Did JJ Abrams Reveal A Star Trek Sequel Spoiler In A MTV Movie Awards Skit? [VIDEO]

On Sunday night Star Trek producer/director JJ Abrams once again appeared in a skit on the MTV Movie Awards. This time it was a gag about archery being the big new thing in Hollywood, but what some alert Trekkies noticed what appeared on the monitor behind JJ, who is supposed to be busy on post-production for the Star Trek sequel. So was it part of the gag, or an actual plot spoiler for the new Star Trek movie? Watch the skit below and decide for yourself.

 

Did JJ just confirm Klingons are in the Star Trek sequel?

First off, here is the MTV Movie Awards skit with JJ Abrams (and Hunger Games star Jenifer Lawrence) talking about the worst archery teacher in Hollywood (played by Joel McHale).

What was noticed by a number of Trek fans is the editing bay monitor behind JJ clearly showed a Klingon. And in fact, JJ joked about how he had to remove a Klingon sub-plot from the Star Trek sequel because he didn’t want to work with this Archery coach.


JJ and a Klingon in MTV movie skit (click to enlarge)

Now this could all be a gag right? The Klingon behind JJ could just be footage from the 2009 Star Trek movie. His gag about having to cut a Klingon sub-plot could be riffing off the fact that he did actually have to cut the Klingon sub-plot from the 2009 movie.

However, the image showing on the monitor behind JJ does not come from the deleted Klingon scenes released on the Star Trek Blu-ray. Of course this shot could be from some footage shot for the 2009 movie that didn’t make it to the Blu-ray, but it’s possible this is a genuine shot of a Klingon from the new movie.

TrekMovie has already reported that sources have indicated that Klingons will have a role in the film. And earlier on Sunday Star Trek sequel co-writer/producer Bob Orci came close to confirming Klingons were in the film. He at least confirmed that (if they do appear) Klingons will look like they did in the 2009 deleted scenes, saying "[Klingons] had ridges in the [2009 Star Trek movie] as evidenced by their helmets!…So in our universe, they still have ridges, whether they are in the sequel or not."


A closer look at the Klingon over JJ’s shoulder (click to enlarge)

But let’s face it. JJ Abrams is the king of secrecy. He would never reveal a secret to his movie in this way, would he? Then again, perhaps this gag about having to cut Klingons from the sequel could just be some meta way JJ is replying to the reports on the Internet about the Klingons. Just a little bit of misdirection from the master of mystery. So by showing a Klingon (something he would never do if it is real) he is actually trying to debunk the rumor. On the other hand, if Klingons are in the movie, they would be a major part of the marketing and Viacom (who own both MTV and Paramount) are just starting up their marketing buzz machine with this bit of Klingon business.

You could really get twisted up in pretzels if you think too hard so let’s leave it at JJ made some jokes about Klingons at the MTV Movie Awards.


Klingon from deleted scene in 2009 Star Trek movie. (click image to see scene at YouTube)

Thanks to Jason for the tip.

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JJ revealed something? Ouch, that’s GOTTA hurt!!

Don’t hold your breath on that one brother…….I’m not!

Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know’s on third…

I liked where they were going with the design around the Klingons from the blu-ray of the 2009 movie. And I think a reappearance is over due. I still maintain they’re the best adversary, with a lot of development behind them already.

Regarding Orci’s quote:
“[Klingons] had ridges in the [2009 Star Trek movie] as evidenced by their helmets!…So in our universe, they still have ridges, whether they are in the sequel or not.”

I thought the idea of the helmets was in part to remain ambiguous about that point.
If they wish to respect canon, then considering Nero didn’t reach the past until long after “Star Trek: Enterprise”, there should reasonably be both ridged and ridgeless Klingons. Personally, I’d prefer to see mostly ridgeless ones, since that’s what we had in TOS.
In fact, I’d like the Klingons to be more TOS-like in general. I feel TNG and onwards made a big mistake in basing their Klingons on the likes of Kruge and Klaa, even though they were exceptions to the rule at the time (Klaa was even forced to apologize for his actions, because back then Klingons still acted like grown-ups).

