The returning stars for the Star Trek sequel expected in 2012 may not know what to expect, but they do have some ideas about what they would like to see. At the Star Trek DVD release party TrekMovie talked to John Cho, Zoe Saldna, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto and Bruce Greenwood about their hopes for their characters and got an earful on ass kicking, chair blinking and more.
Star Trek Actors Talks Star Trek sequel
Video taken at the Star Trek Blu-ray/DVD Party
Highlights
- John Cho Suggests that after the "external, physical action" for Sulu in first film that for the sequel "maybe we turn Sulu’s battle internal"
- Zoe Saldana wants to see Uhura "kick some ass" in the sequel, doing real fight scenes, maybe "with a sword or a gun"
- Zachary Quinto likes the idea of "exploring the dilemma" of Spock’s half human/half vulcan heritage, noting that it is "shifting"
- Karl Urban would like to see Bones "come into that triumvirate figure that is so central to the series" between Kirk and Spock
- Urban also wants to see "more arguments of passion vs. logic with Spock"
- Greenwood would like to see Pike "on site" and not "back on Earth"
- Greenwood does not want Pike in “the chair”, noting "the blinking, the beeping, it’s been done"
Photos
More photos from the DVD/Blu-ray Party
John Cho
Zoe Saldana
Zachary Quinto
Karl Urban
Bruce Greenwood
Photo by Carla Van Wagoner
More Star Trek DVD/Blu-ray Party video interviews coming up
Look for more interviews from the party from cast and crew of Star Trek.
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I second Bruce Greenwood — i would much rather see Pike back on his feet! Great to hear all of their comments. We just watched ST on Bu-ray Friday night, and I had to catch myself from saying “wow” every few seconds. Just amazing, and so much fun.
Triumvirate? what Does that mean?
If I remember my Roman history (and I should I just finished a class on it) it is a latin word that means “of three men” and was used to describe a powerful government consiting of three main rulers.
The triumvirates I’m hoping to see are Kirk, Decker, and maybe a new captain on the Federation side and Kor, Koloth, and Kang on the Klingon side in a Federation vs. Klingon Empire story arc. That could be done in the vein of The Dark Knight if done right in my opinion.
Didn’t consider seeing Pike in the sequel. I loved the character in the film and would love to see Greenwood portray the character again, in something more than a cameo.
Aaron… Triumvirate is a nonreligious way of saying Trinity….and I agree with #3 and with Bruce Greenwood; Pike needs to get outta the chair… The Enterprise is the FLAGSHIP therefore it needs A FLAG OFFICER STATIONED ON-SHIP, which would give Pike a more meaningful role and add a good allegory with Kirk worrying about Big Brother lookin over his shoulder
Sulus internal battle Cho referred to should be, in a nod to Takei, a battle with his acknowledging his blossoming homosexuality
I received my DVD yesterday and watched it last night. Have to say i liked it much better than the one time in the theater last May. Hope we don’t have to wait more than three years for the next one.
Happy Thanksgiving All and safe travels!
This is fine, so long as it’s not intrusive and disrespectful to opposing beliefs. This is still a very controversial and religiously debated subject. I think respect needs to move in both directions to keep representation of this matter fair, and from being stuffed down anybody’s throat.
———
Sulus internal battle Cho referred to should be, in a nod to Takei, a battle with his acknowledging his blossoming homosexuality
T.’.
ST: XII
1. Klingons (#4 above is right)
2. Khan (only at the end of ST XII, please…see Klingons, above)
3. Guardian (I’m looking at you, Harlan…)
4. Q/Trelaine
5. Doomsday Machine
6. (Balance of Terror — highly unlikely, given ST XI plotline)
7. Kelvan Empire
8. Gorn
9. Organians (see Klingons, above)
Anyway, what I guess I’m saying is the next movie should have some good old fashioned Klingon antagonists, in an extended plotline, with the Botany Bay being discovered at the very end. Or after the credits…
Otherwise, of the above, I like the doomsday machine or a modern take on the Kelvans.
T.’.
I think it would be appropriate to give Kirk as much free rein in the movie as in the original TV series. No need to cramp his style, and besides, if Pike were needed on the spot all the time, he might as well command the ship himself.
I do want to see Pike in action, however.
Also, there should be no confusing Sulu with Takei.
