Trek Writers Talk Sequels

Star Trek writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have already declined to write a sequel to their monster hit Transformers (in theaters now), but in a new interview they seem a bit more open to it for Star Trek. When asked if the film is a ‘one off’ they had this to say…

Orci: I think maybe on this one more than even on Transformers, we were imagining possibly a bigger universe.
Kurtzman: I think that’s part of the responsibility of taking on this franchise. It’s going to continue. That’s part of the whole theme of Star Trek. There is always going to be a future.

The pair also talked about the vetting process for the script and what it was like to meet Shatner and Nimoy, saying "it was totally insane." Read the whole interview at GeekMonthly.com

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You know, the more I hear from these two chaps, the less I want to hear from them. Good Lord. Talk about parsing and splitting hairs down to the molecular level, and talking about nothing when they’re obviously talking about something. Sequels? Are they kidding? Where’d they get their PR training, Donald Rumsfeld?

K&O: Do everyone a massive favor: Keep your traps shut, write, stay out of the PR biz and leave the heavy thinking and but-covering to JJ,okay?

God.

Cant wait, cant wait, cant wait!! Its gonna be great!

# 1 : You’re right…..these guys are making mountains out molehills that are (at best) on the very distant horizon. And they’re assuming that the next Trek film will be the best thing right up to the invention and joy of sliced bread. Thats wrong….ONLY because they know of the script – etc and we as fans are out in the dark – sort of like making a business transaction with a complete strange in the dark of night….NOT a wise or worthwhile move.

Give them some credit these two wrote Transformers for Gods sake….

I’ve read stuff that Orci has said with Transformers at the movie’s official forum. he’s kinda a stuck-up jerk. I rather like Kurtzman so far. He seems to be much better. hopefully this will have a better script than transformers. cool as it was, the script wasn’t the best. and with this movie being rushed (or so it sounds from the full interview) I’m somewhat concerned…

Interesting take. Wrong, but interesting.

These guys aren’t running around doing press conferences announcing that they have done this and that with the script, and that they are responsible for the series’ revival. What they are doing is being extremely gracious and forthcoming with as much information as they can divulge to all the rabid fanboys and geek bloggers that phone and email them hoping to get some minor tidbit of information that they can dissect for the next two weeks.

If you take umbrage at anyone, it should be at the blogists and Trek fanboys. Don’t slight the writers for being extremely gracious interviews.

No spechen Deutche….

In the full interview they mention that the script has been vetted by fanboys and geeks alike. People who know Star Trek are helping to mold, shape and polish the story. That is, hopefully, a good sign!

What will “ComicCon” soon reveal?…

I don’t give a Tribble’s hairy butt about what K&O have to say about squat ANYTHING. They’re just scripters, nothing more. It’s JJ Abrams’ who’s calling the shots, and I doubt that script will even remotely resemble what they’ve written one-quarter into production once Abrams and the Suits at Paramount get through butchering it. Enough already. Their spiel’s getting damned tiresome and irrelevant, and downright Rumsfeldian in substance. They need to shut the &^%$ up already and quit running their mouths 24/7. I get it, guys. Thank you very much.

I’ve been a Trek fan for 40 years, and I’ve never ever considered myself a fanboy or geekblogger, or anyone else most decent folks believe belong in a zoo somewhere, and I ain’t got much patience or stomach for anyone whom the description applies to. Damned straight, I don’t, and the folks who are required to save Trek don’t much either.

I don’t care about all this minutiae. Just write the damned thing, go home and shut their damned traps and let JJ and Lindy handle the rest.

To paraphrase Jolene Blalock regarding ENT fans’ protests: “They’re not saying anything different, just louder.”

I hope they give Jolene Blalock a cameo as a hot, older vulcan in the movie.

#9 In the full interview they mention that the script has been vetted by fanboys and geeks alike. People who know Star Trek are helping to mold, shape and polish the story. That is, hopefully, a good sign!

Takes out Mark IV Phaser Rifle and shoots Star Trek, ending its misery.

Rest In Peace, Trek.

#12.

Don’t go there…

Well, now we know these two can talk for a long time without saying anything. Let’s hope they can’t write that way. I want plot, dammit!
These guys are the David Gerrold of 2007/2008. I wish us all luck with their work. Let’s hope they have lasting power.

I just hope they don’t throw something really stupid into the script like, “The NSA is recruiting directly out of high schools now.”

Give them a break…
They have to give interviews because a movie of theirs just came out. They can’t be blamed that in every single interview they are asked about trek.

> GM: Matt Damon, Ryan Gosling, James McAvoy? Did you write this
> thinking of someone as Kirk?
>
> Alex: We were writing with someone in mind but we can’t say who.

I thought this was an interesting comment. If they had someone in mind, does that mean it was a ‘name’ star? Fascinating.

I\’d rather have these two, rather than Berman or Braga.

#11
If you don’t care what the writers of the next StarTrek movie have to say, why are you here posting? To show people how much you don’t care? I’ve been a Trek fan for 40 years too and I’m proud to call myself a geek for the show. I don’t have such a high opinion of myself that a non-insulting label such as that offends me. I do “geek-out” occasionally for news about my favorite show. Besides, if Orci and Kurtzman didn’t grant interviews for the movies they were involved in, they would quickly be out of jobs. If you don’t like the news, quit reading the articles. As far as Orci having a big ego, who cares as long as the movies good?

