Orci Ready To Engage Trek Fans

I had a chance to talk to Star Trek co-writer Roberto Orci at an evening event during Comic Con. For the most part we just chatted informally just like any two Trekkies, but I did ask him about some fans’ questions regarding how the new film will fit into Trek’s canon. Orci admitted that in the case of his (and writing partner Alex Kurtzman’s) recent film Transformers –  they did make some significant changes in the universe, but that that film was translating a cartoon to a live action film. However, he also made it clear that any changes to Star Trek would be much more carefully considered. Orci (emphatically) said:

We are ready to engage any fans…lovingly…over the plot of Star Trek.

Even though our conversation was informal, Orci did want me to share that with the readers of TrekMovie.com (a site he says they do visit). In talking to the writer further he also made it clear the team plan to ‘engage’ in a dialogue with the Trek fans (something they have done with the Transformers fans for the last year). Although they are not planning on breaking their pact to keep plot details secret, they do want to hear about what is important to Trek fans.

This was the third time I have had a chance to chat with the writer and after each meeting I am more and more convinced that he and the new team are on the right track. I was again impressed with how enthusiastic he is for the film and how respectful he is for the franchise and the fans. I very much look forward to this dialogoue with the fans.

 

Orci: 35th Most Powerful Latino In Hollywood
…at least according to the Hollywood Reporter’s ‘Latino Power 50.’ Making Bob more powerful than Jimmy Smits, but less powerful than Salma Hayek.

 

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First

here we go: wish list:
bring back kirk
leave the enterprise the same as seen in tos
have darren dochterman do the effects! ( imean it) he gets it
use the original bridge set (maybe with minor tweeks)
use the original color scheme
kee the uniforms (3rd season material/fit)

Am I the only person who believes that any commenter who posts “First” and then hits the submit button should receive a forty-thousand volt shock back through the internet?

It’s nice to see that the pros working on the movie are looking at trekmovie.com. I hope they don’t take everybody’s comments seriously or to heart–we’d wind up with a bloated movie only suitable for the most hardcore of fans. But that they are at least looking at the fan comments is heartening. Thanks for reporting on the talk you had with him, Anthony!

I want to see the ship! THE NEW SHIP! Hey! ENGAGE me!! The new ship and some production design sketches! I, ah… ahem. Sorry–… carried away… um, ah, third?

They can throw everything out after TOS. Or ignore some of the canon.

#3: “Am I the only person who believes that any commenter who posts “First” and then hits the submit button should receive a forty-thousand volt shock back through the internet?”

We’re working on that. ;)

#2 actually, since this is pre-tos, the enterprise will either be in a variation we have yet to see, or the pilot version ie: bigger bridge, pointy nacelle caps, bigger deflector dish, etc.
and if the bridge is as we remember it, it would likely be as we remember it from the pilot ie: very gray, silver, and more “formal” than the tos-bridge

i hope they take this into consideration when making the sets and such

I say keep the outside of the ship the same and update the interior with with either the 1701 A, D or E’s type of interior and computer system. Then have the tricoders and phasers be a cross between TOS and TNG’s.

How about GREAT ACTING, AMAZING STORY and TOP NOTCH SETS!!! Oh yeah, and make sure the Director knows what the hell he’s doing for pacing, editing, etc.
If the tone set by the Director isn’t spot on, he could really stink up the place!! Please, puh-lease, PUH-LEASE get it right!!

Seriously, though, if we’re being engaged, I’m going to drop a few questions:

1. For a new big-budget movie you’ve obviously got to redesign everything. WIll the new designs resemble TOS a little? A lot? How drastically is the ship being redesigned? Who is your production designer?

2. What other TOS and trek films characters can we expect to see?

Dear Producers,

Please note which contributers on this site that you SHOULD NOT look to for advice.

Star trek canon is great. Don’t change anything ( only add something new )

I have to agree with Anthony when he says he is “more convinced that the new team is on the right track”

When I saw Leonard Nimoy take the stage at Comic Con last week I knew these guys were going to pay the Star Trek legacy the respect it deserves. Which is more than could be said for Berman and co.

I would like to see a tough tight version of Star Trek (think Wrath of Khan) that is character driven (those characters are what made the original a classic. TOS is proof you don’t need a ton of cgi to make great entertainment) that has some attitude.

What I don’t want to see is Berman’s watered down pc version of Star Trek (think Data singing Irving Berlin tunes in Nemesis) where all the fun was taken out of the mix. The man did the near impossible. Over time he made the ST universe bland.

Berman’s version of Star Trek in many ways plays like a soap opera (some of the TNG/Voy character episodes should be shown as Lifetime movies of the week) rather than a shoot from the hip fun sci fi series that tackles the big questions.

