Orci: Linking Next Two Star Trek Movies Just A ‘Maybe’ July 29, 2009
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: Orci/Kurtzman, Star Trek sequel (2012) , trackback
A few days ago we reported a comment from Star Trek scribe Roberto Orci at Comic-Con about possibly linking the next two Star Trek movies. However, in a new brief interview (from the next day) has Bob downplaying the possibility as just a maybe, and also talking about differences between the second new Trek film vs. the second Transformers film. Details below.
Orci on Star Trek sequel
It is déjà vu all over again as we move into the reading tea leaves from various snippets said by the Star Trek film makers as we try to glean what the next movie is all about. In a brief video interview with io9 done the day after his last comments at Comic Con, Bob was asked for the latest on the next movies, here is what he said…
Orci on linking next two movies:
We had one meeting on [Star Trek], that’s me, JJ [Abrams], Damon [Lindelof], Bryan Burk and Alex Kurtzman. And in that one fifteen minute meeting we were talking sooo generally and it somehow the idea maybe came up that that maybe, just for a second, we were thinking maybe of the two movies in tranches. Nothing is set in stone, there is no story there really. We are just starting that crazy process of throwing every idea against the wall and see what happens. So there is nothing to report there really.
Orci on if the second Star Trek would have the same theme as Transformers 2 with the heroes initially rejecting their roles as heroes:
No…Star Trek is different in that you have a crew that is committed to what they are doing. So that is going to lead you to different storytelling. These people are not reluctant heroes, they are hoping to get out there and do what is right.
Watch the video at io9 for Bob’s take on the Star Trek Something Something sequel and some talk of Fringe and Cowboys and Aliens.
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Please do it, but only if the two are released in the same year or at least closely together.
I can’t wait for the next movie.
Star Trek is now unleashed. The first movie had to introduce characters and build a starting situation. Now the scene is set. I loved Trek09 but, in my opinion, the next two movies can be even better.
@ ”rejecting their roles as hereos” answer….
Yea… BUT…. we know during the season of the original series… that Kirk always played this sort of hamlet shakesperean role… in the sense that…. ”why am i here…why ?” ….. I remember during a few episodes…. such as ‘Balance of Terror’ … that conversation between him and Bones in his quarter…. ”Why Bones…. Why Me ????” ….. And abviously… McCoy’s Legendary famous answer…. ”of all the universes… ” (its a long quote, lol)
But i’m just stating… that there IS regret… just ONLY with KIRK. Since he plays that classical archetype. Just hope Bob and Alex understand that…. since Bob considers himself a trekkie !
Need more tea leaves…
@ 4….
just wanna edit something…
that i DO understand that Kirk has ACCEPTED his role as a hero….
but he continues to question his role….
my mistake !
4
True, but that always felt like a portrayal left over from the Pike days, when the writers were still trying to figure out the Kirk character.
By the second season the character had really loosened up and taken on more of Shatner’s persona, which I think is for the best. It’s that looser, friendlier “Trouble with Tribbles” Kirk that I’ve always preferred (and that felt truer to the ESSENCE of the character) than that lonely and tortured Kirk of “Balance of Terror.”
In any case, I don’t think it’s something we really need to see explored with Pine’s Kirk. I definitely want to see him tested, but not to the extent he starts sulking in his quarters or threatening to resign from Starfleet. : )
4.
That was TOS Kirk who had a different history and who was a great man.
We don’t know how this alternate Kirk is going to develop.
Pine’s Kirk has the absence of his father and the Tarsus IV incident, which in my mind leaves him more immature and less hardened and less disciplined.
If they do 2 movies “BACK TO THE FUTURE” style I’ll be happy. They were 2 different stories – Part#2 – Alternate Universe and Part#3 – Old West.
Star trek could have 2 different stories or follow on like the new James Bond movies. It gives the studio great economies of scale and hopefully another movie within a year that can keep our appetites whetted!
Either way ,,, just make it so!
Re: 9
We saw so little of Kirks childhood in the movie that we can’t rule out the possibility that this Kirk also experienced Tarsus IV.
No ChakaKHAN! ChakaKHAN!!!
No Khan!!!
Please, Orci & folks, remember that the Trek characters aren’t just “heroes;” they are EXPLORERS.
Can we please, please, please see some exploration in the next film? Some sense that Starfleet exists to “boldly go” and explore “strange new” stuff?
4
You can hear the whole McCoy speech near the end of this…
http://tinyurl.com/cggnk3
shameless I know ; )
I see nothing In the recent comments to suggest they are ruling out Exploration as a theme in future films.
