Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were at the Television Critics Association annual Fall preview event this week to talk about Fringe, but of course the Star Trek sequel came up to. In a new brief interview, the pair gave an update on where they are at with the next Star Trek, details below.
Next Trek still in research phase
IGN talked to Star Trek co-writer Robert Orci about the sequel at the TCA event in LA this week, and it seems that there has not bee a lot of movement since Comic Con a couple of weeks ago, where Orci talked about how there has only been one fifteen minute meeting about the sequel with the Supreme Court (Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman, Lindelof, Burk), but he did add that Khan did not come up in that conversation.
Orci noted the current progress:
We’re still in the re-reading and taking it all in phase before we actually sit down and start designing [the film].
With Orci’s writing partner Kurtzman adding:
We have to comb through everything and make sure that we leave no stone unturned because that was the approach that I think we were looking for on the first movie.
Regarding linking the next two films, Orci stated it was just an idea floated and they aren’t leaning any way yet. The pair did confirm that the phrase "he’s dead, Jim" will likely appear, and that Greg Grunberg is pushing for Mudd (something he first talked about in an interview with TrekMovie).
For more read the full IGN story.
Interesting
Thank god they are not discussingKhan
The new movie has to be original and unique, a story thatonly Star Trek can do.
However are these writers able to do that and make it mainstream?
Mudd would be interesting but I want them to do exploring.
I could get into a Klingon story if it was fresh and interesting. I dont want a Khan story at all, or another Romulan plot. I hope they keep some surprises to themselves for a change, too, rather than spill everything before the movie is even shot.
I would again like to push for something akin to “Errand of Mercy” crossed with “A Private Little War.” There’s opportunity for space and land-based action plus weighty Prime Directive conundrums (conundra?).
another Romulan plot ? nemsis does not count that was a clone plot , so there has been only one romulan plot and far too many klingon ones, but i dont really care once they dont do Khan .
As much as I’d like to see Khan, I think that’s going back a little too deeply into the well – RM delivered the goods for posterity in ST:II. That role should be retired, like a Hall of Famer’s uniform number. Now Harry Mudd, on the other hand, is a character that could really be explored (exploited?) in depth. A consummate shyster, blowhard, comic relief, and all-around pain in the ass for Kirk. He’s a guy who could start an interstellar war just by skipping out on a bar tab. LOL
I’m saying not another Romulan plot meaning we just had one, so we could wait awhile for another. And I would sarcastically say that clone or not, Nemesis was a Romulan Empire vs. Earth story.
I’m hoping for a Star Trek / Austin Powers tie in, where Doctor Evil is thawed out out of cryogenics and holds Earth to ransom with a giant death ray device while demanding they pay him One…Million…Credits……
Yes, Mudd would be cool. I still think I’d like the film to be an anthology story, perhaps with Mudd as a throughline. Story structure-wise, it would be Master and Commander in space.
I would like to see the film take up the thread of the homeless Vulcans on a journey to their new colony world, begin to get them settled, and then anything can happen. I hate it when threads are picked up and then dropped….(Ba’ku, anyone?)
Okay, okay…we all would rather forget the Ba’ku…but I hope you get my point.
We’ve got a whole major civilization trying to get their act together again…I just hope our favorite writers revisit ’em. Who knows, maybe the Vulcans can open up and show some real emotion after this tragedy…would be traumatic for them as a race, I would bet.
Then again….let’s see somebody get BLOWED UP REAL GOOD!
Mudd??? Please no. Not that I was a big TOS fan, but Mudd interested me 0%. I hate to say this but I’d almost rather them do Khan, at least he’s interesting. Still, neither would be best. I dont care if they make someone new, go with the Klingon’s, what ever, I just dont think redoing TOS stuff is a good approach.
Some people have said this before, and I think the Andorian idea (and it doesn’t have to be some ‘evil Andorian’ they have to defeat, just have them involved somehow) would be interesting, especially politically. As the Vulcan people have to rebuild, the power has shifted dramatically. Definitely something to think about there.
Mudd would be fun, but as someone pointed out a few months ago, it would work best, again, if he was ‘involved’, but not the central focus of the story.
