A couple of months ago TrekMovie debunked a rumor that Lost’s Nestor Carbonell was being eyed for the role of Khan in the Star Trek sequel. But that didn’t stop a recent interviewer from asking the actor if he would be interested in the part, the short answer is ‘yes.’ And in other Trek/Lost connection news, showrunner and Star Trek producer Damon Lindelof is talking about the connections between Lost’s future and Trek’s history
Nestor Khan?
Tonight Lost returns after its long slumber to premiere its sixth and final season and many of the cast and crew are doing interviews, including Carbonell. After talking some Lost with MovieLine, the subject turned to Star Trek, here is the excerpt:
Now that you’ve done The Tick, Lost, and The Dark Knight, you’ve cultivated a geek army that’s touting you for Khan, should they include that villain in the next Star Trek sequel. Have you seen that?
Well, it would be tremendous, it would be amazing. I know that the show has already opened many doors for me, and that’s the great thing about this business, that you never know which job you do will help you out with other jobs. This show has given me and my family so much, so if that were to happen, it would be tremendous.I think the question, Nestor, is whether you have the pecs to play Khan.
[Laughs] Listen, all modesty aside, I’m pretty shredded right now. Richard may not get to flex his muscles, but he’s not averse to taking off his shirt. Should it happen, the fans will know.
Of course the story for the Star Trek sequel is only in its infant stages and there is no indication that Khan is even part of it at this point. But if the Star Trek team decide they do want a new Khan, they can put Carbonell on the list of actor’s who are interested. Now someone needs to ask Javier Bardem
Nestor Carbonell – publicity photo for "Lost" – actor interested in playing Khan in "Star Trek" sequel
Lindelof talks Lost – Trek franchise connection
In other Lost – Trek related news, Lost co-showrunner and Star Trek producer Damon Lindelof spoke about an interesting parallel between the two franchises in a new interview. Recently ABC and Disney have been talking about how they see the Lost franchise as something like Star Trek. Hopes are that they can keep the Lost world going after the show ends in May, possibly even with future TV spin-offs and movies. Here is an excerpt from a recent article in Variety titled "Is Lost here to stay?":
[ABC marketing exec VP] Benson and fellow marketing exec VP Marla Provencio say they would like to handle the "Lost" franchise much in the same way Paramount navigated "Star Trek" through the years.
"We do believe ‘Lost’ can be a ‘Star Trek’ for us," Benson says.
And in the ‘what goes around comes around’ file, Damon Lindelof, who co-produced the 2009 Star Trek movie with JJ Abrams, is now faced with the possibility that others will be taking on the task of re-imagining Lost, which he co-created with JJ Abrams. Lindelof spoke about this possibility in a new interview with the Daily Beast:
We made a guarantee to the people who have invested so much time and energy into this show, and that guarantee is that we are concluding the story of Lost. This plane crashed on September 22, 2004. These people came to this island and at the end of six seasons, their story is concluded. And that’s it. We’re writing to that end. The thing that Carlton and I were talking about the other day is [that] James Cameron made a couple of Terminator movies and at the end of the second Terminator movie, he basically had Arnold Schwarzenegger lower himself into a vat of lava to guarantee that the Terminator franchise would never, ever continue. "This is it, Sarah Connor, you have saved the world from Armageddon. We are destroying all proof of the future and that’s it." The fact of the matter though is that there are always ways to make more of it. We would not begrudge Disney or anybody else who had a creative take on Lost to come along and continue their
story of the show.But, for us, we just have to deliver our finale in a way that makes it feel like a finale. We would never want to do AfterMASH. It’s like MASH was about the Korean War but who cares about what Colonel [Potter] is doing back in the States and Hawkeye is not in it anymore. But, if somebody comes up with a creative take? You’re talking to the guy who was one of the people who rebooted Star Trek. I wouldn’t want Gene Roddenberry or Rick Berman or any of those guys before us to say, "How dare they." If you’re creatively activated by Lost and you have a cool take on it, that might be cool to see. But, for now, we’re very much in the mindset of pulling off the most effectively final finale as we can.
