Star Trek writers Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci are at Comic Con today doing a panel on their new Hawaii 5-0 series, but they took time out for a couple of interviews with to give a progress update on the Star Trek sequel. They didn’t drop any spoilers, but did talk about how the second film allows them to broaden the focus to the whole crew. They also implied we would see Pike back and more McCoy. Orci also said they "will listen" to fan input on if Khan should be in the film.
Significant Story Progress + Focus on whole ‘family’ + More Bones and Pike?
While at San Diego Comic Con, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman talked to MTV about the Star Trek sequel. They said that they are "making significant progress on the story" for the sequel and they are spending a two hour lunch break each day while they are filming Cowboys and Aliens to work on Star Trek. Orci also noted that the second film allows new opportunities:
Now that we’ve set up everybody– there were new characters in the last one, so we really want to focus in on them. For example Scotty, who you met at the end of the last movie, who [was] so important to the crew but had the shortest screen time, now is going to be in the movie from the very beginning. In fact, the whole crew is in it from the beginning. In the last movie they came in staggered and it really was focusing on Kirk and Spock and now the whole family is there and you want to focus on them first. Before you worry too much about new characters, make sure you have them taken care of.
Orci also seemed to imply that Bruce Greenwood would be returning and that we would see more of Karl Urban’s McCoy. When asked who "popped" in the first film Orci replied:
I loved, and a lot of people loved, Captain Pike. I loved Bones, who a lot of people thought he’s too good-looking to be cast as Bones… he was a fan-favorite. We’d worked with Karl way back in TV land days, so to get back together and have him surprise everyone was great.
Orci thoughts seem to parallel comments and polls taken here at TrekMovie where fans have noted they want to see Greenwood back, and they want more Bones.
Here is the video.
Bob Says They Have Story "They Like" + Says "We Will Listen" About Khan
io9 also talked to Bob Orci at Comic Con about various projects, and got some brief comments about the Star Trek sequel saying "we have a story that we like like and we just have to get cranking it out". He also solicits thoughts on putting Khan in the sequel to say "log in, vote, speak up, we will listen".
Here is the video:
Yes, more Bones and Pike! Make it an original story, more of how things started than a full blown new villian shoot um up!
Wow!!!
Wow!
They should have more Bones in the next movie. Even if they would have Captain Pike back for a cameo as an admiral as he was left off at the end of the first movie. I hope they find away also to include William Shatner to be back one more time as Kirk Prime…
I like the fact they plan on bringing back Pike and giving us more McCoy.
Shows that these dudes care!
Get a shave, hippies!
Yes, more Kirk-Spock-Bones. It’s Trek at its best. The others are good, too, but they’re not the central focus. We don’t need a ton of Chekov jokes. PLEASE. Just a little. Sorry, but that’s how Trek works best.
PLEASE give us something to think about as well as to feel, along with the ‘splosions.
No Khan. TYVM.
My only hope is that they can lobby the Producers/Director/Paramount to give a proper Engineering set, and to initially write a reference into the new script.
Scotty: “The Federation finially ponied up enough money to properly upgrade Engineering” :-)
Bob, I think you’ve read this site- and no doubt others- enough to have a good feeling about what fans would like.
But, most importantly, I think you writer guys need to do what you feel is right and do what, as fans, you would like to see most.
Go crazy. :-D Give us a roller-coaster ride.
I’ve always thought they were leaning towards Khan. May not be a done deal since a lot of people are against seeing him in the sequel. I for one wouldn’t mind a new version of the character. Naveen Andrews? Mark Strong? Nestor Carbonell?
I also wouldn’t mind seeing Gorn, Tholians and Andorians. A good variety right there. Especially the Gorn and Tholians, both of whom we have only seen twice before in Trek.
One thing we can all agree on though is we won’t be seeing any Borg, Cardassians, Ferengi, Bajorans or other TNG era aliens in the sequel.
However, I wouldn’t mind seeing a couple of Xindi characters, such as the aquatics or insectoids as background characters. We never see enough non-humanoid aliens.
