JJ Abrams Talks Personal Connection To Trek & Fans + ST09 Editors Talk Kirk

As his Star Trek movie is being talked up for the Awards Season, the Hollywood Reporter checked in with director/producer JJ Abrams to talk about the film, his process and more. JJ had some interesting things to say about how the film was personal, the fans and more. Plus Variety talks to the Star Trek editors. Excerpts of both below.

 

JJ Abrams on personal Trek, fans and more
excerpts from THR interview with JJ Abrams

The Hollywood Reporter: Was there any part of making "Star Trek" that felt personal?

J.J. Abrams: Quite a bit. It’s a story about family and friendship and loyalty and finding your place and your way and being insecure about any number of things. And that is a universal idea that doesn’t need to take place in space; it can take place anywhere — and that idea feels very personal. I found myself surprisingly connected to a character called James T. Kirk. I found myself loving a character whose name was Spock. And as someone who was never really a "Star Trek" fan and who never really connected with any of the characters, it was the last thing in the world I ever expected.

THR: The movie has been embraced by geek culture. How do you feel about the rise of that?

Abrams: If you look back, there’s always been a certain level of fantasy, science fiction, horror. The only litmus test that I ever have is: Is the thing that we’re working on the thing I want to go see? It’s always just about trying to work on the stuff that you feel like you yourself would go out and go see. If you start trying to anticipate what an audience is going to like and not like, you’re probably in trouble.

THR: How do you see your relationship with fans?

Abrams: I am obviously indebted to them. The great thing about getting a consensus because of the Internet is it allows you to really hear what the audience is feeling. It’s a wonderful tool to understand what’s working and what’s not working. Because I do try and work on the kinds of projects that I want to go see, I don’t feel like my audience is any different from my friends or myself — I feel like I am those

Read the full interview at hollywoodreporter.com.

Abrams project update
In the THR article Abrams said that he still "hoped to direct a movie next year." Abrams has peviously mentioned that he was writing a script for a film to direct next year and tells THR that he is still writing it and it is taking longer than expected. In a separate article, THR reports that Abrams Bad Robot has optioned Colum McCann’s National Book Award-winning novel "Let the Great World Spin". Abrams will produce with McCann adapting the screenplay. "Spin" joins the growing list of projects Abrams has in development at Bad Robot and Paramount. The next release will be the Harrison Ford comedy "Morning Glory" coming out next June. Also likely to go into production next year is Mission: Impossible: IV. No director has been picked for that, but Abrams has stated to that he will only be producing.

The next Star Trek movie is still slated for a Summer 2012 release, with Abrams as producer and possible director. The choice on directing the film will not come until 2010 when the script is completed and the film gets the final green light and budget from Paramount.

Markee talks editing Trek
Another couple of Star Trek movie alums being talked up for awards are the editors Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey. They have a brief profile/interview in today’s Variety.

In the interview, Markey talks about the arc of the film:

The arc is each of them working out their own issues individually and their conflict with one another. The true satisfaction of the movie is seeing them finally come together.

And Brandon talks about how they handled Kirk:

We needed to decide on a character with whom an audience would want to take the journey. Giving him a little charm was the way to go. [recalling shortening a scene where Kirk runs on the Starship Enterprise deck to warn of danger] I had to pare it down so he didn’t come off like a jerk. A little tough goes a longer way than a lot of tough.

 

 

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I couldn’t connect to any of the lead characters. I found them to be cold and boring. Pike was the exception.

There was so much story to tell – even
at two hours, a lot of character development
was left undeveloped…. (I guess JJ could
have made it a FOUR hour movie…).

P.S.
I still think it was done very well
with the time parameters he had.

