Last night we reported on footage from Star Trek Into Darkness from CinemaCon 2013 in Las Vegas. We now have video of Damon Lindelof, Chris Pine, Alice Eve, Zachary Quinto and John Cho talking about the movie before they showed the footage. Watch that below plus some interview clips with the group.
Pine, Quinto, Cho and Eve talk Into Darkness at CinemaCon
As we reported last night, producer Damon Lindelof brought actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Alice Even and John Cho to the movie industry CinemaCon trade show. Before showing footage from the movie, Lindelof conducted a Q&A with his actors. Here are some highlights from that talk (or you can skip to the full video below).
Pine talked about how Kirk is different in Into Darkness vs the first Star Trek:
Pine: I think a lot of maturing happens in this film. For a man who thinks he knows everything and leads with his gut and with his heart and is all kind of passion and heart. He is a man who has to learn to censor himself at times and our bad guy–John Harrison–basically levels this mirror in front of Kirk in which he sees all of his vulnerabilities and his fallibility and everything that is wrong with the way he leads his men and women into battle–and he brings him to his knees. I think you find a lot of vulnerability with this young man who is trying to find his way and trying to learn how to captain this incredible vessel full of these incredible people who are becoming his friends and family.
Challenges playing Spock
Quinto: The limitations [of expressing emotion] are pretty strong as an actor, but it gives me an opportunity to cultivate an interior life which I think is at the heart of [Spock]. I just saw Leonard [Nimoy] a few days ago–we were giving an interview about the character–and it was one of the things we both connected to with Spock. It is an erroneous notion that he doesn’t have an emotional life. This movie gives me an opportunity to explore that in many ways and also to be much more physical than I was in the first movie…Spock’s journey in this movie is learning how to be accountable to the people he cares about and loves ultimately.
Lindelof talked about the differences between Star Trek 2009 and Into Darkness…
Lindelof: The stakes are a lot higher [in Into Darkness]. Obviously we wanted to go bigger and better in the second movie but not at the cost of the incredible emotion of the first movie. I really feel–thanks to these actors–the relationships between the characters themselves really–the action happens around them–which really makes you care.
Watch the video (via Showbiz Junkies)
CinemaCon Interview videos
Here are some more videos (via AMC Theaters) with the cast and crew talking about Into Darkness.
Pine on Kirk "maturing" in this film and the next Trek + the ‘huge’ scale + "bigger, badder, louder" action.
Quinto talks about how Abrams and Nimoy helped him become Spock.
Eve on developing the young Carol Marcus and working with Chris Pine.
Cho on why he couldn’t imitate George Takei and how Into Darkness has more action for Sulu.
And here are a couple more press room interview clips from TVShowsAndSeries
Quinto on "scattered" crew and contrasts Harrison and Nero.
Pine on Kirk’s journey, Abrams directing for 3D and embarassment over wetsuit + Alice Eve on how it meant a lot to be part of movie and how she is a fan.
Lindelof and cast talk about promoting Star Trek after Boston bombings
Paramount had the challenge of being the first studio to present at the four day CinemaCon event with their event coming the evening after the bombings at the Boston Marathon. Lindelof and the cast talked to the AP about how they felt selling a movie so soon after that tragedy and about their personal connections to Boston and the marathon.
Very Sensitive subject.
I’ve been wondering. What are midichlorians?
Sounds really interesting. I can’t wait to see Kirk face all these challenges and become a worthy captain. Also excited to see his developing partnership with Spock.
I gotta say, the fact that the new Trek cost won’t go to fan conventions, but have no issues with going to trade conventions, kind of rubs me the wrong way.
“Trek cast”
I’m very much looking forward to seeing this movie, and to seeing the growth of these characters and their interrelationships, as well as all the action, new ships etc.
If this movie lives up to what we’ve seen and read about it so far, I will have found it to be extremely entertaining and enjoyable StarTrek.
Looks like Pine is already in good form for the An American Werewolf in London reboot. He’s due for a big year with Star Trek in May, Jack Ryan at Christmas and Werewolf next Spring.
@1
don’t make it one
@MJ- They don’t go to fan conventions? Not ANY? That sucks..