Man what a cast. I like that Cho wants less action, whereas Zoe wants some action scenes- the grass is always green on the other side. I wonder what Yelchin wants in the sequel, or Pegg for that matter.
Greenwood is hilarious! I really hope they bring back Pike, he was so wonderful in the film. And I totally agree with Urban; more Bones interaction with everyone and more Bones in general! He made McCoy my favorite character. :)
As far as “triumvirate” goes… The very first Triumvirate, which consisted of Caeser, Crassus, and Pompey, predated Christ by nearly a hundred years. A Triumvirate, as Anthony mentioned, was a form of Roman government divided amongst three powerful leaders. Didn’t work out too well, either.
Kirk, Spock and McCoy are (in most people’s opinion, I think) the heart of Star Trek. More than the Enterprise. More than the rest of the ensemble. Determination, logic and passion are the three most important ingredients to achieve any accomplishment. The characters of Kirk, Spock and McCoy have accomplished immortality by being what they are.
I’d love to see a story which contains Pike going after Kirk, to prevent him from doing something that is morally right, but viewed as wrong by law. Something like that…..
Uhura could indeed kick some ass.
Kirk and Uhura alone… he’s the macho again.
Kirk: “Forget for just a moment that I’m the captain, okay?”
Uhura: “Aye…”
She kicks him.
Uhura: “…Sir.”
We need more of Admiral Pike, continuing his role of mentor to Kirk, without intruding to much, all while walking around with some functioning legs. Let’s face it, Kirk is still a kid, with the best command in the whole fleet, still think it’s ludicrous!
It is intriguing to consider how these actors will play out through a sequel that’s 3 years away. TOS cast owned those roles — and the roles owned them — for 3 consecutive seasons. We saw them weekly. They didn’t have many, if any, extra-Trek appearances so the audience bonded with them individually and as an ensemble through a series of innovative and provocative episodes. When feature-length Trek movies bloomed, the actors were fully immersed in their characters and so was the audience. The 09 cast is going to have to re-establish in a sequel (after all that time) before they can add more depth, else become caricatures.
I second the motion for Greenwood continuing as a mentor and conscience to the fatherless Kirk He fit so well, performing with the authority and gravitas that exhibited such impact. He’s also a sweet treat for us older Trek babes, who, speaking for myself, have sons younger than Pine, Urban and the lispy Quinto.
#8 had an novel idea! I wonder if Star Trek (next) could go where no Trek has gone before? However, it’s not an authentic notion. Why play up an element not native to the Sulu character himself, but to the preceding actor’s personal life? I think that’d be cheezy.
I still marvel at Karl Urban’s accent. It’s like House in space! :)
I would really love to see Uhura command the Enterprise while the other characters are busy. I do not think Uhura has taken temporary command before…… am i right ? I think she might have taken temporary command in the animated series (forgot).
I’d like to see Pike involved on some level. Obviously the timeline is changed. He was not on the Enterprise and did not meet the weird women with big heads from The Cage episode in the original timeline.
One question – since Spock Prime mind melded with Kirk, would Kirk possibly have gained some insight into future events?
“Greenwood would like to see Pike “on site” and not ‘back on Earth’
“Greenwood does not want Pike in ‘the chair’, noting ‘the blinking, the beeping, it’s been done.'”
LOVE Greenwood’s suggestion.
I would love to see the next move with Bruce Greenwood’s Captain Pike on one last mission as Captain of the Enterprise to investigate the disappearance of the SS Columbia, lost somewhere in the Talos Star Group…
Or they could just do a big budget remake of Plato’s Stepchildren. Complete with a midget riding Kirk like a horse and Kirk and Spock’s Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum dance moves.
As much as I’d love a nod to Takei, there are too many episodes with Sulu lusting after pretty women on various planets and away missions for that t work.
I like the idea of a conflict between Admiral Pike and Captain Kirk. Pike is sort of a father figure to Kirk, yet I can’t imagine Pike’s going to be too happy with getting command of the Federation’s flagship, seeing it through construction and then losing it on its first mission. I can almost see an Admiral Kirk/Captain Decker-type relationship shaping up – that could be a lot of fun.
The Enterprise herself needs to be a central figure. We had 79 episodes of exposition to build up Kirk’s obsession with command of her – hopefully that’ll get played up a bit. I mean, Kirk Prime didn’t get command until he was 32. New Kirk could be (COULD be) likened to a spoiled kid at Christmas that always get what he wants. Kids like that don’t appreciate things as much when they are just given to them rather than earned. Kirk has got to get a bloody nose to learn a lesson or two before he can truly achieve greatness.