So much nitpicking on these sites… it’s beyond me! Why do all these so called fans even watch Trek… Oh Yeah, to criticize it of course! How fun! Some of you negative jerks should just get a life or quit watching something that you do not enjoy! There are shows & movies I’m not crazy about, but I’ll watch anyway to give it a chance to develop, but if after so long I still don’t care for it, then yes I will quit watching it rather than continue to do so just so that I can continue to nitpick & criticize… where’s the enjoyment in that? Oh Yeah, some people get off on criticism and badmouthing just like some get off on gossip! To each their own, some things are just a matter of taste, but if you don’t enjoy it why watch it when you could invest the time in something you do like! I am watching Sanctuary & Stargate Universe and I am not super crazy for either yet, and I continue to watch but if they do not get better in my estimation then I will quit watching just as I have with other shows like Heroes! I’m not going to bitch about them, they maybe just aren’t my cup of tea, so I’ll invest my time in something I enjoy like Fringe, Flashforward or V. There is plenty to choose from to watch, so move on & enjoy yourselves from now on for that’s the point: to be entertained!!! What a concept!! I just wish we didn’t have to wait 3 years before the next movie which I loved. If I hadn’t liked it then I wouldn’t continue to support the Trek movie franchise, I would go see something I liked better! I wish we had a regular Trek TV series rather than some of the Drek on television now! You just can’t beat Trek on tv IMHO! for me nothing is more enjoyable. I like it , I support it! I don’t, I won’t! That simple! I don’t need to nitpick & complain and rag on & on about it to the detriment of those who did appreciate it and lessen their experience. Everyone’s a critic, and everyone could have done it better… Yeah right! B**LSH*T!!!!!

I love it, Character Development was almost Perfect, wish Scotty had a little more time, He made the Characters connect with Audience and made it all feel so real! I hope he keeps up the good pace in the second Movie!

@Devon

Agreed, couldn’t have said it better.

@4-devon

Well said my friend!

@4-devon

A very big amen….

@4 To quote another beloved sci-fi character (not of the Trek universe)…

“Indeed!”

I almost avoid the comments section cuz of all the ranting.

#4 – I started to frequent this site a year ago because there is actually LESS nitpicking going on here. Believe it or not…!

#4 “Star Trek” and “nipicking” are synonomous. Always was and always will be. For the most part nitpicking is fun. Such as pointing out inconsistencies in movies, episodes and comics. Where it gets really annoying is when some fans criticised J.J Abrams for going with a new design (exterior and interior) instead of inch by inch adhering to the original designs from The Original Series.

And finally, J.J Abrams and co. did an outstanding job rebooting the franchise with this movie. I hope he directs the next one(and hopefully several more) with the same writing staff.

Come ON Kids!!!
We waited and waited for this movie.
It came…it was great…now let’s move on to the next one!!!!

The first comment was definitely from a troll.

With this movie the torch has been passed to the next generation.

#4 – To a point, I agree with this. I love Star Trek, but I wasn’t fond of Abrams’s “Star Trek”. I dislike reboots in general, as a concept applied to fictional worlds, and I completely disagree that any such thing was needed for Star Trek. And I’ve spent much less time chatting here in the midst of all the rah-rah for the film, preferring to speak occasionally in the threads on the other parts of Trek which I still love very much.

I’m glad that many people enjoyed the film, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t parts I liked. I thought the cast were great, and I thought a lot of the direction and VFX were excellent. But the storyline and a lot of individual creative choices made me very unhappy, so just as some folks might have a particular part of Trek that’s not to their taste and which they prefer not to deal with, this will apparently be mine.

I’ll be over reading the novels and watching “Phase II”. :)

… – I had to pare it down so he didn’t come off like a jerk. … –

Bites tongue firmly.

Most nit picking is done cuz fans care-some care too much bout silly stuff but to each their own opinions–i am not bothered by diverse opinions-i luv tos,tng,enterprise, jjs trek,tmp etc–they all have flaws none are perfect–none of us are perfect–i enjoy the many incarnations of gene roddenberrys vision–and the diverse ideas and opinions here fun to read…

Hey guys, saw the new movie 11 times and loved it the more I saw it. Next to TWOK it is my favorite and I still tear up at the opening sequence. If you don’t you are not human. Just love the spirit of the movie. The Blu-Ray is simply amazing! Can’t wait for the next one. 2012 can’t come soon enough.

@4 devon
agreed! But some back and forth is healthy. I sure JJ’s group would look at the finished product and think how could we have made it better. That’s healthy because they will want to learn from any miscues from the first outing. And we can help with that.

For me, I just loved loved loved this film. I can’t even express how much I loved the new spin on an old franchise.