Going by the novels, the QuchHa’ (ridgeless Klingons) will be considered inferior to the HemQuch (ridged Klingons), but, again, there doesn’t seem to be much on-screen evidence for that.

Anyhow, if they do do only ridged Klingons, I just hope they don’t use any of the Klingons who shouldn’t have ridges at that time, such as Kang, Koloth, Korax or Kor.

Forget the quote (just comedic banter), but the screen on the back looks like a paused daily take scene from the movie, with a Klingon in it — that is the real clue here.

I think the Klingons should be more alien then we have seen to date with any Trek incarnation. Let’s get some real alien bad guys, not just guys in makeup.

And clearly i cannot drink from the glass in front of you!

@6. But you must have I would know about the powder’s origins, so I can clearly not choose the glass in front of me!

@7. Ah Bob, trying your best to throw us off the scent again. God Bless you, dude! Atta boy!

@boborci

Any viral marketing campaigns out there on the internet we should be hunting for yet? Perhaps something that reveals the image on JJ’s monitor in clearer detail?

6 pretty sure that its part of the joke of the archery gag, and doesnt really hold any relavence to star trek XII

@11. Then why isn’t the Klingon holding a bow?

7.

Bob, you hint at the theme of the next movie:

Star Trek: The Princess Ride? The Recessed Hide? The Prince of Tides?

Not sure how I got the wrong post number up there, sorry Bob and MJ.

danielcraig: How was Prometheus?

UGH! My weird JJ Abrams crush is creeping back.

The Klingons can look like anything and there doesn’t have to be any clear explanation. Nero and his gang didn’t have brow ridges like in TNG, although they came from that era. I hope they won’t go with the TOS look like they did with the Romulans (well they at least made them very unpronounced), because if they keep doing that we’re only going to be seeing smooth faced aliens. That worked for low-budget TOS but not for a multi-million dollar movie.

@5 I doubt they will or should have the Klingons be less like they were in TNG. When people think of what a Klingon is, they think about the brute militaristic type from TNG en DS9. TOS’ Klingons always appeared very human to me. Without defining characteristics like bruteness, etc. alien races can become too generic. Nero was only a Romulan in name because of the lack of defining characteristics. That’s not something I want in ST2. The deleted scenes also have the Klingons acting TNGy so I doubt we’ll see them revert back to TOS style.

Klingons are boring. They have been done to death. They are ape-like thugs who engage nobody’s interest. To use them in the next movie illustrates a lack of imagination. There are much better ways to convey conflict and drama.

Ooooops, was that my “outside” voice?

Never mind!

18. Lol. Unless these are the interesting Klingons we never saw.

I’m still hoping for a cold war-ish, more complicated Klingon. Not the TNG dimwitted Vikings (no offence meant to Vikings).

I hope it was part of the gag.
Otherwise Mr. Abrams risk doing something as impulsive as firing himself!

You all know how he feels about secrecy!!!

I want the Klingons from the Search for Spock or their mindset during Enterprise…

Correction.20.
may risk doing

You can find anything if you really want to.

Boborci

Much space exploration in the new Trek film or is it all about the crew versus Benny Cumberbatch??

Cheers

#7-
I just saw The Princess Bride again a few days ago. Yeah, that scene popped into my mind when I read the article too.

Although I don’t think he is infallible, I believe it was done on purpose.

I could be wrong though.

“No big deal” in any event.

@aix

“UGH! My weird JJ Abrams crush is creeping back.”

Well, I don’t know if it’s weird or not, but I do think he’s adorable. :-) I think that’s the same shirt he wore in some of the ‘leaked’ photos too… Interesting.