And please, Lord, kill that thing that was hanging out with Scotty that looked like something left over from Lost In Space.
I think the next Star Trek Movie should be about how the Vulcans are progressing in there new home and also how it could tie in with the rest of the series also do an origan story with the Borg as well
re: Greg Grunberg is pushing for Mudd
i think they should be careful with their casting… we don’t want Trek “2′ to be a Heroes reunion special.
15: No, it will be. 110%. Clearly. You’re right on the money.
I just hope they write a good sequel
Transformers 2 is not a good omen for these writers.
I would love the Romulans to be done properly but its best not to do Romulans after being in 2 films in a row.
I dont have as much faith in these writers as everyone does especially after the pile of crap which was Transformers 2.
But if they do a unique story line and don’t rehash a classic episode or movie then they willlprove me wrong. But the problem I see is to make it mainstream it is probably going to go the Star Wars route morethan Star Trek.
This doesn’t sound encouraging to me. I know its only been a 15 minute talk, but to me it sounds like they have no clue in what direction to take the next movie in, and therefore no story idea yet.
The Romulans were more important and interesting during TOS than the Klingons.
It would be natural to deal with the aftermath of the Nero affair in the new movie: The Federation would blame it on the Romulans, who have no idea where Nero came from.
So, conflict is guaranteed. Bonus: this would make one or two scenes with Spock Prime possible – he’s the leading expert on Romulans (in TNG he has lived among them for decades; in ST09 backstory he had become ambassador to Romulus). But the only people who would know this are nu!Spock and Kirk!
# 10
Mudd as throughline – good idea
#14
We should leave the Borg in the Delta Quadrant and the future – I can’t think of any story with them that hasn’t already been told.
Trek 2011 should be a massive Klingon story which blows the whole Ron Moore “headbutting alcoholics” depiction out of the water. They must be like real Nazis, occupying planets and murdering/imprisoning the population as they were originally envisioned in “Errand of Mercy,”
how about the andorans deciding to prove they are better then the vulcans by offering them a new homeworld and the protection of the andoran empire.
naturally the vulcans will think the andorians are trying to trick them somehow.
then we bring in a third party, probably romulan becouse the klingons would think it is dishonerable to make an honest andorian gesture into a plot to destroy the remaining vulcans to pit the andorians against the federation.
nothing better then a twisted plot to confuse everyone ;)
I’m a fan of new ideas and keeping the best of the original series as was done in the new movie. I’d like to see bits of original Star Trek and Orci & Kurtzman’s version come together again in the next film.
Linking all the movies together in a minor way giving small notice to ‘what went on before’ is a lot of fun. I’d like to see more of the original series events referenced and/or reworked in the next one.
And if the story requires linking the two/three movies together, that would be fine as long as the execution of the idea(s) are interesting and fun for the viewer.
Transformers 2 would have been 10 times better (and less offensive) if they had stuck to the script these guys wrote. Fight the power!
Sorry I am not down with Greg Grunberg as Mudd. He has started a campaign to play classic Trek comedic villain Harry Mudd? Harry Mudd is not a character that translates well in the 2000’s or 2010’s. Unless he becomes a little more ruthless, I feel that the character of Harry Mudd is a bit dated and belongs to the 60’s, not today. Unless he makes a BRIEF appearance I just don’t want him in a new trek movie. These new incarnations can do far better. Besides most episodes took place “a year or a month apart” so who knows what else happened to the crew.
we already have a borg origin story… ST:TMP
5. “I would again like to push for something akin to “Errand of Mercy” crossed with “A Private Little War.” There’s opportunity for space and land-based action plus weighty Prime Directive conundrums (conundra?).”
You are right on the money, ety3! I so love it when someone agrees with me. IF they want to link the next movie to the first (not that they have to. The writers accomplished their goal of assembling the crew. The galaxy is now their blank canvas), the next movie could be the Romulans doing a pre-emptive strike against decimated Federation and Klingon fleets, just in case we blamed them for Nero’s actions.
Oh, wait. I thought you said “Balance of Terror.” Well, toss that into the mix. Those were great episodes.