I vote to tease the appearance of Khan in the last act of this film, for the next. Take our characters on a big, emotional, and entertaining ride worthy of a motion picture and Bob, you will continue to do the Trek franchise proud. Thanks again for your dedication, I know it isn’t easy and you don’t take it lightly.
No Khan. If you’re listening to what fans have to say.
FEATURE the main 3. The classic triumvirate of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy and their interplay is absolutely iconic and classic. Give Kirk a dilemna and have Spock and McCoy argue the humanist and logocal points of view and have Kirk base his decision on the counsel of his two great friends. And show them to be just that: Great Friends. I always thought of Star Trek to be something of a “buddy” show, even before I really knew what that meant. I don’t need to see Spock beat the hell out of Kirk again. I don’t want tons of animosity between the characters. I want to see their genuine friendship and love for each other. They need to be this group of people that when together, can figure out the solution to just about anything.
And no Khan. (Did I say that already?)
And do a better job of spelling than me.
I just have to put in a vote against Khan. We’re in a different universe now, full of endless possibilities. It seems so early to be drifting back to the familiar.
Brilliant news I am getting excited now so obviously they have a story for the sequel please more Kirk,Spock and McCoy and a great film
A. No Shatner. He’s got some great new work now for him, but he just doesn’t make sense and would be gimmicky, weird, and totally steal focus from what the film should be.
B. I’m on the fence about Khan. I trust that they could do it in a really cool way but they are such a solid, creative team, I think Star Trek could benefit from their unique and new ideas. Khan feels like more than a stand alone film and an option to hold onto until a later time.
C.@9 – It’s possible we could at least see Cardassians, as they referenced them in the last film. Couldn’t tell from your comment if you were anti these aliens or just didn’t expect to see them.
D. I disagree that Star Trek at its best is Kirk-Spock-McCoy only. The other characters have a lot of potential and deserve to be explored and deepened more than they have been. I DO agree that increasing their number of one-liners and cheap humor, ex. Chekov humor, is not the way to do that.
E. I’ve been having this thought for months…if T’pring survived the destruction of Vulcan, and Spock were to begin to experience the Pon Farr…the relationship Spock has with Uhura could create a lot of tension and conflict for Spock, wrestling with the nature of his human emotions and his logical responsibility to rebuild the Vulcan race. NOT as a main plot, but perhaps a side plot/conflict. (I’d love to hear people’s reaction to that idea…good or bad)
F. I’m overall just really excited to see where they take this next film.
#7 – would be great if someone actually said, “Scotty, your Engineering looks like a brewery.” Of course Scotty would bristle, then a fight breaks out and everybodies shoreleave is revoked for a week.
Seriously though, my list is:
*mystery and wonder of space
*the shear novelty of exploring unknown areas of space
*wonders of space
*kirk, spock, mccoy as primaries, then the others
*the shared experiences of “family”
*no kahn as I don’t see how he can work into this given he needs the Ceti Alpha 5 experience to be properly “motivated”
*Nurse Chapel
*some of those long, slow shots of the E coming in and over our right shoulder (and making that GREAT engine sound)
*proper space-age engineering
*EDITH KEELER!!!! (Aw gawd a retelling of that story would have folks crying as they exit the theatre). I ask too much.
*scotty coaxing the E
*The E as a character, she always was, and should be again. Have the crew show their respect for her. And Kirk’s love for her.
*I don’t care if the Klingons show up.
*I think the Borg could.
I guess I should stop. But, I warn, I might be back.
In my heart, I feel that Kahn would be a huge mistake. How about having the Klingons take out the Botany Bay early on, like they did Pioneer(?) in the opening of TFF?
– Harry
No Khan in the sequel.
The main points of TWOK were the themes of Revenge and ageing. Both of which needed the 15 intervening years between Khan’s 1st and 2nd appearances.
It would not do the characters or the story any justice to try and shoe-horn it into one or two movies.