The nitpicking does sometimes get very annoying. It reminds me of Ron Moore’s BSG. I stopped going to the SCIFI board because there were alot of old school BSG fans that hated the reboot. And instead of just giving their two cents and walking away, they continued to blast it every single day. Watching it every week and going to the boards to vomit negatives all over the place. For the most part I think most of the folks are well meaning (most, not all). But what can you do.

See, I guess I will say the unsayable: If certain people say they like the idea of you and how much you were great in the past, but at every turn seem to take every chance to say how much they don’t like the you of today, then are they really a fan of you? How do you know?

I mean, aren’t they really just a fan of the old you — the old you that is not likely to return? And if so, at what point is it probably better for them to say, “You know what, I don’t like who you’ve become, so I won’t bother you anymore?”

Unless they’re your parents, relative, or spouse, it’d be kind of odd they’d hang out telling you how much they don’t like you. Dontcha think?

But on a more on-topic note: I can’t wait until it’s confirmed that JJ will direct again.

I love Star Trek, Star Gate, BSG, Firefly, most things SciFi. And I appreciate them all for their differences. I love all things Star Trek, in all series, there were good episodes, and there were bad, yet you continue watching. As for the Movie, I LOVED it! It was fresh and in all honesty, what is a reboot, if you use old props, ideas and equipment – then its not a reboot, its as remake. Times change, so do ideas, and I welcomed the new Trek! Thank You JJ Abrams and co for renewing my interest in SciFi. most movies lately have seriously disappointed me – Look at The day the earth stood still for instance – boring! And Like i said, I love Scifi….

We all breathed a sigh of relief (amongst the gasps of excitement) when JJ’s Star Trek finally hit the screens, after a wait that felt like aeons!
Thank you JJ and your team – it was a blast!
As for your other projects… (to quote bones from STVI) what is it with you anyway? LOST is by far the best piece of televison in a very very long time and Fringe is shaping up nicely. You are hitting some very fine nails right on the head. Well done! :)
..and for the record.. I suggest Season 7 for LOST.. go on, I dare you.. think of the publicity! ;)

DEVON…. I thank you. Thank you very much. I have been on this website for sometime and I am really very tired of hearing how everyone disliked this or that. Enough!!

I love most of the rest of the comments too, and it is good to see everyone express their appreciation of this movie instead of berate it like some have felt the need to. I too, feel appreciative of having to watch Star Trek make a comeback like never before and greatly anticipate the next movie.

I don’t think the bulk of the praise on the Net is a case of the “rah-rahs,” like, for instance, rabid American football fans insisting (often loudly) in the face of overwhelming adversity that a mediocre team is “#1.”

I think the bulk of the praise is genuine. For most people (obviously not for all, as will never be the case), the movie was an unqualified success in pretty much every department. I don’t personally think anyone could have done a better job with what they had to do.

Story, character, art direction, fx, cinematography, direction, performances, all top notch. Star Trek firmly deserves the attention its getting from both the fans and the press.

Inter dimension beings? Or is this something from the future? Angels and Demons? (Nordics vs Dracos?) Is this Nero?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQi4R040iNA&feature=related

I recall viewing a painting of 15th century-17th century of the same image in the sky except there was thousands of these.

http://dudeman.net/siriusly/ufo/art.html

Fascinating.

Brandon: “I had to pare it down so he didn’t come off like a jerk.”

…..Brandon, I’m sorry, but Kirk was the biggest most unlikable son-of-a-bi*** character that Star Trek has ever had to focus on. There was nothing you could have edited out or put back in to make it otherwise.

– Any kid who destroys a precious car for unknown reasons is a jerk.
– Anyone who sexually harasses a woman and enjoys it is a jerk.
– Anyone who lies, cheats and doesn’t let his own crew in on what he is doing is a jerk.
– If a character disobeys a direct order from his superior officer, verbally assaults him in front of the entire crew and assaults fellow officers for just following orders is a jerk.
– A character who complains about someone else who has violated a protocol when he himself has violated them ten fold is a jerk.
– A character who doesn’t apologize to someone he has taken advantage of just so he could take over his command is a jerk.
– A character who shoots at an enemy ship that is already crippled and has no hope of surviving on it’s own (which this character also knew) is a jerk.