Since when did “heroes” become a dirty word?
15 – Nobody said “heroes” is a dirty word. It’s just that too much talk of the characters as heroes puts the focus on them saving the day. In my case, I simply asked that Orci & Co. remember they aren’t “just” heroes.
They didn’t set out to be heroes, nor do they think of themselves as heroes. (If they do, then they are arrogant a-hole versions of the TOS crew.)
@ 15.
I think a lot of people might have their reservation over that word…. especially in Star Trek…. because these characters are just portrayal of ”regular” people…. who choose to do the right thing…. and represent the best of the human spirit. And also Star Trek has always been more about the message… rather then the ‘person’. Usually Hero archetypes tend to be more focused on themselves … rather then on the entire situation. But i may be wrong..
@ 16…
thats exactly what i meant !
I like that they are thinking about doing two movies together then we could see one in the summer and the next in Nov. or Dec. all in the same year. But I don’t like part 1 and part 2 movies, you are left with cliffhangers then you have to wait 6 months or a year to get the ending of the movie. I would like the two movies with two different stories not part 1 and part 2.
19 – Amen on the “two different stories” instead of two-part movies.
Although Tarentino pulled it off with Kill Bill. Hmm…..
Maybe a two-part Space Seed/Wrath of Khan called “KILL KHAN, Parts 1 and 2.”
:)
Why not? The Classic cast did it just fine.
Remember when we used to be explorers?™
@ 22.
LOL !! Oh my…. i miss picard ! I hope the TNG cast gets a sort of cameo in one of the next star trek movies.
Much as I loved Trek09… I’m starting to think they shot themselves in the foot with all this time travel/alternate universe business.
It hasn’t freed them up to do whatever. No. It’s actually locked them down.
With the Narada and Spock coming in from the future (alternate/schmalternate), it seems like waaaay too much is already known in this universe from the get go.
Sort of takes the fun and uncertainty necessary for convincing tales of exploration out of the equation, no?
With all due respect, is Mr. Orci implying that heroic figures can’t be the least little bit conflicted about what they do? If so, I beg to differ.
#23: Well Data’s head is in the cavern underneath the Presidio. Since the timeline has changed, it could have easily been discovered and turned into a working Data by 2258.
Sadly there is no way for them to have a cameo as themselves, otherwise.
@ #20
Oof! I hope they don’t do “Kill Khan”.
Frankly, I thought that “Kill Bill” was really just one pretty good hour-and-a-half movie spread far too thinly over two parts and four hours….
***
I’m all for two movies close together. But yes, two distinct movies, please!
No “To Be Continued”!
#26
That’s a cool thought. :)
Might have to re-cast Data, though…..
Hm.
24 – No, not really. It’s a big galaxy.
The one thing I hated about TOS movies was the direct linking of 2-4. I say film them both at the same time but make them independent of each other.
@ 26
Interesting idea.
What about the Enterprise-E gets sucked into the blackhole after Nero and Spock went through…. but what was hours for the Enterprise-E… was years for Kirk and Co. ;)
This is a non-issue
“BOBW” is the finest cliffhanger in SciFi pop culture, especially as Patrick Stewart was renegotiating his contract after they filmed it.
Orci and Co. should build on that tradition and give us a real scorcher. Han Solo encased in carbonite is so ‘meh,’ especially considering what came after it. Give us the goods, guys. When they are filmed is irrelevant.
Oh please no cameo by TNG cast now. Lets leave that universe behind now!
@24
Don’t forget that due to the events of the Movie, Kirk and Crew are on the Enterprise at least 3 years or more before the events in WNMHGB in the TOS Prime Universe.
Kirk Prime would be on the Faragut now and Spock Prime on the Enterprise under Captain Pike.
There is indeed stories to be told before TOS which maybe before or after “The Cage” events and the Theologians.
Original stories that may or may not impact on a future episode could still be written. I’m hoping JJ and Co. will take this into account.
I sincerely hope we will see TNG cameos somewhere down the road in this new Trek franchise .
Hero’s today that is almost a dirty word, just like making a profit and not giving 110% of the profit to all those below you. But it’s okay for the Hollyweed types to make huge profits and screw anyone thats in the way. We all know why this is permissible. And if you do not just watch the news during election years and you will become educated. If you are unable to figure it out than your mind has been so sealed in a box you may be beyond hope of ever returning to reality. And the best I can say is I hope you really enjoy the next two Star Trek reboot movies.
My guess is the ticket prices by then may inflat to $20 per seat for adults, and the movie companies may start making you buy the food and drinks to have them make money.