Besides, TOS has many other wonderful scenarios to explore in this universe, but don’t forget, Kirk is captain long before his primer conterpart so som events should be years away.
Can we please have a space battle in which Kirk has to use his intelligence to outwit his opponent. That was always a fun part of TOS (Battle of Terror, Corbomite Maneuvre). You have the budget to create a really exciting starship battle, and that was missing in Trek 09, it was more like ships were target practice rather than battling it out.
More Bones and Pike is fine.
Scotty would need to be less bafoonish. Would really like Scotty to show his engineering and command skills ahead of being slapstick.
Oh and please don’t make Uhura into a Syndey Bristow kick ass femme fatale. She’s a competent lunguistic.
Dear Bob and Alex,
What makes ANY film or television show great are, “moments”
Moments when characters connect with each other, moments when characters have a decision to make, or a dilemma to face. TOS was chock full of moments like that. When Kirk stopped McCoy from saving Edith Keeler, when McCoy confronted Spock’s vulcan facade in the jail cell in Bread and Circuses, when Spock first said “fascinating” in Corbomite Maneuver, When Matt Decker went into the Doomsday Machine, there are so many.
Maybe this will inspire you ;)
http://tinyurl.com/cggnk3
Good luck guys!
:)
#15
I’m not anti-TNG era aliens, I just think we won’t be seeing any of them in the sequel. I think Bob and Alex would prefer to remain in the TOS toybox for the second film. The third film is where they may feature some non-TOS/ENT aliens. Probably the way it should be.
Please no Khan, but bring on the Klingons!!
Khan’s motivations were no different before he was marooned than after – being marooned just focused those motives. He went from being a plain old megalomaniac to being a megalomaniac bent on REVENGE!
While Kirk and Spock are recognizable as being patterned after the “classic” characters, they are slightly “bent” into a different mold based on the “new universe” experiences. Khan would be no different. For example, he could start out as a young ambitious Starfleet officer (or diplomat, or planetary governor) with experiences that “bend” him in a different direction.
Or maybe he’s not a villain at all. Maybe in the “new universe” he’s a rogue who allies himself with Kirk and Co. to defeat the villain. Or maybe, his life went another direction, and he’s got a cameo as a janitor on a space station charged with getting rid of Tribbles…..
I’m excited as well to see where they take the next film
As you are asking, I’m leaning toward No Khan. He’s been done and done so very well indeed.
Do something new. Something wondrous. Something amazing. Something that really tests our imagination and that of the crew.
(Oh, and lots and lots of Gorn. Or even just one big, mean one will do!
I think I may have mentioned that one before? :-) Study up a bit on the lizard family. There are some interesting possibilities to give them some unique and testing abilities)
MORE Bones, Scotty and Pike + XI Klingons
Please NO Khan or Mudd in the next movie.
Thanks for listening/reading!
I’m on the fence about a new khan but if we do have a Khan movie how about taking it in a differant direction.
original spock tells them where to find Khan, they go to safely move Khan to a planet that will not self distruct and encounter a new alian threat.
Khan even though he has a superiority complex is still human and teams up with Kirk to defeat the third party alians making Khan a hero for a change!
this means Kirk and Khan become alies not friends becouse Khan still belives his supiriority means he deserves to rule all humanity.
mind you just becouse he wants to be a dictator does not mean he cannot be kind and friendly with anyone who swears loyalty to him.
Well I’ll vote for Khan, its logical. But I have a theory here if I may. I think they have a solid story already hammered out.
Now I believe they want to see what villian they will to insert into the story, be it Khan, Gorn, V’ger ect.. And thats why I vote for Khan, really the ultimate Star Trek villian and best known (and liked) by both fans and public.
I know for a fact that when the trailer comes out in late 11 or whenever, and flashes of Khan are seen across the screen, people will NOT go “oh no, this is gonna suck” or “oh a remake, boooo!”, it ain’t going to happen. They WILL eat it up, and Im sure it will be fun.