And along the way, have them blow up the SS Botany Bay, V’Ger, Nomad, the whale probe, the Doomday Machine and the brain parasites that are probably just about to leave Ingram B for Deneva.
21
I happened to like the honour bound Klingons.
And in TOS they were an allegory for the Russians.
Something tells me that the next movie will be tough for these writers. They do Khan they enrage fans, they do another villain out for revenge then there will be eraged fans. And unfortunately doing a unique story for Trek might not sit well with the mainstream audience.
the new film could turn into a Kobayashi Maru. Despite not being a fan of these writers I do hope they ‘change the conditions of the test’ and be able to please all groups.
21, I love your idea.
in the original series the klingons were cold war enemies, no outright war but lots of sable rattling.
so lets have a klingon federation war, or maybe bring a border empire into it, like a vietnam, klingons invade a third group and the federation fights the klingons in the third empire while trying not to go to outright open war bringing the entire sector into a bigger version of a world war.
well that is what is giving me a little more faith in these writers is the fact that the other writer and Bay re wrote it. But reading Orci and Kurtzman’s interview on Transformers 2 it seemed they were talking about a completely different film.
But these writers aren’t as good as DC Fontana, Brannon Braga, Michael Pillar, Ron Moore Ira Steven Behr etc
Harcourt Fenton Mudd would be a great character if they were able to write him well and like the casting of Star Wars an unknown would be better for the movie.
As for the Borg, with the risk of mucking up canon at a minimum now, it could be feasible but once again the writing makes or breaks the film.
Personally I would like to see a return to the more traditional Roddenberry principles of the original series as I found the movie to be little more than an action movie in a Star Trek uniform. Saying that though I will admit I enjoyed the movie but it wasn’t Star Trek as I remember it.
How about getting back to the roots of the show, which was exploration of the galaxy. There have to be other races, entities, besides Klingons, Romulans, etc. and great NEW stories with the crew. Harry Mudd wouldn’t be my first choice for a movie. A funny t.v. episode, sure, but lets cover new territory and boldly go where… you know the rest.
heres an idea, have a poll to decide the most popular episodes of the last several series then bring those writers together to colaberate on an entirly new story
31
agreed in fact I would argue that it was not pure Star Trek, it was a fun Trek movie but the ideals were toned down to fit a mainstream crown.
Star Trek however is the best film this summer and I mean that
32
I want exploration of the galaxy but unfortunately that aint what the mainstream audience will like.
I watch the mainstream films these days and I feel they really speak down to audience these days.
The mainstream audience prefers shiny things over a good plot
well not all of them but I hate the switch off your brain notion that a lot movies have even more these days.
”he’s dead jim !” … very nice !
I really want a mind-blowing Sci-Fi Adventure movie !
Regarding Khan…. they can surely save him for a 3rd or 4th movie. Or maybe have in this 2nd movie, but not such a large role. The ”thread” that would connect the 2nd and 3rd movies could be Khan himself. Who knows….
T.’.
I would love a new version of the Cage/Menagerie plotline. Then we get Gary Mitchell, Talosians, and maybe even Number One via Pike ‘flashbacks’.
T.’.
T’Pol should show up if Vulcans are mentioned in the next movie. Perhaps she would meet Kirk Pine somehow, and drop a line allowing as to how Trip didn’t die in 2161.
Except…wait. The timeline is different now, with different laws of physics in this alternate reality (read: different take on time travel). So, obviously, there was no Temporal Cold War in the Abramsverse. …Hm. So how is ENT different? Mr. Orci, Mr. Kurtzman? An answer to the question of how ENT differs in your new universe would be greatly appreciated.
#5 Errand of Mercy I think is one of the most overlooked and one of the best of ST-TOS episodes. I am with you on that, but I am afraid we will see Harry Mudd, he is a funny, sneaky character, just like bringing back Kahn would bring in the Trek fans and the general public. How about a fresh idea, not some rehash. Make the movie serious, a bit dark, like EOM, with some consequences. Like Balance of Terror, another of my fav’s. No, please no tribbles, other than maybe one laying on a desk somewhere. Plus it would be nice now that we have been introduced to the characters, for the second movie to have a hook, a possible small hook for the third. I only saw the movie once in IMAX, so maybe when the blu Ray comes out, I will understand the necessity for an alternative universe. I wonder if they bring back ST 11 for another small run at the theaters before the next movie. But I guess this is all wishfull thinking and not terminator 1 or Alien. Get ready for Mudd or Kahn, JJ please prove a lot if trek fans wrong.