Who cares about the ticket price, I’ll even trade my gold fillings in for tickets.
Having a BOBW cliffhanger actually does sound like a great idea to me. I don’t know how it would be translated onto the big screen as well as on tv unless the movies are released relatively close to each other but who knows.
Even if this is based on the TOS era, the Countdown Comic leading up to ST09 had TNG in it, so there’s a possibility that Spock!Prime may even mention the TNG crew in the next movie thus we can get a cameo in some shape or form (which would be awesome btw).
And also, just saying this now to refurbish the idea: More Q please, that is all.
For those who are confused that the new movie isn’t an alternate parallel timeline, here’ the proof, Spock would of disappeared if he tampered with his own timeline. He ventured in another time line so that’s why he didn’t disappear, he just changed the future Spock in that alternate timeline.
After seeing the new trek, i have complete and utter faith in these guy’s ability to produce an entertaining movie worthy of my $10. I could care less at this point what they’re writing, plotting, planning…I am just looking forward to sitting in a theater and seeing the next chapter in the Star Trek story.
Thank you all for making a great new film. I loved it.
hoping these writers will do a great star trek story but worried that they will be lazy and just rehash Khan, since a high percentage ofpeople want it.
I am dead against a redo of Khan. Khan is one of the best Trek movies and I dont want these writers to do an inferior film with Khan that we know will never be as good as the original.
No Khan
“To Boldy Go Where No One Has Gone Before”
That should be the Title
Star Trek: Where No One Has Gone Before
Look at Nasa and Apollo 1,8,11 and 13 this is exploring and the ups and downs of it.
Starfleet is what NASA are supposed to become if the future really does begin.
They can’t do a lame “Bla bla Spacedisease/catastrophe/anomaly/exploration” Movie after this action packed movie…
Yes it would be a giant fangasm but that would destroy any chance of a continuation…
41. Great Idea!
42: Yeah, action packed it was.
I’m thinking, no, don’t link them. The second one is always a let down, look at Search for Spock compared to Wrath of Khan. I think unless have and even better story for III, don’t link it to II.
I have a couple of concerns about the sequel. I hope the writers will be reading this, because if my memory is correct, then the same will be writing for the next Trek film. My brother-in-law loved Transformers. He tried to get us to go see Transformers II when it was in the theatres but my husband and I weren’t interested. We later spoke to him this past weekend, and my husband asked him how he liked the new Transformers movie. He told us that the first movie was great, but that the second movie was a big let down. He was expecting the same kind of adrenaline inducing quality he liked about the first film, but told us that the second movie was a “bunch of pomp and circumstance without substance”. If his opinion is shared by more people out there, then that doesn’t forebode any optimistic expectations for a good box office draw for another Transformers movie (if one is planned).
My concerns are this: That Star Trek would be treated the same way; that the first movie being good as it was, would have only served as a feeder to draw box office tickets for a lesser product in the sequel. If this happens, I’m concerned that the revival of the “Star Trek” product will hit a speed bump.
My request to the writers is this: Please put as much care, quality, and creativity in the sequel as was put into the first movie. Please use better descression in terms of editing, being mindful of the story’s flow and audience expectations. The first movie was wonderful. The second movie should be even better.
Thank you.
I don’t care if they connect the next two movies or not. Not very important to me. Of course my first choice in the next movie would be to see Shatner and Nimoy onscreen together in their iconic roles. The last movie certainly at least makes that POSSIBLE. Not to mention, Abrams at least said that he’s open to the idea. Of course, Abrams has said that before.
But Shatner or not, if they truly want to see movies connect, I think the best way to connect two movies would be to connect the NEXT movie to the one that just came out.
Just because the story in this movie blew off the dramatic consequences of some nutjob completely changing a timeline and murdering billions of people, doesn’t mean that they can’t follow it up and do a movie dealing with those consequences.
It is SO out of character for Spock Prime to simply ignore the changes in history and accept them. Perhaps the whole fate of the universe depends on Vulcan existing. The simple act of pushing one woman out of the way of a speeding car cost the United States WWII and changed history for the worse. So maybe someone that Nero killed would have saved the entire Federation from some imminent disaster but now was never born.
Or something to that effect–the writers can certainly come up with a story.
Hell, such a story would have a Back to the Future II style to it, where they can do a creative followup that may even involve seeing similar scenes from different angles.
42. Selor Kiith – July 30, 2009
They can’t do a lame “Bla bla Spacedisease/catastrophe/anomaly/exploration” Movie after this action packed movie…
Yes it would be a giant fangasm but that would destroy any chance of a continuation…
Throw in a a nihilistic and phychopathic Klingon and you got yourself a movie!
