One Star Trek actor we have heard very little from is Chris Pine who is stepping into some big shoes to play James T. Kirk. In a new interview with Hollywood Today the actor talks about the pressures and responsibility he feels for taking on such an iconic role. He also confirms and discusses the part of Kirk’s life we will be seeing in the new movie.
One would think that portraying Kirk would be a nerve-wracking experience. However, the 27-year-old actor says that he hardly feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, thanks to the directing talents of J.J. Abrams.
When you are attached to something of this scale, you have more attention on you than you’ve ever had before. JJ is able to make such a big experience seem small. You never get the sense that you are working on this grand event, you just focus on that scene.
Nonetheless, Pine realizes the importance in his portrayal of Kirk.
It brings a big responsibility. It’s not your standard tentpole movie. It has a 40-year history attached to it. These are iconic roles that have been done, and done well.
Describing the new movie, Pine explains:
It’s a Batman Begins. You get the birth, the childhood and beginning of the main characters before the Five-Year Mission. That’s what is going to be great. You get a sense of where they came from and how they began. Plus anyone who is a lover of big action films is going to love this.
Pine believes that fans new and old will "enjoy this new installment" in the Trek franchise, stating:
It’s not like anything they’ve ever seen before: the humor, production, effects and action blend into a great package. There’s enough humor and drama and action to satisfy everyone. This is movie for fans and non-fans alike, it’s going to create new generation of fans who have never been exposed to it before – for my generation and younger.
In addition, Pine explained that his scenes do not call for him to work with Winona Ryder, who portrays the mother of Spock, Amanda Grayson. He does, of course, have many scenes with Zachary Quinto, who plays the young Spock. Pine also says he will be working on the new Trek film until April 1st. It was previously reported that filming would wrap up in March.
Pine also discussed his upcoming movie Bottle Shock, which opens at Sundance next month. The filmmakers will allow Pine some time off from Trek to attend the festival. For more, see the full interview at Hollywood Today.
FIRST!!!!!!
Action movie, huh?
Sounds good, love the Batman Begins comparison.
I’m first…. so what?
sounds so cool – i loved batman begins.
4TH FCK YEAH!!!!
So why couldn’t Ye ol JJ make and original ship and crew?
I also liked Batman Begins, but the important thing is that someone needs to read that, and completely misconstrue Pine’s intended meaning.
I want to hear more about the bad guys in the film…
RE: Batman Begins
Waaay back a year ago in one my ‘star Trek XI’ updates (months before Abrams agreed to direct and before the film was greenlit) I wrote that the film would be like “Kirk Begins”
Just for fun…take a look back at what we knew 12 months ago
https://trekmovie.com/2007/01/03/star-trek-xi-update/
some of the comments are interesting too
At Last!
Nice Interview!
BTW I found some clips from his movie “Confession”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewWujpC3VAc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2gTy4vd_Hk
hahahhaha..the guy sounds like shatner but dosent look like shatner, a perfect match just like patrick stewart and tom hardy. completely identical.. cant miss..sure thing..no one will be able to tell them apart…
action movie… nemesis comes to mind
Yup, I knew it. Before the Five Year Mission, so this allows for all new stuff that is Within Canon, but Outside of Canon, as well.
Aimed straight at the 15-30 year old market. Plus, its pacing and music to be very similar to Cowboy Bebop and one other movie I forgot, “Firefly”. Don’t think JJ and Orci didn’t miss out on that show’s popularity.
Very much the same, but totally different. Wham bam slam bang.
6. Thomas – December 30, 2007
I also liked Batman Begins, but the important thing is that someone needs to read that, and completely misconstrue Pine’s intended meaning.
************
Maybe I’m misconstruing YOUR meaning, Thomas, but…what the heck do you mean? Aside from “I also liked Batman Begins,” the rest of your sentence doesn’t make sense. Do you think Pine meant something other than that Trek is going to be a restart like Batman Begins?
Paul. I think Thomas, in his own dry, sardonic fashion, was trying to suggest that a number of posters here have a “tendency” to misconstrue published information……twisting it to their own subjective perceptions…..but, then again, maybe I’m guilty, at this very moment, of doing the same thing…..huh, WOW…..BRAIN FART!! :)
This is going to be good!
Gawd, who is that Maxim chick?
Well I hated Batman Begins personally. It was better than B&R but not up to the other three imo. But the concept is a good one and I am looking forward to its application in the ST universe.
When we had family over this holidays, through conversation, we got onto Trek, and the films and television shows. I explained that I was always more interested in the feature films, but that I understood that opinions varied. She said, “Yeah, I really enjoyed all the movies with the original cast, but when they expanded it, moved forward, they went into a whole other direction…(sigh)” She clearly had no interest in TNG or beyond.