Even if that is an image of the new Klingons in the new movie, they could still very well end up on the cutting room floor, just like last time!

There’s no way the Klingon on the screen is an accident, unless Abrams suddenly lost his faculties. The camera shot is framed to include the monitor, and Abrams knows about cameras and framing (if not about controlling lens flares…hehe), so he’d have known EXACTLY what they were seeing.

Either the Klingon is there on purpose as a tease or a mislead, or it’s there on purpose because he figures that it’s no surprise that Klingons might or might not be in the movie.

Accidental reveal? I think not.

Looks like there is a dome above the klingon!!

If they are in the movie this will be all part of his plan, yes hes super secretive but that doesnt mean he doesnt understand teasing his audience with easter eggs and similar, doing interviews with obscure elements from the film in the background or having a photo of him answering Internet questions sat on the bridge.

People keep making a big deal out of some of the more recent ‘leaks’ but how do we know that JJ Abrams isnt behind it.

Helmets *would* fit the fact most of them had such weak foreheads by the 23rd century.

This is the first year I missed the MTV movie awards since it started, I didn’t even DVR it. Ehh, am I just getting old since I don’t care about MTV anymore? I do watch ABDC with my kids, though…

BTW: I really, really liked the Klingon helmets and hope they wear them a LOT in the sequel. It’s a nice throw-back to the Romulan helmets from Balance of Terror. It’d be cool if the Klingons never take off the helmets.

But I really, really dislike the trenchcoats. They look too Earth-like. I hope they abandon them in the sequel and opt for a more alien-looking costume. I can’t tell from the monitor behind JJ if they have the trench coats or not….

Another thought and then I gotta get back to work: What if the Klingons DO use archery in the sequel? They have often used swords and other bladed weapons in other versions of Trek, why not bow and arrow? I think it’d be cool.

Didn’t Worf have a crossbow in his quarters? I think Picard used it once.

#35 – It’s Trek, so they’d have to be…I dunno, tachyon arrows fired from quantum bows.

@7 boborci

star trek – inconceivable

I like the crab like ‘facial armor’ we almost saw in the last movie (or in the deleted scenes, anyway). I don’t mind Klingons used here and there, but I kind of hope they’re not the main villains.

They are, as Harry Ballz pointed out above, kind of just ‘apish thugs’ who get really old really quickly. The only time I found them at all interesting was in “The Undiscovered Country” as they kind of moved away from the Vikings in Space of TNG, and more towards the sneaky, ‘Soviet-stand ins’ we saw in TOS. Christopher Plummer’s Chang was so much more wily and sophisticated and very unlike any of the howling, obnoxious, dumb brutes we see in TNG (Worf kind of included).

If Klingons are in the new movie? I hope they follow his example…. ;-)

J.J does not do anything with his fiml’s that is not intentional. He knew what he was doing!!!

Have I missed the comparisons between the Klingon helmet and Darth Vader? The form is very similar and people here get on JJ for being to ‘Warsie’ for less… I like the design.

Ruffles Have Ridges too.

If Klingons are in the sequel, and they have ridges, I wonder if there will be an explanation as to why that differs from what we saw in TOS? As #5 pointed out, both should exist. Something about Nero’s appearance must have shifted the balance of power so that now the ridged Klingons dominate.

Also, after Simon Peggs declaration “It isn’t Khan” I am seriously wondering if Benedict Cumberbatch is playing a Klingon augment. I don’t remember all of the details from the “Enterprise” episode, but it was incorporating the augment DNA that made the ridges disappear, which would explain why he looks human. Maybe Peter Weller is playing Khan! If he was thawed out about the time that Nero first appeared, then he would be around the right age to be played by Weller.

Given J.J.’s penchant for secrecy and the unique ways he likes to reveal something, I wouldn’t put it past him for the screenshot behind him to be the first “official” picture from the new movie. With the lack of any official news from Paramount and the Abrams crew, what better way to reveal the first image of the new movie than having it on a computer screen behind you in an unrelated sketch?