What I would like to see most from a personal point of view is the return of William Shatner as Kirk.

If Kirk was never brought into Generations and just tossed of a bridge (for no apparent reason) this would not be an issue.

That said, Kirk’s end (the worst of any major fictional character ever) has left such a bad taste in my mouth (and many others) that I don’t see the series in the same light as I did prior to Generations.

I understand from the writers point of view you don’t want to just throw Shatner in just for the sake of having him in it.

On the other hand more than anything I want to see Kirk + Spock ride off into the sunset the way they should have before Generations.

In a perfect world Star Trek XI should close out the first era of ST (give Kirk + Spock good endings) while at the same time show the way to the future with a kick ass film with great new actors to play these iconic roles.

I want to see something that really feels like a modern, big budget reimagining of TOS. With more sophisticated versions of the ship, costumes, and sets. I want them to just go all out.

I’m in the “change everything” camp.

But uh, Anthony, that picture you use of Orci disturbs me.

I keep thinking that “Star Trek’s” being written and produced by Joey Tribbiani. Where’s Chandler?

yeah, just go all out in space, the full-blown frontier!

Anthony ever thought about creating a forum for the site? Or is this the best way to communicate? I wonder if you should also have an email news alert feature? This is the main site I go to for all Trek news now.

#13

Yeah, speaking of TWOK, I’d really like to see another tightly focused story like that — one which doesn’t veer off into time travel or alternate realities or any of that other crap the TNG movies always did. Keep it grounded in the “real” world like Nicholas Meyer did so well.

Kirk, Spock & McCoy (who may or may not be in it.) Had charm and chemistry back then. Lightning in a bottle, catch it if you can. Thats what I suspect we’re all really worried about.

Hey, if Shatner isn’t in this film, that’s okay by me, as long as you tell a good story. I suspect that’s the case with most _reasonable_ fans. So don’t worry too much about the BBKers here!

And I apologize for people posting here who don’t seem to realize that as the SCREENWRITERS you probably have very little say in how the new ship, sets, and uniforms look!

Plus, I suspect you have a gut sense that listening to advice like in post #2 would just cause Trek XI to become an Ishtar-level flop… Best not even to mention stuff like that to J.J….

Production designer is the awesome Scott Chambliss who has worked with us for years.

It has to have William Shatner as Kirk. Kirk and Spock together one more time to officially pass the torch to a newer generation of trekkies who will discover the life of what TOS is.

OK, here is a partial wish list for the production team.

First off make Kirk a woman…Ha ha, just kidding. Seriously though, good luck casting him.

1. Do whatever it takes to bring William Shatner in as a 24th century Captain Kirk. Nimoy without Shatner will never work.

2. Ignore Generations if you must.

3. Keep the exterior of the ship similar to what we saw in TMP.

4. Update/re-imagine the interiors and uniforms (as much as I like the miniskirts from TOS they do not belong in a modern movie.)

5. Do not be a slave to “canonists.”

6. Include Captain Pike, Gary Mitchell and Carol Marcus.

7. Show us Kirk’s Kobayashi Maru solution as a film opener.

I would like to see Spock and Picard talking about the dead Kirk in the 24th Century as somekind of introduction.

But I don’t want see William Shatner as Kirk. He died in Generations. Maybe, now the time has come for Spock to die in the 24th Century.

It has to have a good plot, well written dialog, and some action.

If it has that, I could probably stand cheesily colored sets.

Anthony why are they being so secret about the plot? Is the plot going to be announced when they announce who the new Kirk is? Just curious.

The TOS Enterprise is my favorite of all Trek ships – but I’d like to see it and the sets re-imagined – make it feel like it’s in the future again AND keep the TOS/60s aesthetic. (no fax machines on the bridge)

Re 22:

Hi, Roberto! It’s exciting to have you here with us!

Orci ready to engage Trek fans? Well, I’ve been doing that online for a few years now and … it’s not pretty.

#3

No you are not. Being first doesn’t make someone a winner and strutting about like one has actually accomplished something of any importance at all makes one mostly a loser imo.

As to the subject matter–I would like to see the Shat back as well but I’ll go no matter who is in the cast (except perhaps for Paully Shore).

Wow…..Bob…Hi…welcome to tm.com….this is the place to be…..now more than ever. Can I say I think you are kind of cute?

….well he did say he was ready to engage the fans ;)

anyway What I want more than anything is to just feel like Trek is real big again….like it is a first rate top of the line blockbuster epic experience. I am tired of of being in the shadow of Star Wars and other big franchises. Trek was their first and is still the best….now go prove me right will you cutie?