@4 & @9
Going to the trade conventions is probably part of their contracts.
Bear in mind, this cast has been in just 1 (about to be 2) Star Trek movies. They haven’t spend years as these characters in TV series beforehand. Maybe once they’ve got 2 or 3 under their belt they might feel differently.
On the other hand, they might find the rabid trekkies/trekkers just too intimidating ;-)
Look, the new cast are only in it for the cash and publicity for future projects. Most of the cast (minus Quinto and Pegg) aren’t Trek fans. They signed a three-picture deal, and after the third movie, they are done.
These actors have more on their plate then the previous casts did. So they don’t have the time to do the convention circuit. The TNG and TOS cast members didn’t have much else going on during their Trek heyday, and so they had time to kill at conventions.
All we’re entitled to from these actors are good performances in the new Trek movies. Nothing more, nothing less.
The only reason other Trek actors do conventions is for the money.
Uh, am I the only one who thinks Quinto’s Spock looks like he’s constantly seething with rage? Of course, Quinto himself always looks the same way – in appearances, pap shots and other roles.
Yea, I get the reasons why they are not going to fan conventions. Neverthesless, when I see them at “other” types of conventions, it still bothers me. I’m not trying to defend this feeling that I have, but I do have it.
@12. More often than not, Quinto looks like he just got out of a 2-day bender at the Moulin Rogue.
PS: Seriously, I am just counting the years until the “two-day old shave” look departs Hollywood. Just so sick and tired of that lazy look.
#12.
Well he had just witnessed (and barely escaped from) his homeworld’s destruction in the last movie….
#13.
Yeah, I understand how you feel, but if they start doing conventions, CREATION will hike the ticket prices up by a huge margin….
Also, I think the new cast prefers to hang out with fellow celebs, sponsors, CEOs, and other elite members of society…..
@red dead Ryan- karl urban is a huge Trekkie as well :)
I also wonder whether a Trek convention would be bad publicity at this point? They’re trying to draw in a larger audience and, in the past, Trek was increasingly seen as made for fans and nobody else.
That, and fans are going to see the movie anyway.
Did the main TOS cast do conventions when the movies were big? Just curious.
15. Way before that. I know, he had reasons to be angry. But it just seemed to flow so well.
@14. MJ
‘ I am just counting the years until the “two-day old shave” look departs Hollywood. Just so sick and tired of that lazy look.’
I’m you with on that one! I’m so old and out of touch, I only discovered last week that electric stubble trimmers exist. I thought guys just didn’t bother to shave for a few days – but, no – you can actually use a trimmer to cultivate that look. I shudder to think what that stubble does to the face of the person they’re kissing.
#17.
The TOS cast started doing conventions in the seventies, after TOS hit it big after going into syndication. I believe they continued to do conventions through the eighties and into the nineties.
And yeah, Trek conventions are seen as big nerd fests. Might be a turn-off to some of the new cast members.
Though I could see Simon Pegg dropping in from time to time….
I agree that the stubble look has to go. That style is fine for schmoes who work a nine-to-five job in a physically demanding job, but multi-millionaire actors should take some pride in how they look in public.
Can I have Lindelof’s sense of humor, please? He is such a funny guy.
I wish someone would level a mirror upto their dress sence before they go out. I guess they didnt read the posts about the MTV awards
#2 mediclorians are a big FU to Star Wars fans for a few decades it looked like anyone could be a jedi but George Lucas just wanted to clamp down controle of peoples freedom to dream about it.
#21 #14 Agree completely.
Alice Eve looks pretty cute in that dress
I like the cute redhead behind john cho, do you know her name? (-:
The Star Trek franchise is heading for oblivion if they’ll not even keep in touch with the fanbase by attending conventions, and future generations of fans wil not care as much about classic Trek.
We’re definitely running down from a golden age.
Then again, there’s always Star Wars.
There is a real lack of Chekov in all of this promotion and trailers I cant seem to see him in any of the trailers. There seems to be a female sitting in his chair in all the bridg scenes. Maybe hes one of the people killed in the attacks on starfleet. If he is dead why is killing an established character drama it seems so cheap. Im starting to have gloomy thoughts about how Abrams in handling these charactors and Star Trek. He has expressed that hes not a fan why should planets blow up and people die because hes not really interested in Star Trek and its history.