And, any plotline that gives us more Karl Urban as Bones McCoy has got to be a good idea!
#23 — LMAO!!! That would be the way to kill the franchise again.
However, I think they should put Pike in a scooter pod and just have him beep and blink…and Bruce Greenwood should have to play it.
Wouldn’t that be a stitch? LOL!!!
14, interesting concept.
It would be interesting to see Pike and Kirk in a father-son relationship that somewhat parallels the Vader-Skywalker dynamic. (JJ loves Star Wars, after all.)
Imagine this: Romulus asserts a territorial claim over all of Vulcan’s colonies by right of genetic consanguinity. The Star Empire uses the destruction of Nero’s ship as a pretext for strengthening its own claims, despite the fact that Nero stood apart from the Romulans (in ideology, space and time). Pike “goes rogue” (to use a most horrifying cliche’, given the recent book of that name) because he sees that Starfleet is becoming as soft as he feared it would be. (Remember what he said in the movie? That Starfleet has lost that certain something?) Pike is determined to make Starfleet stronger against the Romulans in the wake of Vulcan’s destruction, and he succeeds in forging a military alliance of convenience with the Klingons to do so.
After secret consultations with the Klingons, Pike leads a Federation force to seek out the Romulans in a surprise attack, believing that the Klingons will back him up as agreed. Instead, the Klingons, double-crossing him, corner Pike’s force. Infuriated, Pike leads a suicide mission into Klingon territory, where Kirk, and the Enterprise, must save him — from himself.
Good insights into their characters from this new set of actors. The original cast will be proud of how the new cast is coming to understand these roles.
And yes, I am available to write screenplays.
:-D
The sequel will involve Klingons because the general public would expect it, but I think they’ll try to throw Khan at the end for the next sequel because he would be too good to pass up.
I just think the next movie needs to be awesome.
Oh, and NO KHAN!
That’s all.
I like Pike as an Admiral. It would be nice to see a Starfleet Admiral who isn’t deranged, incompetent, in league with enemy forces, or hopelessly detached from the field.
@14:
“going after Kirk, to prevent him from doing something that is morally right, but viewed as wrong by law. Something like that…..”
Didn’t we attend this party before, back in 1984? ;)
It’s going to be tricky, getting all these great actors their own character arc. I think it can be done, but it will take a lot of thought and a really tight screenplay. The second X-Men is a good example of an ensemble film that gave every character a great moment, and a clear arc.
Takei is gay. Sulu is not.
I want to see Uhura pick up a phaser rifle!
I think they need to have a khan movie, with the borg or klingons as a secondary enemy
It’s cool to see that the cast get their characters and understand what’s interesting to explore.
Triumvirate in terms of Star Trek TOS refers to Kirk, Spock, and McCoy: it is the relationship between these three that is the core of TOS in terms of character. Spock would be the logical viewpoint, McCoy the emotional, and Kirk the balance of the two.
#25 i tthought the same thing. there’s conflict written all over the kirk/pike dynamic. i can almost see pike taking a decker type turn with kirk reminding him of the bar talk scene in trek xi, probably repeating the “i dare you to do better” line before pike comes to his senses and sacrifices himself to save the enterprise and her crew. …just a thought.
I think, dramatically, it is very likely that Pike will still have his tragic accident, or some variation of it. Having Pike on board, as someone previously suggested, would preempt Kirk as captain of the Enterprise.
Maybe Pike would be seriously injured saving civilians from a class J ship, including the pregnant Carol Marcus, in the Klingon sneak attack that initiates the Federation-Klingon War.
He could survive in the chair, but be connected in cybernetically and communicate as a virtual version of himself, still appearing undamaged, preparing Starfleet cadets to go to war.
#18. Everyone knows Kirk and Spock have been a couple since the beginning. Although I have to admit, Sulu never got the girl.
but, remember episodes like galileo seven, were there was a commodore or whatever on the enterprise, and Kirk had to make that sacrificial choice of the one or the many. it could be interesting seeing pike as that figure, the one making sure kirk is doing his job. and it would make sense for kirk’s character, after his rush promotion to captain of the flagship, it would make sense that he’s under scrutniy by the higher ups of the UFP and that kirk would have to prove himself as more then a one nights stand as a captain
Yeah, one thing about the DVD commentary that struck me was the statement that the timeline was “trying to repair itself” through all the fated meetings of Kirk, Spock, Bones, and the rest of the crew. (Please, no “Final Destination” remarks.) Pike might have to experience some major personal injury in order for that to occur.
