It has been a little while since we have heard anything on the sequel to the Star Trek movie, but in a new interview producer JJ Abrams gives a little update on the ‘cool’ progress of the film, plus Zoe Saldana reveals some of the new moves we may see Uhura do the next time around. Details and more below.
‘Cool’ Trek in the works…Greg Grunberg recast as Kirk?
Abrams latest comments come from an interview with SciFiWire from a FOX party last, here is an excerpt:
Where are you in talks for Star Trek 2?
Abrams: We’re hopefully going to have everyone, obviously, from the first cast. I keep trying to spread this rumor that I’m going to recast Kirk as Greg Grunberg, but no one ever prints it.Have you settled on what direction you’re going to take it?
Abrams: We’re just starting on that. Yes, we know the direction, but it’s very early. We’re working on a script right now still. I can tell you it’s cool. We have some really cool ideas, but it’s too early.So Orci and Kurtzman have physically started writing?
Abrams: No, but we’ve started talking story, and Damon’s writing it with them.
Read the full interview at SciFi Wire where Abrams also talks about Mission: Impossible IV and more.
JJ Abrams at FOX Fall Eco-casino party Sept 14th
(WireImage)
Saldana wants Uhura kick where it hurts
Zoe Saldana, Star Trek’s new Uhura, was interviewed by Cinematical, where she mostly talks about her role in the upcoming Avatar, but she did offer this tidbit on her hopes for the Star Trek: Something Something sequel:
In Star Trek, I had so much fun, but the boys got all the action! J.J. [Abrams] promised me that I’m going to — [that] in the sequel, she will have at least one little fight. I mean, just [let me] kick a guy in the groin or something!
Saldana wants to do more than just show off her legs in Trek sequel
(WireImage – BET Awards June 28)
Fringe DVD release + JJ and Gates
In other JJ Abrams (& Orci & Kurtzman) related news, the DVD and Blu-ray sets for the first season for Fringe were released this week. Fringe was created by Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman. Star Trek executive producer Bryan Burk is also an executive producer on Fringe. Orci, Kurtzman and Abrams all appear in the special features for the DVD, as well as doing commentaries.
Orci and Abrams posing with the cast of "Fringe" at DVD release party in Vancouver August 31st.
Fringe The Complete First Season is available now at Amazon on both DVD and Blu-ray.
One final bit of JJ Abrams news, the Star Trek director took some time out last week to hobnob with the VERY rich and famous. JJ attended the premiere of "Get Schooled: You Have the Right", a 30 minute TV special for kids put together by Viacom and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Here is JJ hanging with the big boss (Viacom chairman Phillippe Dauman, along with Bill and Melinda Gates.
JJ with Bill and Melinda Gates and Phillippe Dauman on Paramount lot September 8th
Ooooh, gimmeee details!
Can we do this one WITHOUT the lens flares PLEASE!!!!!!!!
Wow, my Heart stopped for a sec as I read the Grunberg=Kirk-part…
Given JJ’s love of all things Mac, I wonder how he got along with Bill! Haha.
Bring back Vulcan.
ure a feminine hack, pascale
I was thinking it would be fun to work background on Star Trek. Does that now mean Zoe ends up kicking me in the private parts for eight takes Mr. JJ?
It was great to contribute to the Liberty Hill Foundation for your ticket to the Hollywood premiere of Star Trek but I will have to think about this price for a bit part. :)
I’m game for some juicy details! A feisty, fighting Uhura would be just great.
Do we know yet if Abrams is taking the Director’s job?
More lens flares
Zoe, you can kick me in the groin anytime you wish. :-)
#6
That’s certainly not very cordial. I never thought AP was feminine at all.
They have a cool idea for the sequel! I’m pumped even over that vague bit of news!
LESS LENS FLARES! Hell if I was the cinematographer and JJ told me to do that I woulda gotten another job if I could :P
Details would be nice….. Just the same old stuff… no good rumors or substance… i want spoilers!
Trek movies, from here-on-in, must appeal to the mainstream: that’s the only way to justify a $150+ million budget. There will probably need to be a standard villain character. The three obvious (and probably the best) candidates are Khan; the Borg; the Klingons. I just want a great story; so I’d be happy, if this were delivered, irrespective of who’s the villain. The Klingons are probably the best known to the mainstream; but the Borg probably have the best (most favourable) reputation. If I were making the sequel, and if I were picking the Borg, I would certainly be *heavily influenced* by Star Trek: First Contact; and, most especially, TNG’s brilliant ‘Best of Both Worlds’ Parts 1 and 2. An epic Borg encounter in a blockbuster film = great film = $$$.
