience might find it interesting, different and visually titillating!! A new classic for the ages!!

oh Harry, that would be too much to hope for and I just might cream if they did

re:39. Harry

I like that idea. It would not solve ALL the problems, but I like the idea.

uuummm… so you mean using CGI to make phasers look like painted on lines? Expensive sets made to look like a cardboard? Flat monitors in the bridge showing static, not so technical looking pictures (they actually did that on Enterprise)? Have the Enterprise very flat w/o the surface detailing it had on the hull in the movies (which gave the ship scale and more depth)? Using black bars on the sides of the movie screen so the movie remains in 4:3 aspect ratio?

…Maybe I don’t follow.

My wife and I visited Iceland for a vacation once. It’s definitely not all ice — it’s known as “the land of fire and ice”. We visited vast lava fields, beautiful huge waterfalls dropingoing into vast grassy plains, geysers as good as old faithful, and of course we had a picnic lunch on a glacier. It was a spectacular place with far less snow than I expected. The Southwest part of the island is surprisingly mild, due to the fact that the gulfstream runs right into it (we were there during mid-October and we enjoyed 7 days of 40 degrees F and higher). The interior, though, is very cold and mostly uninhabited.

The lava field we visited could definitey be a stand-in for an alien planet — lava rock (such as pumice and basalt) as far as the eye can see in all directions. The part of the country that had the geysers also looked Alien, with warm pools of higly mineralized water that almost glowed with different colors. One thing though…there weren’t any trees. Our guide told us that almost all of the tress were cut down by the vikings and later settlers for firewood and building materials. I remember I left a $50 donation to help re-forestation projects.

Iceland has some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen…It’s a lot more than just glaciers (although the glaciers are beautiful, too).

No…please no andorians.

Blue guys with insect antennae do not make for a very sophisticated-looking alien. If the “new group of Trek fans” that Abrams is courting get one look at Andorians, they’ll just walk away from the movie laughing. That will only reinforce the myth that Star Trek is for geeks only.

re:42. Kevin
“…Maybe I don’t follow.”

No, I don’t think you do. I think you may be taking the word ‘exactly’ too literally for the intent of the message…

To recreate exactly does mean identical does it not?

Exactly-
1. in an exact manner; precisely; accurately.
2. in every respect

Exact-
1. strictly accurate or correct: an exact likeness; an exact description.
2. precise, as opposed to approximate: the exact sum; the exact date.
3. admitting of no deviation, as laws or discipline; strict or rigorous.

Or was it meant to mean a minor face lift w/o too much artistic license would be okay?

If that’s the case then I’d be on board for that. Similar to what was done w/ the Borg in First Contact. A slight face lift, but they still looked like Borg.

Obviously, don’t take my literal meaning to mean that I want the Enterprise to look like the Borg.

When I said EXACTLY, what I meant was the flavour and tone of TOS. The best example to compare it to would be like listening to The Beatles in mono on vinyl records during the 1960’s, and then being able to hear the “same” music now in stereo on a CD; the same in essence, only infinitely better for the enjoyment. More fleshed out and defined, making the creation “richer” for it. Does that clarify my position?
p.s. thank you Stanky for the compliment and coming to my defense!!

All I know is, I want my Spock’s Brain sequel…lol

It would take too long to explain why it would be a pain to watch a sequel to Spock’s Brain. That’s my disdainful refrain!! Ouch!

#49 LMAO!!! Too funny…LOL