I like the idea of Pike communicating as some virtual version of himself. If so, he would become more powerful than Pike Prime could have possibly imagined.
(Kind of like Obi-Wan Kenobi after he passed, for those who don’t mind an occasional SW reference.)
So, so far we have Pike as a potential mentor, a potential commodore, a potential Vader analogue, and a potential Obi-Wan Kenobi analogue (although, true, the role of O-BWK has actually been taken by Spock Prime).
This Is the first I heard of buce greenwood signed for the sequel.I was hoping
Admiral Pike would be In sequel.My hope Is when Starfleet contacts Kirk
It Is Pike.
If they use Khan they have to keep his 1990’s eugenics Wars background
Intact.
My hopes for sequel
Spock Is more the wise Logicil character he was In the original series.
Spock mccoy arguments
Kirk Spock Mccoy trio similar to original Series
More of Scotty than just comic relief
Introduce Yeoman Rand.Play up Kirk Rand attraction more but remember In
the original Kirl didn’t go nailing the women on the Enterprise.His romances
were mostly woman on planets
If they need a Love triangle than Bring In Chapel and have a Spock Uhuru Chapel Triangle.
If they use Klingons don’t use next Generation Klingons.Use the original series
Klingons.The deleted scenes on DVD suggest here you had original series looking Klingons wearing mass with Bumpy foreheads.
Kirk Spock Mccoy Redshirt security people on landing party while Scotty or Sulu
In command of the Enterprise.If they use Klingons It would be ideal for the landing party attacked by Klingons while warbirds attack the Enterprise.
I’m all for Pike being in the sequel, the question is….in what capacity? Bruce Greenwood is far too good of an actor to sit in a chair on the sidelines. Maybe he needs a different ship so that he can team up with Kirk and the Enterprise as the next movie builds to a climactic conclusion. Exactly what that mission is, that they team up for….who knows, but he needs to be in this thing without sitting in a chair (let alone beeping-since there’s no indication he was THAT badly hurt by Nero’s “pet”).
I think it would make much more sense to bring Janice Rand into the mix…it might test Uhura’s true feelings towards Spock and Kirk, for that matter. Will she get jealous of Rand in any sort of way? I think having Rand around is just what Kirk needs, as a younger Captain. Time for him to start thinking about which is more important ON THE SHIP….the girls on the ship or the “beautiful woman he loves” named the Enterprise!
13- “Why you, I aughtaa!”
I can see Pike being an Admiral (he seemed to have that rank at the end of the movie) and commanding a fleet of ships, you have to figure that with the fleet rebuilding (they lost a lot of ships last time) they need some strong leadership and inspiration at Earth. They kept talking about Pike having this Kennedy-esque air about him, so it seems like a perfect fit.
47- Three Stooges reference (on that thought about the triumvirate)
Sulu, chekov, uhura, scotty, nurse chapel, and kevin riley are just secondary charactors, The actors who portrayed them can wish for whatever they want, but their role will not change or grow much in the movies..there is not enough time, It would be better if their growth was illustrated in a tv series , books and comic books.
Bones on the other hand , like kirk and spock will always get the spotlight, which is what made the three of them the heart and soul of the movies.
as far as pike, it’s alot like the deal shatner got in generations, read the script, agreed to it, kirk is dead , pike in wheelchair. Pike is now an admiral..not bad concidering he was the captain of the enterprise for 20 minutes..the most I think he could do at this point is do cameos, much like admiral janeway appearing in Nemesis.
For the same reasons they let Geordi keep his visor throughout the seven seasons of TNG, they should keep Pike in that chair. People with disabilities exist, are everywhere, and should be granted a place in this beautiful future as well. As happy as Trek is to embrace different colours, it must continue to embrace different shapes as well. And Pike would be an amazing representative.
Forget the beeping lights. They aren’t there. Just give him the little chair he had at the end of STXI. That’ll do. Count me as one fan at least that will be disappointed to see disability cast off so easily in the next movie.
Uhura wielding a phaser sounds great! Only, I would like them to fix the new phasers… what’s the point of having moving parts that flick back and forth in the future?