=A=
#20 If they did a two part movie Space Seed/ Wrath Of Khan they would have to shorten the amount of time between Space Seed and Wrath Of Khan so everyone would be the same age in both movies and Khan wouldn’t be stranded down on the planet so long. This is another time line so the story could be different, Spock wouldn’t have to die at the end. I think making Space Seed and Wrath of Khan into one movie would work better. But I would like to see something new.
Harve Bennett should do the movie.
Given that Space Seed and TWOK were already done, there’s no need to do another Khan story.
remaking Khan will just prove that the writers are lazy and cannot come up with an original idea.
Please guys do something fresh and unique to Star Trek.
I love Khan, and I love the Borg , TWOK and FC are my fav movies but Star Trek is so much more than these two.
This is Great about Roberto Orci
Again I must reiterate, don’t care what they do, just do it well and I’ll go see it. These guys can write, direct, act…it’s a hell of a combination of talent.
With that said…
I love it when they have to go investigate something in some far reach of the galaxy, and discover something epic and have to emergency-style deal with it, because I love seeing the individual skills of the crew come together to produce a solution to something that is seemingly impossible to comprehend, no less stop or fix. Whether it’s Khan or a VGer or whatever, that’s the kind of movie I love because it’s a great mix of classic “exploration with an incredibly intelligent crew” Trek, and modern “check out this high-tech gun baby” Trek.
#52 – :”remaking Khan will just prove that the writers are lazy and cannot come up with an original idea.”
They would essentially be doing the same thing that Harve Bennett did. I’m sure he wasn’t lazy and couldn’t come up with an original idea, you?
A recurring and powerful theme throughout all of Trek lore are the cosmic ties that bind our characters throughout generations and timelines. So it’s surprising that fans are so dismissive of a Khan’s appearance in this new timeline. There are a million ways to do it, it doesn’t have to be the focus of the movie, but it could be a big reveal at the end – say, if the Botany Bay was found by Romulans or Klingons. There’s no reason the Enterprise has to find BB and Khan. Would make a much more interesting story arc.
It wouldn’t be all that bad to see T’Pol running around either. I would imagine she is still involved with the Federation and Starfleet in some form or fashion – and she could play a key role in the relocation of the Vulcans. They can’t just ignore the fate and future of Vulcans – I mean, there entire civilization was destroyed.
And the Romulans have to play a key role as well. With Vulcan out of the way, the power balance in this Universe has changed dramatically – and the Romulans don’t have their cousins to contend with anymore.
And I still think Spock Prime might have something up his sleeve – like trying to get back in time to prevent the destruction of Vulcan, and the death of his mother. Guardian of Forever anyone?
New ways of telling old stories – it’s a great approach in my opinion.
I want to see an exploration movie, not a stop-the-villain movie, Khan or not. You can get plenty of conflict, danger, and action out of that too — after all, “Space is disease and death, wrapped in silence and darkness.”
I wanna see our heroes waaaaaay out there on the frontier, facing something mindblowing.
They’ve looked at Diane Duane’s “Spock’s World” for inspiration, wholeheartedly adopting her notion that Vulcans are not unemotional by nature, but are extremely passionate beings under tight control.
Please, boborci, have a look at Duane’s “Wounded Sky,” which is to me the best sci-fi in the Trekverse — a mission to the edge, not only in distance from Earth, but in identity and self-knowledge.
Good luck writing the sequel gentlemen because expectations are even higher now!
I have to agree with Jas_Montreal’s comments in #4. I want to see that torn Kirk, that conflicted and secretly doubting himself and his abilities Kirk. That made him real to me because he was like me and everyone I know. He is a man who has more going on inside his mind than you would expect after seeing his performance in the Kobayshi Maru scenario.
He is as complicated and as conflicted as Spock ever was, perhaps more so because now he has been given command of the most powerful starship in the Star Fleet and he is just right out of the academy.
If he isn’t questioning his own abilities and the decision that Star Fleet Command made to put him in charge after the encounter with Nero then he is not the same character that I grew up admiring.
I mean just because you do one spectacular thing does that mean you are put in charge of the whole thing? In real life it doesn’t work that way, just ask Sgt Alvin York.
That just my two cents and again good luck writing the sequel.
55 Harve Bennett did a sequel to Space Seed
If Khan were revisited it would a pseudo remake of the both of them together. This is lazy and is too much like fan fic.
I am not for Khan to be redone.
you guys want fresh ideas or all the good episodes and movies redone.