I cannot wrap my head around Scotty hailing the bridge and in stead of telling Kirk, the dithium crystals are fracturing, he’d say: We need more hops and grains! Paramount seriously NEEDS to pony up major $$$ and upgrade engineering from the Budweiser plant to 23rd century sensibilties. I’d even settle for an exact 1966 tv series recreation of the set used, rather than another cinematic journey through industrial bottling plant backdrops again!
Here we have a state of the art bridge, and then wait…..oh we used a brewery for the main power deck that runs the whole starship? I guess we should be grateful the shuttles were not soap box derby cars w/ glued on papier mache nacelles! The budget clearly went for the actors, bridge, CGI rendering, and FX. NOT the bulk of the ships sets.
There better be more Bones! Poor McCoy was just spouting one-liners during the whole film! “Space is, etc…” “Dammit, man, I’m a doctor, etc…” “Are you out of your Vulcan mind, etc…”
Nothing but one-liners and no real worth to the plot except to say, “LOOK! He and Kirk are friends.” Big whoop. He’s worth more to the Enterprise and to Star Trek as a whole much more than that.
No Khan, either. There’s no replacing Ricardo Montalban, there’s no redoing “Space Seed” or TWOK. No matter how creatively done. Must all new Star Trek movies have villains in them?
I’m totally against Khan. We already have a fantastic movie about him. I don’t see the point in redoing that when they have an opportunity to do pretty much anything they want in the film.
Please no Khan!
I’m pretty ‘meh’ about Pike. He was great in the first one but he’s had his turn and unless he’s saying ‘goodbye good luck’ to Kirk and co I’m afraid he might take away screentime from the others.
I’d like Chekov to mention ‘Wussia’ once. :)
I’m fine with them creating new aliens but I’d like to see the ones we already know and love. Except for Klingons. XD
I think it’s really great of them to listen to the fans’ input. I think whatever they choose to do will result in a fantastic movie. Leave out Khan though. :)
great. Star Trek film by fan imput – let it not be so. I am about to puke.
It would be interesting to see a modern day Khan but there are so many great things you could do with the franchise. I don’t think Alex, Bob, and Damon should revisit what past Star Trek films have done simply because they have such great talent, they should put their flair on the series, their ideas, their stories.
I do have interesting ideas but since I am not a write they might not translate well in a story or movie. But every time the new film is talked about all I can say is Klingons and a massive battle scene, I want to see a Federation fleet of oh lets say 10 ships go into battle NOT THE ONE ON ONE submarine battles. I have faith that the overall story and character development will no doubt be great, but Klingons and a massive battle are a must for this movie.
I vote for Khan, but with conditions:
-Khan shouldn’t be excluded simply because he is a villain from the Original series. Romulans and Klingons were from the original series should we exclude them from here on out? Kirk, Spock and McCoy are from the original series, should we exclude them?
-Khan shouldn’t be put into the sequel just for the sake of having a really great villain in it and he is the first that pops to mind. If Khan is going to be put in it, it should be done creatively and not simply copying what was done in Space Seed. We’ve seen that story already.
Like others, I say Khan should be left out. It really seemed to me like one of the main points of this premise was that you could do new things while still giving the fans the classic characters we love. It also avoids the biggest problem with prequels–that the audience already knows what’s going to happen.
I also agree with those who say that a villain isn’t even necessary in the next movie. Nero was effective and enjoyable to watch, but aside from him, we’ve suffered too much “villain fatigue” in this series. Shinzon wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t too good, either. Ru’afo was forgettable and pointless, the Borg queen was kind of against some of the main features of the Borg (they’re outwardly emotionless and they’re completely decentralized), and Soran, while well played, was no great shakes. Kirk and crew ought to confront the unknown. They could have a foil who isn’t your average angry villain, like Mark Lenard’s Romulan commander or Kor, Koloth, and Kang. A worthy opponent type.
And yes, a role for Admiral Pike and of course more Bones! Especially more Bones/Spock interaction.