As for Saldana’s comment, if any character should have a greater role in the sequel, it’s McCoy. Kirk-Spock-McCoy. That’s the holly trinity. And, sadly, we didn’t see much of that in Star Trek 2009. (It’s a real shame, because Karl’s performance was sublime.)
PS. I think it would be a good idea if a Trekmovie.com article were written to help the team regarding the sequel: the article could discuss what was good and what was bad about Star Trek 2009; and how to make the sequel even better.
More cow bell!
One thing: Engineering gets a re-set—- is a new impressive 23rd century tech marvel, not a 21st century water reclamation plant!
JJ and Bill make quite the nerd herd. Yeah, I know, I hurt their feelings and they’re dabbing away the tears with Krugerrands.
#6-With all the hard work that Mr. Pascale and others do on this site, that sort of comment is extremely unnecessary.
Please keep up the good work, Trekmovie folks!
Just make a good STAR TREK film and hey to keep the cliche going NO KHAN! How’s that and can’t wait for some more FRINGE! Sure the show started a bit uneven but near the end of the first season I was really drawn into the storyline and I really dig Walter!
I’m sure Chris Pine will be thrilled to think he was replaced by some hack from Heroes.
Lens flares! Lens flares! Gimme more lens flares!
(Sorry, now back to our regular programming)
Dang, John Noble is tall!
Looking at the poll, it is nice to see that nearly half of those taking the poll agree, CHARACTER and character moments are what drives Star Trek. More Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I don’t mind seeing Zoe get a piece of the action, but the great trinity (K/S/M) are the very heart of Trek.
cool dats whats good. make the story a little better and more understanding so i will this sequel more than i like the first one!!
#19
“Please keep up the good work, Trekmovie folks!”
Hear hear!
It’s time for Uhura to kick some serious ass.
MORE HOLY TRINITY! Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are the main characters! McCoy totally got shafted in the first movie (he didn’t even get his own Burger King glass, I was seriously outraged) and he deserves top tier billing.
I love Uhura, I think she’s amazing and fierce, but she is NOT part of the trinity that is the heart of TOS. Having her elevated to “the female character/love interest” really undermines her original role where she was first defined by her job and character, NOT her personal relationships. I’m fine with her & Spock but essentially replacing McCoy as the third corner of the trinity in marketing and story just felt wrong.
More McCoy, less Uhura.
I agree, more McCoy. However, women’s roles are different now and she should show her physical strength. I don’t think she should just be Spocks canvas, but, if she wants to take his clothes off, I’d go see it once a week!
Everyone can beg for more time for the one they like, but in doing so, if such happens it may mess up the story. How about beg for a great stort first then you can beg for the actors visual time. Plus the story will help pick the amount of time actors get.
I’ll wait until the story plot is known before starting to voice views on whom where and for how long.
Fans can either promote or harm new stuff that has yet to be created. So I’m begging all fans not to mess things up with singular desires that may harm final result.
I respectfully request less goddamn lens flare. Thank you.
@19: Very well said.
Anything that gives Zoe Saldana more screen time is fine by me, but isn’t an “action grrl” scene a bit cliche?
I’d rather see her do something very science-y and brilliant that helps save the ship, or a couple of really meaty character scenes, to be honest.
But a groin kick is fine, too…. ;)
@28: I agree. I love Uhura, but Karl Urban was just grand as McCoy.
It’d be cool if the next movie portayed Kirk, Spock and McCoy sort of “growing into” the trinity.
Especially since the potential Kirk-Spock-Uhura love triangle was blessedly nipped in the bud. There won’t be so much romanic tension to draw potential conflict from, which would be an opportunity to develop the McCoy friendship.
My $0.02, anyways.
#29 how bout more of both McCoy and Uhura? yeah have the trio Kirk-Spock-McCoy, but have Uhura get a more prominent role. i would like that.
Oh, and no shaky cam, please. Good in Cloverfield, not so good when trying to keep track of a starship battle.
Lens flares I can take or leave. ;)
Put Shatner in it.
How about a clever story to somehow bring back/save Vulcan. Spock was brought back from the dead, how about his planet?
Here’s a free story idea: Insert a scene where Kirk & Co. glimpse a past where Star Trek is just a media franchise, therefore canonifying the idea that even if Trek is just fiction in our universe, in some parallel universe, Trek is reality.