The final season of Lost kicks off tonight at 9 pm on ABC, with a two-part episode "LA X" written by Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. You can watch the first four minutes in a preview abc.go.com or via (YouTube) below.
I’ll say it again. Khan can work if he’s done right.
As to a re-do of Khan, I’d rather they not ‘play it again, Sam.’
On a totally unrelated note, I just watched the movie ‘Eagle Eye’ from 2008. *yeah, yeah I know, it is two years old! I was stationed in Afghanistan when this one came out and I have finally gotten around to seeing it).
It is ‘Wargames’ on steroids!!! After watching it, you may NEVER ever want to use a computer, a cell phone and a social interaction network again! The movie is sooooooooooooooooo good… and too frightening to consider if any of this could remotely happen!
Why mention this here? If you didn’t know Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were the producers. I’ve decided they are both hyper-active ( LOL ) as every movie I have seen of their’s has people running to and fro from the first to last scene!
I agree, sir!
I meant that for Jeyl
No Khan Do!
I will avoid all lost spoilers, I haven’t watched a single episode yet, so I’ll check it out when its done.
I’d rather they not do Khan again, but if they ever do I hope it’s cleverly different from what we’ve seen of his previous appearances.
Yes I agree! They foolishly rebooted for a reason! so I dont wanna see Khan, I dont wanna see Old Kirk, Archer, Sisco, Janeway, or even my all time favorite Starship Capt. Captain Picard. And I DO NOT wanna see The Borg! Cuz as far as I’m concerned using TNG’s, most popular villians is just a way to insure that the sequel makes a whole crap load of money so neither Paramount nor JJ Abrams look like fools after their brilliant idea to reboot everything and basically turn Trek into a Comic Book characters. wehre every 10 years or so new people show up to play the iconic characters that we are grew up.
Now I know eventually Khan has to show up, but him showing up in the first sequel is too soon. With this little rant out of the way.
If and when Khan shows up, I think Nestor Carbonell would be perfect. And who cares if he doesn’t have the Pecks that Ricardo Montalban had. as I’m sure some 1 will remind me of after they read my little rant, this is basically not only a new timeline, but an alternate reality pretty much, so Khan doesn’t have to have Pecks, The Borg can show up before TNG, if TNG even exists in this new Trek Timeline Alternate reality, Heck I suppose the Dominion from DS9 could technically show up before DS9, if that even exists in this new reality.
Well folks, I appologize if my little rant offends or angers anyone. Its just my opinion, I loved the movie, and will buy it soon, hopefully.
Everyone have a good night. Bye
Hey guys,
I don’t think revisiting Khan is a great idea. Wrath of Khan is a classic film and not in need of a remake. On the other hand, if it WERE to be done, then Javier Bardem would be MUCH scarier and more edgy to play him in a modern telling of Khan. Hiring an actor because he strongly resembles the great Ricardo Montalban is a bit thin. It would lead to inevitable comparisons which would constantly pull you out of the movie as your mind repeated the phrase “Wow, he really looks like Khan” or “Wow, he really sounds like Khan” over and over again. Ricardo beautifully pulled off the role in both the 60’s, and 80’s but audiences aren’t intimidated so easily these days. Someone more intense and frightening is required.
Besides you guys(Bob and Alex) you destroyed Vulcan and created a new time line.
Please, tell us a NEW story : )
#4 No Khan do (LOL!)
@ Spockboy: Star Trek: Something Something would not be a remake, it would be a new scenario in the new timeline using the same characters.
But I agree; I don’t want Khan in the sequel.
That said, Carbonell would probably be okay for the part.
Oh, and I agree with you on Bardem. If they did go there, he’s my ideal Khan.
The only way I’ll buy Khan in the next Trek is if Spock Prime tells Kirk to use the SS Botany Bay for TARGET PRACTICE! I can hear it now.