When I explained to her what they were doing with a new movie, her face lit up, and when I mentioned that Nimoy was in it, playing “Old Spock,” her face lit up, and she said, “Oh wow…”
This opinion from a casual movie watcher shows where the general populace is at when it comes to caring about Trek on the big screen. For most, The Original Crew is IT. If J.J. can pull off pleasing the old fans, and bringing in general audiences, this movie will be a winner.
14. Harry Ballz, that is exactly what I meant. It wouldn’t be a thread if someone didn’t totally read a published statement and automatically jumped to conclusions.
#8 Anthony
A blast from the past… interesting to see what we, the posters said then. Doesn’t appear much has changed.
Re; Story.
It sounds like he’s thinking along the right lines. I am thinking I will have to wait until Christmas night before I can slink away to the theater. Family always ends up here. December 25th is a Thursday, btw
Well, I read YOUR published statement and automatically jumped to THAT conclusion!
This is what i’m expecting:
A big-budget, mass-appeal, broad-scoped prequel that tells the early story of the TOS cast. This includes other characters like pike before the chair.
What I am concerned with is that:
#1 ABOVE ALL. They DO NOT ignore/contradict canon and rewrite Trek. JJ can tell a story and flesh in the details of the early years with out ruining what has been laid down.
About the Big E:
Let’s hope they can pull it off. This is “PREQUEL” Meaning a jump backwards in time. Technology, in what ever form it first appeared, generally looked less sophisticated in the past. This was a prob in Enterprise but that’s said and done.
There is plenty of time to work with.
what are the chances that pine has actually SEEN batman begins… of course i have insufficient data to make that calculation but i do loathe the BB buzzword… to quote our fellow connoisseurs “its this years little miss”.. ahem.. “batman begins” lol and stuff.. i wonder how the execs will react to the cloverfield turnout considering the demographic… of topic to be sure…but not quite domesticated.
Was Pine suppose to give us that much information about what the movie was about? It seems like a lot with all the secrecey.
16,
what Maxim chick?
I’m even more stoked about this movie after reading this interview. I personally loved Batman Begins, and I don’t mind at all that this “buzzword” is being used as a way to convey the approach of this film.
#6 Thomas – I was thinking the same thing, haha. It’s an inevitability on these threads, it seems…
Also, those film clips from Confession that someone posted were interesting to watch. As I understand it, Pine is also a stage actor, and for whatever reason, I think that gives him more credence in terms of acting ability–at least for me. Anyway, I seriously look forward to seeing this film. Ugh, the waiting…
Thank goodness that some of the other cast members are being unleashed to talk about the film.
26
She was in an ad — upper right corner. Now… she’s gone.
Would have made a terrific Orion slave girl for our new Jimmy K.
My gut tells me that we will be pleasantly surprised at how good Pine is.
Or not.
How’s that for commitment?
What’s everyone doing for New Year’s Eve?
#30 THX1138
Romulan Ale and Tranya… but I am not driving.
I’ve been expecting and not yet seeing a little Pine-trashing on this thread because he’s not Shatner. Glad to see it’s not happening.
Yo, THX…I’m still picking up the pieces from my Cancun trip…what a time I had…..a new low, I’m SO ashamed!
Probably be low-key for New Years…..how’s about you??
One of the few years that I don’t have to play, so I’m going to be low key. I’m hoping that Xai will send me some Tranya, as I have drank everything in sight over the Christmas holiday.
Harry, if you set a new low I think it only right that we arrange some sort of relief fund for the citizen’s of Cancun.
Think I’ll play some poker tomorrow evening and enjoy some ice-cold Crown.
360 days to go.
If Star Trek 2008 is anything like BB I will be thrilled. It is one of the best action/adventure movies made in years.
Funny that you suggest a relief fund for the citizens of Cancun…..I think they felt relief when I LEFT! :)
Has there been any talk of Gary Mitchell in the film? From WNMHGB, Kirk & Mitchell were buddy-buddy in the Academy. I don’t mind the idea of Kirk and Spock knowing or meeting each other in the Academy. But Mitchell was obviously an important relationship for Kirk before Spock.
Comments like #18 always baffle me. “Such and such acquaintance in my life professed a lack of interest in TNG and beyond, therefore the general public as a whole never cared about it.”
I am fairly certain that the ratings for TNG series and the box office grosses of FC at the least (and GEN as well, though mentioning it opens the can of worms that Kirk was the draw to a highly profitable film) prove otherwise.