Pretty please?
i would really like to see zoe saldana kick some ass in the sequel, but please don’t make it a purely comical scene!
as mentioned above, the cliche “action grrrl” stuff has been done. i’d just like to see her legitimately beat up some bad guy in a well choreographed, essentially realistic, believably awesome fashion.
i mean i know a thin, tiny girl who does jui jitsu and can take down guys much larger than her. why not get zoe in the gym to learn some serious moves and have a scene where she really takes some bad guy apart in some old school, original series inspired had-to-hand combat? in a scene where it really counts.
i’d find that a lot more refreshing than the cliche of kicking a bad guy in the groin. if you’re going to give Uhura a fight scene, make it count for something.
Bob Orci, If you’re reading these –
Using the Trek sequel to address current issues like Roddenberry did is a great idea – but don’t do just the obvious War/Torture/Terrorist themes – make it about the importance of focusing on the explorative spirit that TOS had, since people today aren’t interested in spending the resources on going to space they way we once were. Tell a Trek story that reminds people that we have the responsibility & the privilege to use our intelligence to explore the wonders of the universe. What makes those TOS topics timeless is that they’re human issues – not just current events.
I hope this next movie will have more Kirk and Spock interaction. I mean they were the start of “slash” in a time period when stuff like that was unheard of no less. Would I love it to be obvious in the next movie work? Yes!!!! But i will take subtle hints just fine. Plus I would like to see more of the BAMF trio they are awesome!!!
Happy Kirk/Spock day!!!
More McCoy!!!
Uhura kicking butt? YES! Please make it so!
McCoy & Scotty also need serious lines as well. Urban was the best as McCoy and Pegg is wonderful, but I felt that everything Scotty said had to get a laugh? There needs to be a balance, the characters of McCoy & Scott are both professional men they need to say relevant dialogue with a few gags & one-liners thrown in.
I wouldnt want either character to become the ‘Gimli’ of the new Trek universe.
Gimli was the one let-down in the LOTR. He was fine character in Fellowship then he just became comic- relief for the rest of the trilogy.
Where are you in talks for Star Trek 2?
2 its number 12!
I hope Uhura gets to fight using hand-to-hand combat skills or even judo. She is tall and athletic as well as fierce. She should be able to overcome an opponent with those type of fighting skills. Kicking your opponent in the groin is really overdone seems a cheap way out to me.
I would love tor see Scotty getting into a pub brawl in the next movie with a much larger opponent like a Klingon and watch him kick five colors of crap out of him. He is fierce and feisty especially when it comes to the Enterprise.
@44:
I do hope Scotty and Dr. McCoy will have more serious dialogue in the next film as well as more screen time. I think the first movie was a “get to know you”. I hope they flesh out the backgrounds of the characters a little more. I would like to see more of Sulu and Chekov and how their friendship develops.
I like the idea of it being mainly about Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the villian (or if there is no clear villian, the plot). Certainly, a scene or two with Chekov and Sulu would be cool, but Chekov seemed to have more in common with Scotty if the transporter scenes were any indication. Perhaps Sulu and Uhura could have some type of platonic relationship.
I think JJ sees Star Trek as an ensemble piece, much like all of his other productions. And I for one welcome that.
We can still have the Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic, but actually give the rest of the cast prominent roles with something to contribute rather than just bit parts. It’s been a few month’s since my last viewing, but I recall the whole cast being represented well and given their own chance to shine. I disagree with some that say Uhura’s role was too prominent. She got no more screen time than McCoy or Scotty. Maybe she just stuck out more than the others, which is a tribute to Zoe, with an assist by the writers.
Again, I think JJ’s philosophy is one of an ensemble cast where all can shine, rather than a Big Three with an underused token supporting cast spouting token lines. We might actually get to know the rest of the main characters. All 7 of them, not just 3.
I agree, develop and flesh out all the characters(7), not just the big 3! We all know the Kirk-Spock-McCoy relationship/dynamic, now let’s learn more about the others as well, and why the lesser 4’s lives became so intricately enmeshed & devoted to the triumvirate, leading to the great sacrifices (personal & career) that these 4 made on behalf of the other 3! I’ve always enjoyed Uhura, Sulu, Chekov & Scotty as much and sometimes more than just Kirk-Spock! McCoy, on the other hand, old & new versions, was, is and always has been a Delight in any way, shape or form! More ensemble acting without taking anything away from the established trio! The trio’s interactions with the other 4 will add to their individual depths as characters, and only serve to enhance the overall product! What was great about classic Mission Impossible was the team element, but with the modern Tom Cruise version (1st movie, haven’t watched the rest!) ego took over and it became a solo act which said to hell with the team! People & characters grow through their multiple & varied relationships, so we need to see more, less previously established relationships for these characters if they are to remain fresh and exciting!
Zoe is in the sequel. I’m excited about this movie already.