I’m on the fence with these guys. Aside from the pacing, I really liked the Island but I thought Transformers was simply awful. The juvenile jokes and humor was….well, the less said about Transformers the better. A frantic mess. Sure Bay has to carry a lot of the blame for this but these guys DID write it.

Sign me-
Concerned

Transformers was a summer action movie….

Juvenile Jokes…..of course….the movie is based on Toys…..

Plot holes….yes…..this was never meant to be academy worthy….fast paced action, guns, bombs, hot chicks, fast cars…..thats Transformers.

I think its funny when people expect some ground breaking perfect plot when they go see a movie like Transformers.

Bay made 145 million dollars last week.
What’s in your wallet?

21.

Couldn’t DISagree with you more. TRANSFORMER was awesome. Best movie of the summer without a doubt. I saw it twice.

#1, 11, 13,14 Shadow6283

What cactus did you sit on?

First, Demode (#12) or anyone can post whatever they choose as long as it’s cool with Anthony. But I am sure both can defend themselves.

As for the content of the post. The writers are being asked questions. They answered and their quotes made it here. If you dislike what’s being reported you have a right to not read it, as THX noted.

If you are tired of the splitting hairs and lack of substance in their quotes, what did you expect? They won’t be reading the script aloud for yours or my enjoyment regardless of how we plead or insult them, so again, maybe you should avoid the interview stories if they bother you. In my opinion.

——————————————————————————————-

As for the story…
I have not seen enough of these writers work to make a guess at the potential quality of the finished product. It does sound like they respect what’s come before… maybe even awed by the fact that THEY got to write the movie… and I like that.

X

Oh, and I forgot to ask….
Shadow, are you always this much fun?

I gotta agree, Transformers was pretty bad. But it was a popcorn flick, just not a very good one. How do you build to a climax when you have one happening every 10 minutes? And yes, I know I know, a LOT of people liked it, but a lot of people think wrestling is real and a lot of people give money to TV evangelists. The fact that American is slurping it up by the millions doesn’t impress me, nor does it surprise me. But thats just one opinion against another. The $1,000,000 question is can they write good Star Trek and stay away from the style of tranformers? Mission Impossible 3 rocked (didn’t they write that too?) and was easily the best of the franchise. Also I’m sure JJ would not have signed off on the script until it met his approval. I can see why some people are worried (espeically after seeing Transformers) but Bay and Abrahms are two WAY different film makers. And MI 3 was great. I still think we’re in capable hands,

The problem for most is that the exepctations for Star Trek will be so high that it cannot possibly satisfy everyone. The first film suffered from this. I go into this with high hopes because at least Paramount is making an effort to bring it back. I like all that is being said so far and they seem to be making an effort to include Shatner and Nimoy in the process.

#28: The first film suffered because it was mind-numbingly dull. I think I have an impartial perspective on this, as I grew up watching the Original Series movies on video that my dad taped off TV (I was born in 1990) and The Motion Picture was always my least favourite of the six.

Star Trek:TMP was trying to emulate two things “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Star Wars,” we know that and I say that because it is true.

The results? Several unnecessary passes over V’ger and countless shots of the Bridge crew with thier mouth’s gapping basically “freaking out.” The stressing of “visual stimulus” backfired and slowed the film down. I mean, how long was it before they even left the solar system?

ST:TWOK was fast paced…the producers and directors actually sat down and watched all 79 episodes of the show and “got it.” Plus, the director’s (NM) style actually had a feel to it that caugth something. ST:TSFOS was basically “part 2.” We see some critical losses…the Enterprise blows up and Kirk looses his son.

ST: TVH: This was whimsey in the vein of “The Trouble with Tribbles” and fun Star Trek that was key. ST:TFF: Oops…this was likely trying to be “funny” as well, but missed the mark.

Now, what’s next?

ST:TUC goes back to a lot of what we saw in TWOK. It’s a certain type of action that is different from what they tried in Nemesis. It was also paralleling the newspapers. I do not want it to be too much of that in this next film. Our times are too…agendistic. A plot where the Federation President mimic’s President Bush…or Spock and Kirk as Homosexuals? Or some “environmental mess” storyline…or, even a pro-Bush message is just our of place.

We need to lay of the politics…in the forum and on the film for doing so will keep about half the audience away. Now, Terrorism and its aspects is an issue that can be touched…however, teh “greater concept” not anything that directly looks at the current situation.

We need a well written story with great effects that is true to Star Trek Canon and will, you all that, impress fans and passers-by a like.

They say, as has been said in another post, they don’t make these for an Academy Award…but, what about if that was what they shot for? A cool canon story that could stand alone without knowing anything about canon, but that will appeal to all.

Almost like a period picture…*I have said that before in other threads.

Let’s just hope that this particular entry will DESERVE some sequels…

transformers sucked!!!! as far as…”what do you expect from a summer blockbuster movie…or from transformers as a movie…” WELL, i expect a decent story! the dialgoue was aweful, the jokes were aweful, the plot was lame, and we spend more time with humans than we do with “TRANSFORMERS”!!!

i hope these two did a better job with Star Trek. right now i have lost my faith in this project based off of Transformers.