BobOrci-
I think you guys should really, really consider the Talosians and Talos IV. Their power of illusion can really open up the story to seeing anything and anyone……
Cool. Would be good to see Pike again, but not necessarily in a “mentoring” role. Kirk should be firmly established as a strong leader in this film. In the last film he was getting his butt kicked all the time. I’d rather see him portrayed closer to the spirit of what he was in the early first season episodes than as a “rebel without a cause”. Remember, this guy is apparently commanding the most powerful and advanced ship ever built.
Also, the triad of Kirk, Spock and Bones really needs to be given more weight. I think the film overall needs a little more weight to it. I really want to see this group of professional explorers really tackle something “big”. Big ideas, big concepts, big adventure and can avoid the “forehead of the week” English speaking aliens with super weapons in favor of producing a wondrous, thought provoking, high concept story,I think a lot of people will be impressed.
I want some Carol Marcus and Gary Mitchell! This is the perfect opportunity, with the new timeline, to explore the people who we’ve heard just a little about, but never got to really know. PLEASE! I’d even compromise on a cameo.
No Khan….Maybe Harry Mudd…and we need Klingons!!!!!!!!!!!
No Khan…..No!
Please no Kahn.
Do something new !
As much as I love the Khan character, I would like to see something new. Maybe you could use Khan in movie 3 or something?
I think it would be nice to see the Enterprise on a mission of exploration. You know, new life and new civilizations.
Have them meet a culture that is so vastly different, that you could write in a series of cascade reactions that could prove to be very dangerous.
This way, the crew would really have to work together to bring the movie to a good end, heh.
And then, after the ending credits, a gloomy shot of the SS Botany Bay?
(I really hope I made sense.)
39.
Harry Mudd and Klingons are so original but Khan isn’t?
Khan would resonate with a general audience, I do agree with that.
Don’t think Khan is the way forward. But a little nod to the Botany Bay wouldn’t go amiss.
Also would be nice for a Carol Marcus reference or full role, every starship captain needs a muse.
I really like the idea of using Kirk’s intelligence to defeat his oponent. The best episodes, and movies, were chess games with a dash of poker. And, no Khan- no matter how it’s handled there would endless comparisons to the original, which would be too distracting.
Shatner? Sure, why not? Let’s give him the trek farewell he deserves. Even Koenig has good things to say about him these days.
kirk prime!
“One day…soon man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, maybe even the atom. Energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in some sort of…spaceship. And the men…that reach out into space will be able to find ways to feed the hungry millions of the world and to cure their diseases. They will be able to find a way to give each man hope and a common future, and those are the days worth living for. Our deserts will bloom…….”
Hey, Bob and Alex:
I have to agree with EVERYONE about that [terrible] engineering set in ST XI: even though 99% of those who saw the film (who never cared about ST before this movie but DID enjoy this film tremendously and are looking forward to the sequel), they also noted that it was plainly obvious the engineering set was a brewery. The firmenting tanks in Communications were too, too…. SIGH. I was embarrassed when I saw it, trying to reconcile their appearance as if they were spare dueterium tanks or something, adjacent to the warp core area, wherever that would have been.
Paramount needs a better set than we saw for engineering in the first film — even if they decide to go to a similar “design” (note the quotes there): that would be somehow explained away that the first film showed the “bowels” of the Big E in an UNFINISHED FASHION due to the nature of the Nero emergency. Or something.
Naw, ST XI’s engineering was a brewery, plain and simple: there didn’t seem to be ANY feel for it being a real warp drive reactor. I know the writers of a story don’t often, if ever, perform Production Design tasks (I took film production classes in college), but they might have a say in how sets are designed for a storyline if necessary. You guys are awesome, and THANK YOU for even taking the time to consider our concerns in any capacity. You did a great job with the [first film’s] story.
Break a a leg on the story, fellas, and as the Vulcans say, “Live long and prosper.”
RC
Klingons have been more overdone than Khan, NO KLINGONS!
Let’s see the Gorn
or the Talosians
or the Doomsday Machine
or Jack the Ripper from “Wolf in the Fold”