Its clear that he’s Star Warsing Star Trek but he seems to have a bit of a one night stand to attitude towards it. Im glad he is having a good time but there are long term conciquenses for those of us who have a little more compasion for the subject he is handling and will still be here after he’s moved on to dating the next sci-fi chick he’s got lined up.
@28. Son of Jello
From a quick rescan of the trailers Anthony has posted on the main Star Trek into Darkness page, Chekov appears in the (UK) International trailer, the First Look Featurette and the Teaser Trailer. He is running down a corridor in a red shirt – possibly doing something engineering-related while Scotty is off the ship. I haven’t bothered to recheck, but I recall he is in some of the other country international trailers as well. He is also (with the other 6, plus Dr Marcus, on the collector’s cover of the May 2013 edition of Empire magazine (UK version), as well as having a picture in the accompanying article.
He was, as far as I can see, only featured on one TOS movie poster: the poster for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (which featured the 7). I can’t comment on the trailers from that time. I don’t remember them, and don’t have the time to try and find them on the internet.
Yes, perhaps he dies. Perhaps someone else who is part of the 7 dies. Let us not forget Spock dies in TWOK! Having said that, the cover for the Star Trek Ongoing comic #21 (set immediately after the events in STID) does have all the main 7 on the cover. Of course, that could also be a piece of misdirection.
Anything is possible. However, I feel you are being unduly negative on very little evidence. Unless, of course, you never came to like the Star Trek (2009) movie. If that’s the case, then the odds are rather high that you won’t enjoy this one either.
..oops, I forgot that, of course, Harrison and JJ ABrams are also on the collector’s cover…
I for one never liked the fact that Vulcan was blown up and the same for Romulus in the old Universe, and the ending where both Spock and Kirk act on their feelings of revenge by destroying Nero’s ship.
Star Trek characters shouldn’t act on feelings of hatred and revenge, they should overcome those negative emotions, not act on them.
Either that, or they’re not heroic.
And now I hear new Kirk saying: “Let’s go get this son of a bitch…”
And that’s not a good sign.
Dang, Alice Eve is so hot.
Oh yeah, go Star Trek!
The cast are only going to these trade conventions because they are contracted and paid to do so as part of promoting the movie. They arent going because they want to be there.
@31. Calastir
If, by Star Tek characters, you refer to members of Starfleet in general, then I suggest there are any number of episodes of TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY where Starfleet individuals have not lived up to these high ideals. These are ideals to be strived for, but even in the 23rd and 24th centuries, Humans are imperfect beings.
If you are referring specifically to Kirk & Spock, then you need to remember these are younger and more ‘unfinished’ than we saw them in TOS. In fact, that is apparently one of the main themes of STID for Kirk: to move on from the arrogant genius punk, through a large dose of humility, to be the leader his crew can trust and look up to. It is Kirk the arrogant punk who is uttering these words, not Kirk the leader. In fact, I think I read somewhere that those words were deliberately chosen to highlight his immaturity at this point.
That said, even TOS Kirk was not perfect. Recall in ST:UC when Spock (referring to the Klingon empire after the Praxis incident) says “They’re dying.”, Kirk replies “Let them Die!”. Then, of course, there were the dissident Starfleet officers (Cartwright, Valeris, etc) in league with dissident Klingons to prevent peace, and willing to commit murder to achieve their goals.
@34
Yes, I was referring to the main cast. But these are not real people, these are heroic characters which up until now promoted those positive ideals as an inspiration.
That’s mostly why we tell stories, to follow by example. What will it mean when even our fictional heroes have given up striving towards higher ideals anymore?
I also hear that in this movie Scotty will kick some bandit out of an airlock and joke about it.
And it bothers me that there’s not even a sign that these characters question their actions.
31. “And now I hear new Kirk saying: “Let’s go get this son of a bitch…”
And that’s not a good sign.”
Although the trailer suggests that this is his, and his ship and crew’s, undoing.