37
no Khan period
If I want to see Khan I will watch Space Seed and TWOK. Redoing Khan will seem like these writers don’t have an original idea and therefore playing it safe and rehashing the good stuff.
Hm…I can’t stand the amount of hatred being spewed at Orci and Kurtzman over Transformers. Considering that there was hardly any time for rewrites thanks to a little thing called a Writer’s Strike, I would imagine that a good deal of blame for the down-sides of Trans2 rest entirely on Michael Bay’s shoulders. Also, Star Trek and Transformers are two entirely different things being done for entirely different audiences. Star Trek is, or at least should be, moderately intelligent writing dealing with a group of beings that should be killing each other coming together to explore, to save civilizations, and to go boldly. Transformers is, at its heart, a movie about gigantic robots blowing each other up. Transformers shouldn’t be expected to have deep storytelling, a moral center, or even a simple, sellable plot. And we got what it should’ve been. The plot was very G1-Transformer-ish, what with the plot to drain Sol in order to obtain energon, the robots were big and beat the crap out of each other, and there were plenty of explosions.
Ultimately, Star Trek and Transformers are two different franchises, so I wouldn’t expect Star Trek: Something Something to have the same gross humor that Trans2 did.
And NO MUDD!
Cardassians. I want blood thirsty, no mercy, Bajor Destroying Cardassians.
But no Kardashians.
Thats it.
I hope they don’t bother with an enemy but rather feature adventure and worthy problems to solve. Since we have a new Star Trek universe thanks to Orci et al, Let’s go see it.
Sincerely,
C.S. Lewis
Ugh, Mudd was so annoying! I can’t believe they would seriosly think of him as a big part of the movie.
As a cameo I wouldn’t mind him.
As for sequel not started yet -come on the 1st movie is still in the theaters. And it’s good that the writers will have time to think, to soak up old TOS and let it all sink in. There’s no hurry.
I would love a follow-up story on Romulans and Vulcans, how they would deal with Nero fall-out.
But I realized that the story I wanted was already there: ST-6, The Undiscovered Country. There we also have Federation enemies coming around after natural disaster…
Still, they started so much in ST-11 it would be a shame to drop all those threads.
Bardem as Khan!
I want to see him with that crazy haircut from NCFOM again!
I want to see Chris Pine shout, “KHHHAAAAAAAANNNN!!!!”
How surprising they would come up with Mudd for a sequel to the Star Wars overhauled Trek. Lando Calrissian anyone? Probably Abram’s idea.
I think Mudd is an Interesting Idea! as a side or Main Character he would be interesting! I also hope that they put Nurse Chapel on screen and have Scotty do a little more Miracle working! Yea having And Andorians and Klingon’s in the mix will liven things up but we also have to remember this story has to sell well to mainstream audiences as well as us Trek fans who are growing in number because of the last film!
I’d like to see the antagonist(s) be from some of the underrepresented Trek races, like the Tholians, or a character that butts heads with Kirk over an issue (a natural disaster, bad guys about to attack, whatever). Carol Marcus or Mudd would be a good choice for the latter, but otherwise I really don’t think he would fit in the film unless he’s portrayed as darker or as big an ass as possible.
Anthony, just a suggestion… your polls are far too often too limited in choices. How about (in this particular case)?
* The Art of Star Trek
* The Making of Star Trek
* Both
* Not interested in either
I am interested in both!
—
Thank God, no Khan was mentioned. I think they should do a story with the Gorn or another Romulan story (the consequences of Nero’s intrusion) or something like that!
Am off to DC for two weeks… Navy training, thank god.. I am bored to tears after nearly five months of unemployment…. otherwise I would have probably gone to the Vega con (mis-spelling intentional). LOL