Please Mr. Orci, one request, please give us some truly alien planets, I’m tired of seeing earth bound deserts.

Keep the Exterior of the TOS Enterprise shape the same, but then do what they did with the Enterprise from the films, give the ship more texture..as if someone built the thing, and not a model. Otherwise, do what you like.

#22 Roberto Orci – July 31, 200

Good to see you stopping in here. There are a lot of diverse fans who visit this site and some truly interesting opinions floating about. Good luck for the duration. I hope your movie is a smash hit.

#24

Anthony you are doing a great job covering the progress on the new film and this forum gives fans a chance to share in the excitement. Keep up the good work.

I for one look forward to a cheering standing ovation on opening day!

#15. Dennis Bailey – “I’m in the “change everything” camp.”

Do you mean to say that you would change the Enterprise?
Are you talking minor changes to make it more realistic for the big screen, or a completely different looking ship???

In response to a “Complete Extreme Makeover”…

I would say that if the overall tone of the script had been a bit lighter, and, the production values, ( costumes, etc.), hadn’t been so “Dark”, then
“Lost In Space” COULD have been a much better film.
But….
They totally Screwed the Pooch when they gave us that abomination of a “Robot”.

I really admire the artistic contributions made to Trek by people like the Okudas and Andrew Probert over a period of decades, and I’d love to see them contribute to this movie as well. That said, I’m looking forward to seeing all the new ideas that a talented Production Designer who hasn’t spent years steeped in all of this can bring to it.

Anthony I wasn’t trying to sound mean about my last post about the plot. I was just curious.

One other request would be to keep the tone CONSISTENT all the way through, like the TOS movies did so well.

The problem with the TNG movies is they veered all over the place, from light comedy to serious drama back to light comedy. It made it hard to take anything seriously.

Star Trek is going to be an interesting movie to see.

The real challenge here is how much can they adhere to the original series designs and styles, while maintaining a level of believability that would work for a general audience.

We are dealing with a balancing act, and one wrong move could lead to a disaster.

However, if done right, this could be fantastic.

After Lost, I believe Roddenberry’s vision is in safe hands.

1) Kirk – hard to have “alive” but why not in a recorded message to Spock?
2)TOS type Enterprise, but not slavish
3) Homage to uniforms but not PJs
4) Forget Finnegan and such stuff for plot, except possibly as character cameos
5) Consider a Spock deathbed scene if you really need to fit Kirk in…
6) Above all, make it character and plot driven, not FX driven

#2
leave the enterprise the same as seen in tos
have darren dochterman do the effects! ( imean it) he gets it
use the original bridge set (maybe with minor tweeks)
use the original color scheme
kee the uniforms (3rd season material/fit)

Thank God There Is Someone Else Who Get’s It!!!
Leave TOS The Way It Was & Quick Thinking About Reinventing The Wheel!!!!

Leave TOS the same.

yeh Dochterman gets it… i saw some of his NV footage on the CBS (me and my NV plugs… lol) and he certainly does know the look

I’d like to see a good story done in real colors rather than heavily tinted; a little positive idealism, but not mawkishness; like to see Kirk; my only fannish thing is to say TOS photon torpedoes are energy bolts(Making of Star Trek- Roddenberry-Whitfield) without a need for a fancy wheel and pulley track. Otherwise I just hope the movie is two solid hours of entertainment.

#44 and #2

Your analogy of “reinventing the wheel” is poorly used. An analogy comparing Coke to New Coke would be more appropriate. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has never watched Star Trek. Would you spend your money and see a movie if it looked exactly like an episode of TOS? Probably not. People my age(18-22) overwhelmingly think that Star Trek is nerdy and uncool. I know this because I live amongst these people. The approach that JJ and company are using is one that will draw all kinds of people by giving it a fresh look, which is necessary to achieve that goal. Though the basic elements will still be present, the look will be drastically different. Plus, I ILM has already been slated to do the FX.

39. Dennis Bailey
“I really admire the artistic contributions made to Trek by people like the Okudas and Andrew Probert over a period of decades, and I’d love to see them contribute to this movie as well. That said, I’m looking forward to seeing all the new ideas that a talented Production Designer who hasn’t spent years steeped in all of this can bring to it.”

Agree completely. We need a new Star Trek.

Star Trek is about Vision not Committee. Don’t worry about the fans, because no matter what, some of them are going to hate what you do. Those fans aren’t important. If you stick to your vision & make a great movie, then you’ve done your job.

Regarding ‘first’ posters: since doing so seems to elicite negative responses, it’s reasonable to consider those posters trolls. I don’t see any rules of conduct on this site, but other sites find trolling unacceptable — and punishable. Just a thought…