“That’s mostly why we tell stories, to follow by example”
Maybe the stories in Captain Planet episodes…
#31 Calastir
Its the son of a bitch line that got me thinking it was very jarring to hear it in Star Trek it is a quite agressive tone for Star Trek to take. Even when Kirks son was killed Kirk still remained level headed and thought rationaly. Sure Pines Kirk is a lot younger and less restrained but I found it a bit unsettling to hear it I hope this is not a new direction for Star Trek. And I agree its not a good sign.
#29 ObsessiveStarTrekFan
Thanks for the reasurance about Chekov. Spock didnt die he gave his life to save his crew and the people he cared for. He new what he was doing.
We all share a similar delima in this forum they are to many posts and not enough time for anyone to keep up with what people are saying. I have been a bit of an advocate of Abrams and his take on ST. And have berated people more than once when they continue to pine for the old style ST. My reasons being that this needed to happen for ST to remain relevant and survive into the future with a new audience and its success gives hope to a return to TV the format that it is best suited to.
I really did and continue to enjoy ST09 and have watched it on more than one or 9 ocasions because as a movie it is successful and Abrams is quite obviously at the top of his game and he has reinvigorated the franchise. But reading other posts and thinking about other peoples view of Abrams ST. It has made me think that the ST we are seeing is not really what ST is about.
No we havent seen the new movie but so far it is full of agression and violence a theme wich is not something that I expect from ST and is not what ST is about. So my post #28 is just expressing that a bit of a flippant atitude has been taken with the source material. Vulcan is gone and Amanda is dead I can see why she died (spocks loss of controle later) but she didnt have to it just seemed a cheap way to create drama. The theme of death and destruction seems to be continuing into the new movie. I think this is wrong ST is not about revenge. In the trailer Kirk wants to “take him out” and Pike tells him “starfleet is not about vendetta.” Pikes right its not and ST is not about revenge or getting even its about being better than that.
The theme I see in ST is about overcoming such simplistic notions. It’s very representitive of people trying to face problums with maturity and understanding there way out of a situation. Star Trek is not about storming the gates of your enemy. It about overcomeing the natural instinct to be agressive and hate filled because thats what makes us better thats the theme of ST. The struggle to grow beyond what we are now to something better. STTOS was representitve of this and even today the same conflicts between countrys and cultures exhist in our world Its even gotten worse. But its the dream that we can overcome this that is at the core of ST. But with Abrams its all going backwards. Its just a story driven by base emotions. Revenge, Hatered, Vendetta, Death and Destruction and thats not ST at all. How can we hope for something better when everything is destroyed and the only answer available is more death.
@35. Calastir
I haven’t studied literature since high school, so I’m not going to make a fool of myself trying to launch into an in-depth discussion of archetypes in myth and storytelling.
However, do you not consider character growth to be also part of the Hero’s Journey?
I don’t believe what we have seen so far of Kirk in STID is an example of our fictional hero giving “up striving towards higher ideals anymore”. We are seeing Kirk on the Hero’s Journey. He will strive, he will face challenges and temptations, he will have a revelation, he will atone and he will undergo transformation.
You state: “I also hear that in this movie Scotty will kick some bandit out of an airlock and joke about it”
My reading of the descriptions of this scene are quite different. Scotty is in the airlock waiting to open it to allow the space-jumping Kirk and Harrison to enter the ship. He is confronted by an armed guard, who will prevent him from opening the airlock if he realises what he is intending. If he does nothing, the plan will fail. He opens the airlock and the guard is sucked out. Scotty has strapped himself on to something so he is not also sucked out. Kirk and Harrison land. Scotty says to them “What kept you?”. This is hardly joking about killing someone.
Do our beloved characters question their actions in this movie? Watch the movie and find out for yourself. I intend to.
The orginal James T. Kirk was someone to look up to, worked for everything he had and earned the respect of everyone around him. The new Kirk seems more like a lotto winner, accidentally in the right place at the right time.
@37
Condescending tone is noted. But I’d prefer a little more Captain Planet, and a little less Captain Ahab.
@39
I agree that this Kirk may be on a Hero’s Journey, I just hope it won’t take several movies for this character to actually become Captain Kirk and rise above the violent anti-hero archetype.
As they stand, I can neither follow nor cheer for some of these characters. We’ll wait and see.
