Exclusive Interview: Roberto Orci Reveals Star Trek Sequel Character Details + Talks Title, Trailer & more

There has been a lot of chatter in the last week so TrekMovie thought it was time again to check in with Star Trek co-writer/producer Roberto Orci who not only contradicted Karl Urban’s latest comments but also gave details on post-production and revealed some spoilers on the new characters in the film, talked titles and more…and this is only in the first part of the exclusive interview below.

 

Orci reveals Cumberbatch is canon character but not Mitchell + much more

TrekMovie.com: A couple of weeks ago you were on a radio show and you confirmed that Benedict Cumberbatch is not playing Gary Mitchell in the sequel. Then last week Karl Urban says he is playing Gary Mitchell. Both can’t be true.

Roberto Orci: All I can say is that when I did that radio interview I had just been doing 22 hours of press. I had just got off a flight from New Zealand…

TrekMovie.com: Nice callback, but are you sticking with your original comment and it isn’t Gary Mitchell.

Roberto Orci: I would say that I never lie. While Karl tests all those hypo spray props on himself [laughs]

TrekMovie.com: Another thing Karl is saying is there is some footage being released this weekend. Do you know anything about that?

Roberto Orci: No. I would love to see some.

TrekMovie.com: For the last movie your first full trailer with new footage was with Quantum of Solace which was in late October of 2008. So following that pattern should we expect the first sequel trailer sometime this fall?

Roberto Orci: Yeah. Marketing plans, especially for the second time around, get a little more clear. You know you want a certain amount of time for an audience to be aware of what is coming up. So certainly fall at the latest for starting to role this movie out.

TrekMovie.com: Have you guys picked a name for the movie.

Roberto Orci: No, but we are down to the final list.

TrekMovie.com: Is having "Star Trek" as part of the name a variable?

Roberto Orci: Only one or two of the titles on the list do not contain it. For the most part all the titles we are considering do have Star Trek in them, but just to get crazy we need to consider crazy things.

TrekMovie.com: So how long will we not know who Benedict Cumberbatch is playing? How long will you guys try to not talk about it?

Roberto Orci: For as long as we can because of our belief that one of the fun things about Star Trek that distinguishes it from other franchises is that the story turns. It isn’t just the spectacle of Star Trek, not just the explosions and the battles, it is the plot. That is why we are so protective of plot and character with this particular franchise. In others that isn’t the case but in this one we can preserve the experience for some people of not knowing exactly until we get there. Will we succeed in keeping it under wraps? Probably not, but we will try it.

TrekMovie.com: OK, I want to try and get something out of you that is actually new about the movie. Kind of like you did on the radio show but I will name a guest actor in the sequel and you will say if they are playing a new character you created or one from the original Star Trek canon.

Roberto Orci: OK, I’ll play.

TrekMovie.com: OK let’s start with Alice Eve. Canon or new?

Roberto Orci: Canon

TrekMovie.com: Noel Clarke?

Roberto Orci: New

TrekMovie.com: I assume that also goes for Nanzeen Contractor, who plays his wife?

Roberto Orci: Yes, new.

TrekMovie.com: Peter Weller

Roberto Orci: New.

TrekMovie.com: Joseph Gatt

Roberto Orci: New.

TrekMovie.com: OK and the big one, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Roberto Orci: Canon.

TrekMovie.com: Can you give me a status update on post-production. What is happening in July.

Roberto Orci: Trying to make each sequence and trying to make it work. We have two brilliant editors working simultaneously with JJ going back and forth. So get these sequences working internally and then we will string them together to see how they work as a whole. But first it is, don’t try to cut the whole movie, it here is a sequence so where does that start and where does it end? Do we have a little piece of the movie that is totally working. We attack it modularly.

TrekMovie.com: So music is still far off I know, but when does the sound work start,  does Ben Burtt, he’s back right? So is their work still in the future?

Roberto Orci: Still in the future. You don’t want them to waste their time for things that may not end up in the movie. So sound design, anything like that. But ILM is in there dropping FX in sequences as we go. There are things we knew would be in there since the beginning and they have had a nice long time.

TrekMovie.com: When do you think there will be the first rough cut?

Roberto Orci: Probably in a month.

TrekMovie.com: What has been the reaction from the studio so far?

Roberto Orci: It is always nice to hear nice things from the studio and they are over the moon. They were very complimentary when we wrapped and some said they thought it was better than the first one. But you know they want to encourage us.

TrekMovie.com: Sure, but this is their business so these are the kind of people who would let you know if they had problems, they would tell you it sucks if they thought it sucks right?

Roberto Orci: I think so. You don’t often get such well acted praise [laughs].

TrekMovie.com: What about you? What have been some of your reactions to the footage you have seen so far?

Roberto Orci: I am such a Star Trek fan that I’m not sure I would dislike anything we have shot so I’m not sure I’m a good source. I see them all in uniform on the ship and I’m like "Wow! This is great! New Star Trek!" But I’m the wrong guy to ask. But every few weeks during dailies I would see a new email chain go around with stuff like "Did you see that scene yesterday?" "Did you see Spock in that new close?" "Did you see Cumberbatch make it sound like poetry?" So to hear other people chattering about it is encouraging. And it’s big. It’s so big. It’s epic. We just really went for a bigger version than we did last time, because of the trust.

 

UPDATE: Check out part 2 of our exclusive interview with Orci where we discuss Star Trek on TV chatter, what is and isn’t canon, and his future with the franchise.

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First footage tonight? Pretty please??