I can see how Tarsus IV may have happened in JJKirk’s life– maybe that’s what leads him to be the drunken townie–no dad to come home to, no strong guiding force. That is until he meets Pike.
this is the first time ever that star trek has a sure green light on 2 movies. it would be folly to not do all we can and go for a 2 parter…. the 2 part episodes of TNG are the best ones, the next 2 movies should be in 2 parts too.
I think it’s a damned good idea to link the next two movies. Even James Bond has moved away from the 60’s episodic style by linking Quantum of Solace to Casino Royale, and leaving lots of loose threads in Quantum of Solace to pick up the weave in the next JB film.
I say go for the linkage.
No Khan.
No remakes.
Just good storytelling and fresh ideas.
Oh…and make it better than Transformers 2 because…
…damn.
I’m not feeling the Khan thing, but I guess it could work.
NO KHAN!!
Klingons are the way forward… a MASSIVE Klingon/Romulan war which is linked to the first movie where the Feds have to get brought in to stop the fighting!!!
OR
A real BADASS Klingon bad guy!!!
Make it so!
Personally, I don’t think Trek 2009 has proven that much to the studio. It hasn’t done as well as TMP worldwide and marginally surpassed it domestically. It did not do as well worldwide as Batman Begins or Superman Returns (adjusted for inflation), though it surpassed them domestically. Paramount has no guarantee that the next Trek will succeed any better than this one, and one thing is certain they must spend in a similar ballpark to provide as much thrill-packed CGI action, and the same or more if they attempt to hire a major star to boost international box-office, which they will almost certainly have to invest more marketing money into in order to boost awareness.
There is no doubt Trek did well and was well received. However, audiences are fickle. What else of Trek’s calibre was out there when it was released? Also, sequels historically tend to do worse than their successful predecessors. Of course there are exceptions, but I did not get the sense Trek built the same kind of fanbase as Transformers. What films will Trek open up against? WIll the sequel be as good a film compared to Batman Returns and TDK? Assuming that for Trek is a much riskier proposition than the original reboot.
DVD sales will undoubtedly deliver solid earnings, I expect Trek to make at least $250M worldwide, which is great for recouping this film but offers no guarantees for the next. But merchandising is at its peak for this film. Unless Trek attracts significantly new numbers of fans in 2011, most of the toys will have been purchased the first time around (this assumes a high likelihood that Paramount will get some profit participation).
So, does Paramount really want to release a movie that is tied to a sequel, something that could actually contribute to poor box office as audiences decide to see it fewer times or wait for it on video so they can watch it closer to the conclusion? I am continually surprised that TWOK killed Spock yet TSFS grossed quite a bit less. How do you have a cliff hanger like that and not double your box office for the resolution? Which brings up another problem, how to have a continuing story in which both halves are equally effective? ST:III was probably poorly received because it was mostly filler, and not very interesting filler at that.
But, even if Orci & Kurtzman deliver it, Paramount can easily say no. So it really doesn’t matter what the writers decide to do. Paramount could just as easily ask them to turn a stand-alone story into a two-parter as well, once they discover Trek 09 has sold 400M in DVDs. But the bottom line is money. How big a risk does Paramount want to take on Trek 2011?
I seem to be in the minority who has no faith in these writers.
Granted they got characters right in the film but the plot was thin and thats not even talk about Transformers 2.
I just hope their writing gets better for the next movie and they do an new story unique Trek and that they dont rehash Khan.
Please there is more to Star Trek than Khan and the Borg.
See this is the problem of making Star Trek mainstream, it has to be dumbed down and you have to over do existing villains because its only what the mainstream audience knows off.
My idea: Next Generation or Enterprise species in TOS era… like another Xindi crisis or maybe something involving The Bajorans…maybe in this timeline the Bajorans are Occupied by the Romulans, not the Cardassians, and because the Bajorans took in the Vulcan refugees, and Kirk is chosen as Emissary by the Prophets to liberate the Bajorans…and amidst this we find Sarek and Kirk’s mom getting ready to get married…to each other…as are Spock and Uhura…so under this weight Kirk gets drunk off his gourd with Bones and hooks up with a certain blonde lab technician named Carol Marcus…
We now have a grand new cast and new history in the making here. I don’t want to see any more cameos from the five series. Instead I want to see new adventures starting with rebuilding of the UFP now that one of its founding member’s home world had been destroyed. This could be the start of the next movie. Picture the Enterprise being assigned to find a new home for the surviving Vulcans. They began exploring one of the promising prospective planets only to discover it had hidden dangers and secrets better left alone.