Kirk: Uh, sir, are you sure that blowing up a perfectly good, albeit antique, DY-100 class ship is logical?
Spock Prime: I promise you, Jim, that you won’t regret it. (And neither will my younger self!)
I would love to see a new Khan story, since this will be before he’s stranded by Kirk he won’t be a obsessed revenge freak. Instead we’ll see a genetically engineered genius matching wits with Spock and Kirk- more Spock than Kirk probably, but Kirk would have that wild unpredictability that would ultimately win the day. Man, I would give anything to see an intelligent villain being outsmarted on Trek.
no khan.
People should keep an open mind about Khan. Yes, I know “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” is a classic, but that doesn’t mean if the next movie features Khan that it will be a rehash of TWOK. It would be a bit like “Space Seed” in which he is discovered on the Botany Bay. But apart from that, Bob and Alex would write the story in such a way that it doesn’t rehash anything that came before while respecting Ricardo Montalban’s contribution to Star Trek. It really is no different than re-casting Kirk, Spock, McCoy etc. It is clear to me that after watching “Star Trek” 09 that Bob, Alex and J.J understand the characters from “The Original Series”.
I have no doubt they would find the right actor to play Khan. I also have no doubt that they can write a script which would add more to the character while respecting the qualities of what makes Khan a classic villian.
Same goes for the Klingons or even the Borg. Whatever J.J and co. decide to do, I know I will be waiting anxiously for the next 2 plus years to see what they came up with. I think a little optimism would be a good thing. It is quite clear they are considering Khan right now. Of course, its early and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
So much for going where no man has gone before.
I suppose Khan could be grafted on as a peripheral character and series of events… but, Why? Why aim for stunt-scripting, when there’s an opportunity to write an entirely new chapter in a great franchise. This is not the re-boot. The sequel will draw a bigger audience than ST09. Please make it worth our while.
I enjoy that special little rush of nausea that comes from the idea of these guys rehashing Khan :)
To the great Spockboy Orci must listen! For great danger there is in making Khan remake or Khan-tinuation of the Khan saga! Forsake you they will many Trek fans.
I don’t want a rehashed Khan story but, if they do, he’s the guy.
Nestor would be awesome as Khan…he has the superior intellect.
Yeah I’m pretty solid on the no-khan bit. I honestly doubt this last movie would have been nearly as good if they had done…say Vger. Lets see some faces that have a least not been in movies. As much as I think Harry Mudd was an incredibly lame character in the realm of Star Trek I’d rather see him because at least he’s never been done on the big screen. I’m trying to think of another example of how lame replacing Khan would be, but I can’t think of one because nothing in movies has been done that would fail that much. I still hope this is them leading us in a different direction than the movie’s actually going to go. We already know Khan as a person, we know his basic motives, what makes him tick. In the last movie they changed most of that for Kirk and it worked well, but you can’t change it with Khan. Even take out the need for revenge and his motives were still made clear by Space Seed. Plain and simple, please, for the love of Trek, don’t do it.
I also find it interesting that people who are against the idea of using a villain who has only been seen twice before(Khan) are some of the same people who wouldn’t mind seeing a race seen dozens and dozens of times over(Klingons). I personally wouldn’t mind seeing both villains.
Lots of oppurtunities for action and suspense. And maybe throw in a wierd anomaly where strange things happen for good measure. I do happen to think that is possible to revisit old villains while “boldly going where no man has gone before”. At the end of the day, Bob and co. have to come up with a movie that appeals to the mainstream crowd and not just Trekkies. They have to look at the bottom line which is revenues.
The fact is, a “Motion Picture” or “Voyage Home” type movie wouldn’t make as much money today outside of the Trekkie fan base. Audiences today want fast-paced action. That’s not to say the next movie can’t be thoughtful and intelligent. “The Wrath of Khan” and “First Contact” were so good because they had an intelligent storyline as the cake and the action and visual effects as the icing on top. I would bet my top dollar that the sequel will feature a villain, whether familiar or unfamiliar. The Supreme Court have to balance intelligence, familiarity, and fresh story ideas against the business aspect of filmmaking, i.e how financially and commercially can the sequel succeed taking into account new and old story ideas.