” It isn’t just the spectacle of Star Trek, not just the explosions and the battles, it is the plot”

Nice to see Mr. Orci mentioning a plot. Let’s hope it is a well written one.

Very, very excited to hear the praise coming from the studio and crew. I am really looking forward to this. Thanks for the update Bob!

I just hope that we will get to see something, viral clips such as Prometheus TED2023 talk.

Cumberbatch’s character is canon.. or should we say “Khanon?”

This makes it more likely it’s Khan. And that Eve is Carol.

Everything shouts Khaaaaan about this film. The locations in Hawaii look like Genesis. All the lead actors (rumoured) look like Khan. The filmmakers all say Khan is their favourite and that film no 2 (12) is always about the villain….It has to be Khan. Excellent. Just, please, don’t ruin the legacy: don’t ruin the future. This film, the one with Khan, is destined to be spectacular. I hope its spectaculary good, not bad.

I’m thinking Alice Eve is playing Carol Marcus.

Or perhaps she’s Kelinda and Benedict Cumberbatch is Rojan?

NAH!

Very cool! I love hearing little bits of behind the scenes. So long as there are no spoilers!

Garth of Izar.

If not Khan, I say Garth of Izar

Oh, and great work, Tony! And thanks for the update, Bob! :)

Garth would be good. I think it could still be gary Mitchell or even Gary Seven. Remember. Gary Seven was very strong and the Vulcan Neck pinch did not work.
For the Title. I hope Star Trek is in it. Just would not be right with out it.

I think Cumberbatch could be playing Gary Seven. But in this timeline. gary Seven did not make it to the 20th century. But. Just a wild guess on mt part.

Alice Eve could be playing Ruth.

Cumberbactch possible characters.
1. Lord Garth.
2. Gary Mitchell.
3. Khan
4. Gary Seven.
5. Romulan Commander.

Hey Bob Orci. Any truth to the rumer that you will be playing your self in the new Trek Movie.

…Harry Mudd and his android wives? ;)

Cumberbatch is the little gold guy on the right at the ambassadors’ brunch in Journey to Babel. Alice Eve is Tribble #337. OK?

Well, THAT clears things up……

So Karl lied… not only about the villain, which could be OK for secrecy and distraction reasons XD …but also about the new footage that we looked so much forward to. This is how you disappoint fans, by exciting them about something big – which then doesn’t happen.

I would say that I never lie….Roberto, are you sure you have never held public office?

Hey CmdrR. Sorry. Wrong Number Tribble. Alice is number 669.

#22. Now listen to this carefuly Phil.
I’m Lying!.

Nice exclusive, I’m surprised Mr. Orci confirmed that Cumby and Eve are playing canon characters.

Khan’t wait for the first trailer!

From this, Khan or Joaquin/Joachim seems likely. I had been thinking a new Botany Bay survivor, but if the villain is canon…

Eve as Carol Marcus… I feel like we are right back where we started in speculation with Khan being most likely.

#25. Will only be a long year if you don’t have access to a Deloren!.

Hey if he’s lying about not lying, then that itself would be a lie and therefore it would still be true! :D

Thanks for a great interview!

#28. Ok. If Bob Orci is lying about telling the truth then he told the truth about lying. But if he told the truth about lying then he could not lie. Therefore he told a lie while telling the truth.
Ok. Everyone got that.

I’d love an answer to this question:

To Lens Flare, or Not Lens Flare?

Either way, please tone the lens flares down for the sequel. That is all :)

YUP! I told y’all that Benedict Cumberbatch IS NOT playing Gary Mitchell!

I also said that there would be no footage revealed at Comic Con.

I figured that it wouldn’t be until August or September at the earliest before we see a trailer. The fact that the first cut of the film won’t be ready until a month from now backs up my prediction.

#27. Know anyone who sells flux capacitors?

Khan.

Read Dead Ryan Strikes again!.
Bob Orci. Get him into the next Trek Movie.

#33. Not sure about the Flux., But I hear the Libian’s have some Plutonium,

quadruple double-cross!

wait…

@boborci – When will beseeing any footage?

#35.

“Red Dead Ryan Strikes again!.
Bob Orci. Get him into the next Trek movie.”

Bob, you heard the Emperor. “Make it so!”

:-)

Gary Seven.

He is Gary Seven in drag in Isis’s full-body leather catsuit.

boborci, landru was beamed aboard the Enterprise in issue ten of the comic. Will it be playing a role in the film?

boborci, also will there be much emphasis on space exploration in the film?

In a previous post I suggested that maybe Cumberbatch is playing a Klingon agent that infultrates Starfleet as Gary Mitchell. The Klingons kill Mitchell and Cumberbatch’s character assumes Mitchell’s name. Having Gary Mitchell’s name would pay homage to TOS again.

Garth’s descent into madness. Epic.

If it turns out to be Khan. I’ll be losing interest real fast. Even if BC knocks it out of the ballpark as khan. I’m done with JJ & team. It will be a sad day for Trek if they already need to recycle the ST movies because they have no imagination left. It will be proof ST is dead as far as Roddenberry’s vision goes. There is so much more to Trek than Khan what a joke!

Kirk could also befriend Mitchell because Mitchell would be serving on the Enterprise and he wouldn’t have met Mitchell at the Academy.

Good Stuff Anthony!

Thanks boborci for keeping us in the loop and having a grand vision

I’d like Alice Eve to be playing Carol Marcus, but I strongly suspect she’s paying Christine Chapel.

#39….Oh gosh… RDR confess please!… you’re into this already!… LOL

;-) :-)