Zach joked about his glower and heavy brows in a Conan interview back in February. He even did a couple of poses to demonstrate, to huge laughs. (He also did a hilarious ‘sneak preview’ of the movie.)
Appearance aside, the actor is a genuinely kind and laid-back man, who likes his fans and his character.
As far as the cast going to SF conventions, I would rather know that they are too busy with interesting projects to come.
Living in the Boston area, on the day of the incident I was very sensitive to the fact that “Into Darkness” touches on themes very close to what was happening right at my doorstep. But you can’t be topical without touching a nerve.
In some of its best moments Trek has hit close to home, ripping topics from the headlines. It was the reality when I watched TOS commentary on war while Vietnam was on the news every night. And so it might be with STID.
I will be there on 5/15, cheering on the good guys, booing the villains and hopefully having the best time in the world. Join me, won’t you? (BostonStrong)
ONE MONTH TO GO!!!
I am getting excited!!! :)
#38. Son of Jello – April 17, 2013
So let me get this straight: STIII’s “bastard” is an acceptable pejorative but STID’s “son of a bitch” goes a bridge too far?
Secondly, as fan of the STAR TREK series from its original 1960’s airings forward, who kept it, as a phenomenon, alive despite its cancellation and decade long absence from any narratives on film stock, I am increasingly weary of all these constant proclamations that any Trek movie has to be made to keep this self-sustaining phenomenon “alive.” The film franchise was came into being to address the demand – it did not create it.
Ten long years with nothing new on any kind of screen big or small, and the phenomenon grew on its own to the point where it so tempted the owners of its trademarks and copyrights that they could not ignore it any longer.
History has recorded that regardless of it being labelled a failure by the entertainment industry at any point since its inception, Trek endures. So spare me the homilies on why any action by Paramount or CBS “absolutely had to happen” to keep Trek “alive.” No it didn’t.
Now to be fair, if you want to hem the gushing in a bit by adding the appellation “as a film franchise” to your contention, I think I can hem-in my knee-jerk reaction agin it and politely entertain the notion.
10.
When their careers start waning, they’ll be at the fan conventions sitting at the little tables in the dealers room peddling their autographs for $20.
#40. Navy – April 17, 2013
And I can understand the approach that their story is taking that this Kirk wasn’t just born a great captain but has to rise to it. But it diluted that message when in their first film it has Prime Spock anoint altKirk as the best and then in STID we get the message “not yet.” But I can fudge it a bit by saying Spock Prime wasn’t saying altKirk was best, just better than any emotionally compromised Spock.
@46. John from Cincinnati,
“When their careers start waning, they’ll be at the fan conventions sitting at the little tables in the dealers room peddling their autographs for $20.”
Haha, that’ll be the day. They’ll be rebooting TOS for the 4th time and Chris Pine will have gained 50 pounds and will be giving cantankerous interviews about how the new director screwed him out of reprising his role as the original Alt Kirk in the soon to be released new movie.
@47
The point I’m trying to make, is that someone that fell into a role doesn’t make him a role model.
James T. Kirk, in the Prime universe was someone who gave his whole life to becoming a starship captain. So much so that he was even bullied in Starfleet Acadamy. Kirk was the youngest Captain in Starfleet, but there wasn’t a single Starfleet officer who didn’t respect Kirk. That is someone you want your children to look up to and strive to become.
Alt Kirk didn’t have the ambition to be any more than a petty thug until he got his head beat in and Pike convinced him to enlist. Kirk didn’t earn his position as Captain, and while he might have the natural ability to lead he doesn’t represent someone you would want your children to emulate. Would you want to raise your children to work for their own success, or hope that it falls in their lap?
New Star Trek is not Star Trek, it’s just an action movie with familiar content.
Fans of the trek series will understand that a movie bout terrorism in a futuristic eutopia is still apparent and the movie should still be shown as a message that no matter ow evil tries it will be overcome. However, I think people who do not understand the entire context of the federation , which is only possible though watching the series, in my opinion, will hate paramount and the production team for releasing this so soon.
I think the movie should still be shown, but being the bigger person, I feel pushing it back even on account of one person is neccessary.