There is an entire new universe to explore. Why go such an obvious route?
Mr. Orci, if you’re out there I would specifically like to know your opinion on casting an Indian international superstar for the role of Khan. Names like Amitabh Baachan would generate huge amounts of international hype and definitely help out how well the Trek sequel does internationally box office wise.
24- I disagree this is an obvious route. My favorite part of the new Star Trek movie was how they reinvigorated classic characters. If you think of Khan being an arch villain to Kirk, there is so much more story to explore. Shatner Kirk didn’t even MEET Khan in the movie. It’s clearly an untapped well.
Oh boy. Here we go.
OK, so if they do go with Khan….which is going to happen sooner or later anyway….they need to do it right.
So, how do they write a new story with Khan?
Well, simple: If he is to appear in Trek again he CANNOT be done in an over-the-top manner. He would have to be all the things that he was when Kirk and company first found him: Cool, collected, scheming, egotistical, magnetic and ruthless. He cannot be the Khan of the 2nd film because that man was shaped by 15 years of misery on a dead planet…watching his followers and his wife die one after another.
No, if he is going to be brought back he has to be a thinking man’s villain. He cannot be just another stock trek villain that has a super weapon and wants to blow up everything. That’s too easy a story, and it’s BEEN DONE to the Nth degree.
I still hope it’s not done though. There is no “boldly going” by dipping back into past stories. These guys (The writers) can REALLY establish themselves by writing something no one has ever seen before. In this time, where movies can pretty much do anything because of the special effects technology that exists, there is no excuse for them not to do something wondrous.
#27 Agreed! I think the Supreme Court has learned some lessons from writing Nero in the last film. If they do Khan, he will have more nuances and facets to his personality while staying true to his “nature”.
I love Mr. Carbonell, but he simply doesn’t have the voice for Khan. Montelban had a very commanding voice. And as I’ve said 100 times, no Khan for the love of God! What is the point of a reboot if you just remake everything? Come up with some original, new ideas, please. Thank you.
No Khan in the sequel, but it’s worth considering for the threequel.
After all, there could be a clone…. considering Khan himself was the product of genetics. Who’s not to say that a Soong has been very naughty and created (like the Kahless clone) another Khan.
The only way to “do” Khan in the sequel is as a mention in dialogue (IMO). Spock, in a personal log, notes that his elder self had given him a vague warning about the sleeper ship, the Botany Bay. The cargo had given the older Spock “undue difficulties” in his timeline and since Vulcans were now a nearly extinct race, he wished to save his younger self from a misadventure or worse. Another Federation starship was was dispatched to deal with the BB and was under strict orders not to awaken the crew. The BB was to be towed to an undisclosed location for study.
Spoiler alert. It just ended and has been worth the wait. Already see the coorelation to trek. Space time parrallel realities etc.
This last season will be interesting/ figure the whole Jacob thing out
There is certainly an uncanny resemblence between Ricardo and Nestor.
I duno, I’m torn on this one. Not totally against the idea, but they will certainly be aiming to leap a very high bar if they decide to go this route.
Just saying… If you want the Borg in the new Trek (which I personally don’t, they were epic in TNG but VOY ruined their menace), then a way that they could be realistically incorporated would be that, as they were already on their way to investigate the signal sent by the Enterprise-E in the past and the ‘Regeneration’ Borg by the time of TNG, it isn’t too much of a stretch to assume that they were monitoring the journey ahead. The black-hole device detonated by Spock was within or close to the Solar System (they weren’t at warp for too long from Earth orbit) and would surely have set off some alarm bells on their sensors, so they decided to increase their speed or find a faster way. Next thing you know… the Borg arrive. Dun dun dun.