All of this and the movie still tries to convince me that he’s the best of the best. No. I do not accept Kirk as ” a character with whom an audience would want to take the journey.” NO. I do not like Kirk. He’s not just a jerk, he’s an A**HOLE. This is not your fault of course Brandon, but when it comes to Kirk, it takes more than just “paring” down a sequence to make him less of a jerk.

#26

The point was Kirk had to turn from the fatherless “Jerk” who was a punk and evolve into the Kirk we all know and love. The transition is apparent in the film, although it took a few punches to the head and a few victory dances to show us his inner potential. You have to remember this is a alternative reality and Kirk will continue to evolve as the movies come out.

Kirk actually offered assistance to Nero at the end, showing Mercy, trying to go the high road and forge peace with Romulans earlier. Spock objected and before Kirk has a chance to make up his mind, Nero spits in Kirks face and tells him to *uck off, at that point Kirk is like, sure you got it.

Star Trek definitely needs some gay characters……..Bring it on…….

Nitpickicking is good if done right. But there are a few people(You know who you arw) who just like to bash the new movie. For those people. You have the Dvds and now Blurey. Just stay in the past and wath them and the rest of us will go on and enjoy Star Trek.

# 13

Somebody here needs to balance all the fanboys that cry everytime they watch the new movie.

JJ Direct the next one. Please!! Please!! I love what you did with Trek.

JJ calls himself “someone who was never really a “Star Trek” fan and who never really connected with any of the characters”

In my eye, this is more than evident in the ’09 movie.

Should JJ direct the next one I won’t watch it. Should someone else direct, there’s a 5% chance I’ll watch.

13: Not everyone who disagrees with you is a troll. I’d rather consider your own post somewhat trollish.

It’s been that way since the beginning of Trek on the small screen. There will always be nerd/geek’s aspiring to be GREAT Trek writers, producers and directors…when in actuality, they’re sexless single males living in their parent’s basements wanting to be be lazyboy critics who wish to take apart someone else’s vision of Trek.
Trek fan’s have always felt THEY owned the property and the powers that be should listen to their voice alone, not the mass audience that may watch or buy a ticket.
Then there is the camp that feels after Gene left the orig. tv series, then again passed on during TNG’s run, and his non-involvement w/ the movie after TMP lays the claim, it’s not real trek or Gene’s vision of it.
I got an idea……all those who don’t like Trek any more…..WRITE your own cult phenonmenon, bank roll it, produce and direct it, and show us how YOU will make it a success! Instead of constantly telling the powers that be HOW it SHOULD look!
Let’s see how many BILLIONS $$$$$ you make and how many years you can sustain interest in your property!

34: You like the ’09 movie because it made a lot of money or because you… well, like it?

@4 – Agreed. Well said.

@26 and 27 – Well argued points, and to add to it some, the car Kirk destroyed was his father’s not his stepfather’s. The latter had planned on selling it, and it seemed to me that he ran it into the quarry more on accident while running from the cop than delibrately crashing it just to prove a point/be reckless. Also, we are to gather that Kirk had to grow up with that jerk step-father for a role model, and thus became one himself before Pike straightened him out a bit.

and did anyone notice how JJ was impacted bt Star Trek asa whole? Didn’t we all have that similar experience somewhere in out lives? Sure, we didn’t get to work with the charactes on a big budget movie, but the fact that someone who wasn’t a Trek fan became one BECAUSE of this movie, speaks to the goal he had in mind all along: re-introduce the concepts and characters to the wider audience. And the numbers don’t lie. He pulled it off.

28. The Six Million Dollar Man – December 11, 2009
Star Trek definitely needs some gay characters……..Bring it on…….

Where the heck did that come from???

Anyway, I am one of those “fanboys” who didn’t like JJA’s “revision” of Star Trek. As a generic sci-fi/action/adventure/time travel summer blockbuster popcorn flick, it was fantastic. As a Star Trek movie, not so much. I didn’t feel that it evoked any of the charm or ambience of TOS at all. It certainly didn’t evoke Gene Roddenberry’s vision of 23rd century Earth as a utopian society free of war, crime, famine, disease, hunger, and all that. I got the feeling that Earth in the Abramsverse was a pretty $hitty place to be, and that the only way to get away from it would be to join Starfleet and work in space. That’s not Star Trek to me. I had no reason to care about these characters either. They are not the characters I know. They are alternate reality versions of the original crew. I could care less about their “origins”. I would prefer to know how the Kirk, Spock, Bones, etc from the “real” or “prime” Star Trek universe met. That’s the story I want to see. Not only that, but the total and complete redesign of the Star Trek universe also irritated me tremendously. I didn’t care for the design direction that was taken in this movie. I absolutely LOATHE the Abramsprise, the iBridge, and the Titanic’s boiler room…er…Engineering.