I bet this is the real mccoy (no pun).

Oh great…the “trench coat” Klingons are back.

Yay. Whoopety doo.

Like we’ve not had enough Klingons in Star Trek…

::rolls eyes::

If the Klingons are in the movie, that would be fine. If they’re not, that would also be fine.

What would not be fine is if we end up with a boring, unexciting movie regardless of whether Khan, Klingon, or any other familiar is in it.

Knowing Abrams’ work, however, I am very optimistic. Not only is Star Trek (2009) one of the best Star Trek films in history, in my opinion, but it is the work of one of the most daring producers in the industry today. Few people seem to mention this on this site, but Abrams was also responsible for Cloverfield, which, for all its faults, was nothing if not a spine-tingling take on a well-trodden genre.

What’s also important is that we have a sense of majesty and scope in this new movie — something worthy of the Star Trek name. The plot, the philosophy of this movie should resonate with people who believe in the Star Trek vision of the future — a vision that has too often been abandoned in the past. (Star Trek: Nemesis, for example, hardly advanced the Trekkian view at all and was, besides, the most depressing of all the Star Trek films.)

@18 and 19

I much prefer the Klingons of TOS, especially Kor and Kang. They were obviously warlike and itching for a fight but showed true intelligence and cunning. I had never thought of it this way, but the poster who compared the post TOS Klingons to the stereotypical Vikings nailed it. I preferred the intelligent philosophical banter between Kirk and Kor to the chest thumping, head-banging antics of the later series. Even Kruge from “TSFS” had the devious, underhanded plotting element going on, but he was still articulate. He was almost the missing link between the two types of Klingon. I think Kor was still the best Klingon archetype; intelligent, calculating and ready to use every means at his disposal to achieve his ends.

If and when J.J. does bring them back,I hope he goes a bit retro with the personalities and make up. Keep the ridges, but make them a little more subtle.Some of the post TOS Klingon make-ups were so thick that they were distracting.

46. Did you watch the deleted Klingon scenes from Strek Trek 2009? Those Klingons did NOT seem like the brutish apes from TNG-era Klingons, but were more Kor/Kang like, IMHO, with their interrogation Nero.

I, too, think that the best version of Klingons were the first: Kor especially. His protrayal on his last episode on DS9 was fantastic.

Anyway, here’s hoping for more Kor and less Gowron!

More Kruge!
And Chocolate Maltz.

Why do Klingons need helmets? Do they have a higher percentage of head injuries in the JJ-verse?

@18 – the Klingons have not been “done to death” for the current generation of new Star Trek fans. The Abrams films are reintroducing the franchise to a new audience which was all but non-existent for Enterprise. Like it or not Abrams is not making Star Trek solely for the Pre-existing fans, or even mostly. He’s trying to revive a brand for fans who never were, nor who might never have been had things kept going the way they did under Berman. Klingons from TOS are some of the most exciting, iconic characters ever devised, and Abrams seeks to presumably draw on that, reinventing it to attract a new audience.

As for the RIDGES … Anybody notice these helmets are all identical? Correct me if I’m wrong but individual Klingon ridges were substantially different from each other. These are all minimally uniform, and skin tight. This suggests to me that the Klingons beneath are smooth-headed as they were in TOS. They wear the helmets then to hide their embarrassment. I never understood why the Klingon in the deleted film scene wore his helmet during the interrogation, inside in such an intimate setting, but this would explain it as it would make them more intimidating. Unfortunately, the ridge v. ridgeless argument must be addressed since the explanation for it is specifically detailed in applicable canon. And wouldn’t it make sense that the embarrassment of the Klingon Empire would be banished to penal colony work, rather than in the primary military? If so I’m very impressed with Abrams’ adaptation of canon to which he must adhere in this universe.

As for the design, they look more like Cylons than Darth Vader …