I’d rather not see them to be honest. TOS had it’s share of fantastic villains and races without needing to borrow from TNG.
Khan? Maybe. Klingons? Ummm perhaps. Just not the Borg. Please.
Kahn would not be dissimilar enough to Nero for the general audience. They would feel like the last movie was simply being redone.
I could see the Borg if done right. Perhaps Kirk and crew pick up a distress call and they arrive to help out what tuns out to be the Enterprise with Picard and crew being destroyed by a Borg ship.
Before they are destroyed Picard relays to Kirk that they chased the Borg back through time as they are hoping to assimilate earth in the past. Even though the Borg are about to completely destroy the next gen crew Picard chuckles to himself knowing he has now thrown James T Kirk into the equation for the Borg. His ship is then destroyed.
Two problems with that idea, one is doing another time travel story, won’t happen. two is no way would they kill off the next gen crew like that, unfortunately.
And three, like Chris J points out Voyager completely took away the Borg’s menace.
Here’s some mock-ups I made of Nestor as Kahn way back in June of last year.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/pelcj/newkahncopy.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/pelcj/khannestor.jpg
Nestor Carbonell? YES
Khan? NOOO!!
Look, the first time around, Kirk defeated Khan with a crummy hollow plastic tube!
A HOLLOW PLASTIC TUBE! He beat down Khan with something having less mass than a brick of Leggos.
That’s just degrading. Neither Montalban, Shatner nor their characters deserved that pathetic kind of “battle.”
In TWOK, they never even occupied the same room!
In short, Kirk has never on film given Khan the ass-kicking he deserved. It needs to be done again, and done right for the first time.
Throw in some Klingon connection and/or intrigue and you’ll sweeten the story even more.
yes to Khan
Khan’t you leave him out?
Just because he looks a little like Ricardo doesn’t mean he should play him. Look at what happened with Brandon Routh, he looks kinda like Chris Reeve but he was dull!
Oh, for crying out loud…bringing back Khan was a very, very clever idea back in the 80’s. It connected the movies back to the original TV show in a way that the first movie didn’t.*
But they don’t need that anymore. They can do their own story without having to be constantly compared to a favorite movie.
*I never understood why the crew of a spaceship suddenly needed turtlenecks and heavy jackets, when they used to be fine with a shirt. Did Starfleet cheap out on the heaters and insulation?!
I loved the Borg n queen on voyager-she just found a foe more determined n more kick ass than the borq queen-namely capn/admiral janeway—she protected her crew/family like no one else-imho the borq are still menacing-cant wait to hear details on the new trek sequel-hurry up heheh
Khan is a classic character and a remake would be inferior to the stuff that came before
Star Trek is about more than Khan and the Borg. I love both villains but come on do something new for the next film.
I can see the months of thinking these writers will do to do something new and no matter what they will end up doing Khan
Its a forgone conclusion Khan will be redone and I will be disappointed if he is redone. I love Khan and TWOk is a classic but I want something new.
15 – How do you think a chubby Khan would go over with the fans ?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan for KHAAAAAAN! vs Chris Pine? The ultimate battle of charisma! But who would win?
#9. ” Wrath of Khan is a classic film and not in need of a remake.”
Why does everyone assume that if Khan is going to be in a new movie that it will automatically just be a direct remake of Wrath of Khan? That doesn’t make any sense. Story wise, it took 15 years from when Khan was first introduced to where he was by the time Wrath came into the picture. The frame work for a new storyline for Khan will be significantly different. If Kirk and crew encounter Khan, there isn’t going to be any “wrath” because Kirk hasn’t done anything yet!
I can even see that if Khan is introduced in the same way as he was in “Space Seed”, things would still be different. Kirk isn’t a knowledgeable romantic who knows literature and potentially Earth history. You put Khan in a room with this NuKirk, Kirk isn’t going to have much of a chance.
I think that the supreme court should go the route of a pop culture crossover for the next villians. Maybe the Blockheads from Gumby!
I say thee Nay.