“11. ryanhuyton – December 10, 2009
#4 “Star Trek” and “nipicking” are synonomous. Always was and always will be. For the most part nitpicking is fun. Such as pointing out inconsistencies in movies, episodes and comics. Where it gets really annoying is when some fans criticised J.J Abrams for going with a new design (exterior and interior) instead of inch by inch adhering to the original designs from The Original Series.”

Just to be clear, I have never heard a single person on any of the discussion bosrds I’ve visited say that they wanted “exact” duplicates of the original ships and sets right down to the gumdrop buttons and blinky christmas lights. Never. Nobody wanted that. It would have looked stupid on the big screen. What some of us did want, however, were ship and set designs that bore at least some resemblance to the TOS versions upon which they were based. Instead of the efficient, colorful, inviting TOS bridge we got the iBridge. Which looks like a cross between an apple store and the jewelry department at Belk. Instead of the clean, simple, well proportioned, elegant Matt Jeffries designed Enterprise, we get the Abramsprise. Which looks like a bloated, disproportionate kitbash of the TMP saucer with the alien ship of the week secondary section and Dolly Parton nacelles. Instead of the simple, clean, efficient, elegant, and very futuristic TOS style engineering section, we get the boiler room from the Titanic. The Abramsprise engineering section looks like it belongs in a 19th century steam ship. It would have been very simple to update the ship and sets to look modern without completely redesigning everything. The reason this was done was so that JJA could make good on the ad slogan “This isn’t your father’s Star Trek”. And it sure isn’t. That’s why I prefer “my” Star Trek. I don’t consider the Abramsverse to be true Star Trek and I never will.

#27 “Kirk actually offered assistance to Nero at the end, showing Mercy, trying to go the high road and forge peace with Romulans earlier.”

Why would Kirk all of a sudden be interested in peace with Romulans? There was nothing in the movie that indicated that the Federation was in quarrel with the Romulans, Kirk never talked about or overheard anything regarding the status between the Federaiton and Romulas. And even the mind meld between Kirk and Spock didn’t indicate that there was a conflict between the Federation and Romulas at the time. There is nothing in the film that justifies or even hints at a desire to make peace with Romulas, let alone anyone.

And let’s not forget the real problem with that scene. Kirk orders all of his weapons to be fired on the Narada. Why? The ship is DOOMED. He said it himself.

“Your ship is COMPROMISED. Too close to the singularity to SURVIVE without assistance”

If Kirk was going to give into Nero’s wish to die in agony, all he had to do was turn the Enterprise around and let the Black Hole do it’s thing. If you watch the film again, you can see the Narada literally being torn apart by the black hole BEFORE the Enterprise even fires on it. And it isn’t just tiny pieces either. You can see the Narada when Nero is on the screen with it’s big knife like tentacles being torn from the hull. There was no need to fire on the Narada. The fact that Kirk fired on the Narada and waited for what was already going to happen regardless of what he did happens, the black hole gets a grab on the Enterprise and puts the whole ship and crew in danger. He puts his entire crew in danger because he just wanted to shoot the bad guy when he was already being destroyed.

“38. Jeyl – December 11, 2009
#27 “Kirk actually offered assistance to Nero at the end, showing Mercy, trying to go the high road and forge peace with Romulans earlier.”

Why would Kirk all of a sudden be interested in peace with Romulans? There was nothing in the movie that indicated that the Federation was in quarrel with the Romulans, Kirk never talked about or overheard anything regarding the status between the Federaiton and Romulas. And even the mind meld between Kirk and Spock didn’t indicate that there was a conflict between the Federation and Romulas at the time. There is nothing in the film that justifies or even hints at a desire to make peace with Romulas, let alone anyone.

And let’s not forget the real problem with that scene. Kirk orders all of his weapons to be fired on the Narada. Why? The ship is DOOMED. He said it himself.

“Your ship is COMPROMISED. Too close to the singularity to SURVIVE without assistance”

If Kirk was going to give into Nero’s wish to die in agony, all he had to do was turn the Enterprise around and let the Black Hole do it’s thing. If you watch the film again, you can see the Narada literally being torn apart by the black hole BEFORE the Enterprise even fires on it. And it isn’t just tiny pieces either. You can see the Narada when Nero is on the screen with it’s big knife like tentacles being torn from the hull. There was no need to fire on the Narada. The fact that Kirk fired on the Narada and waited for what was already going to happen regardless of what he did happens, the black hole gets a grab on the Enterprise and puts the whole ship and crew in danger. He puts his entire crew in danger because he just wanted to shoot the bad guy when he was already being destroyed.”

Totally gotta agree with this! That was one of the stupidest scenes in the entire movie.

#4-Yay, brother and AMEN!

#26-Kirk seems like most of today’s society, that’s why many could identify with him. Frankly, I think he was very likeable at the end. What do I know, though, I actually liked the movie. That automatically disqualifies my opinion, right?

#32-How is this evident? Because he changed the ship inside and out? Because he wrote the characters in a different yet familiar way? Because he made it a thrill ride instead of constant talky technobabble? Because he returned to the root of what Star Trek really is, the iconic characters of Kirk, Spock, and company? Was it that blasphemus music that was used instead of “the old music”? Was it because of the shaky camera and lens flares? Was it because of the brewery engineering or the IMAC bridge? Surely there are tons more reasons? He destroyed the entire franchise and raped our childhoods, right? Just sayin’………….

Yep. Absolutely.

#38-How was there any way to know he wouldn’t have an escape pod and would get away, thereby causing more trouble in the future. Heck, there are still some fans who try to pretend Nero lived through the whole thing anyway. Even some of the producers (or was it Nimoy) brought this point up a while back. In addition, it was Kirk’s first command while he was actually an ensign, perhaps he (OH MY GOD) made a few bad decisions???? Overall, though, the results turned out correctly. Oh well, why not bitch, it’s so much easier to be nagative than happy.

#41-Was that a response to my previous post? If so, it proves you never wanted to give this a chance. You were prepared to rip it for being different. I guess you actually do want the candy “grumdrop buttons” and so on. Pretty sad, but at least you have your dvd’s to cherish, just as I do. I’m just happy I can cherish ALL that has Kirk & company.

43. JimJ – December 11, 2009
#41-Was that a response to my previous post? If so, it proves you never wanted to give this a chance. You were prepared to rip it for being different. I guess you actually do want the candy “grumdrop buttons” and so on. Pretty sad, but at least you have your dvd’s to cherish, just as I do. I’m just happy I can cherish ALL that has Kirk & company.

Did you even read the post your were responding to? I think I made myself perfectly clear. I wanted Star Trek. Not popTrek.

Yeah, I responded to #32 “HOLGER”, but maybe you are the same person posting under different names?

HOLGER???

45. JimJ – December 11, 2009
Yeah, I responded to #32 “HOLGER”, but maybe you are the same person posting under different names?

I have no idea who “HOLGER” is. I don’t post on trekmovie.com very often. Only when I feel I need to make a point. This was one of those times.

#4 – Yeah, toe the line or get off the bus, am I right? You can’t be a fan unless you love everything about Trek! It’s all or nothing! And definitely don’t watch a movie you’re not going to like. Use your psychic ability and figure out what you’re not going to like BEFORE you go see it. That’s what normal people do, anyway. Way to weed out the non believers my man. Live long and prosper!

#4: “We should all grovel at JJ’s feet, no matter how worthless his movie was, because it technically counts as new Star Trek material perpetuating our beloved franchise.”

I didn’t even take the time to read the entirety of your post, but still felt enough pity to shorten it from 376 words to 27 for you. You’re welcome.

I stated my opinion. I also gave examples of why I feel the way I do. That’s more than most people do. I have no problem with those who like the Abramsverse. I just don’t understand why any TOS fan would actually enjoy seeing the original version of Star Trek completely redesigned and rewritten to the point that it shares nothing more than the names with its former self. If you like AbramsTrek, more power to ya. I don’t.