The general public was quite interested in TNG. 2 horrible films and 3 less than successful spinoffs killed that particular golden goose. That doesn’t diminish the fact that it most certainly WAS a golden goose at one point. To poo poo TNG now would be as foolhardy as doing the same to TOS during TNG’s grand heyday of the ’90s.
I’m glad they picked Pine he’s realtivly unknown and that’s better than Cruise or Hanks playing the role.
^
I’m drinking the Tranya ultra-lite keeping fit in all.
Actually, Cruise and Hanks were only ever being considered for Pike…
Hi all, accidentlally came across a romantic-comedy this morning on the box co-starring Chris Pine.
Very good & shows he can do serious & light. I think he will be a great Kirk, and be able to be his own man. It is a bit like Bond (James). From what I have seen I look forward to the new vision.
“It’s not like anything they’ve ever seen before: the humor, production, effects and action blend into a great package. There’s enough humor and drama and action to satisfy everyone. This is movie for fans and non-fans alike, it’s going to create new generation of fans who have never been exposed to it before – for my generation and younger.”
Maybe I’m just being pissy today, but this is pretty much what has been said about every Star Trek film that has been made in my lifetime. I’m excited about the movie, but still hold a few reservations. Only a couple weeks until the teaser, then I we’ll start to separate the hype from the goods.
This interview told me zilch. I don’t blame Piney, since Trek was only briefly touched upon, but I’m eager to know how he’s approaching the role of Kirk internally, as an actor. Some of the things Quinto has said about Spock sound promising; I want to hear what Pine thinks of Kirk as a character. The “action movie” talk just made me roll my eyes.
Something tells me Iowagirl is gonna be underwhelmed. ;)
Wait a minute. Chris Pine is actually allowed to say something about the movie??? Was Quinto not around for another interview? ;)
#43: It seems so. lol
re: 41
“Only a couple weeks until the teaser, then I we’ll start to separate the hype from the goods.”
The teaser will likely show nothing of importance.
For all you Trek fans that look for reasons to pick apart Chris Pine or Quinto, or Pegg or any of the others…shame on you!!! Be happy that people are trying to give this franchise a new beginning. Reserve judgment for the final product. Whether or not you believe in JJ’s ability to do what he has said he wants to do means nothing to those of us who truly hope he can….we want Trek…old trek, new trek…doesn’t matter…just good trek. Leonard Nimoy’s confidence and commitment, along with JJ’s ability to tell a good story and Paramounts willingness to back that with real dollars is encouraging. If it’s crap…we will all know and see it, but if it’s good we all all see it as well. Until then, get on board and hope for a rebirth of something we all love and be positive. If you can’t do that then please say nothing, because you have no place in the positive Universe that is Star Trek.
#46 you don’t seriously believe that we will be in agreement as to whether the film is ‘crap or good’ do you!? lol
The arguments will rage on for years after release as to the quality!
IMO, this interview only proves what I was suggesting some threads earlier. To me, it reads like an “alibi-interview” as Pine isn’t actually saying anything substantial with respect to the character he’s about to portray. He’s stating some truisms and is giving us some cues which can be understood by some means or other. In doing so, he’s walking along the line given by Abrams & Co., a line that may have been drawn as long as the Shatner issue is still pending.
I don’t know yet what to do with the “..before the Five-Year Mission” information. It sounds as if they were exclusively dealing with that period which I would appreciate as it would reduce the risk of violating canon we’ve become fond of, but then it somehow contradicts the involvement of Nimoy, as well as the suggestion of different timelines.
All things considered, a rather pointless and inconsistent interview at best. I would have wished for a more significant interview considering the fact that this is the first real statement we get from the actor who is about to portray one of the most iconic characters of pop culture.
#42
There you are, buddy. ;-)
#13
Pine can perfectly mean that they are giving a believable origin story for our loved characters. Not necesarily (Is that the propper spelling? I’m Spanish) that they are changing everything to do so.
Batman had five or more possible continuity canons to attend to and Returns did very well to match most of them while giving it a reallity twist.
I’d love to see that done with Tos. I don’t believe the objective in this is to explain us where Jimmy T got his idea to save the universe in his pijamas, but to make people believe it.
Yet, I insist I’d like Pine to be told about Shatner’s first mind state for Kirk: The joy of living as a way of life.
Oh, regarding the recast there’ something I’ve wanted to tell for some weks:
I’ve had the luck of not having seen the cast before (Only Quinto) in other movies, so I had the chance to watch all of Pegg’s movies thinking of them as “movies in which Scottie plays other parts” and It’s been great. I recomend to go watch Hot Fuzz with that mentality. If half of the cast is so likeable and good, its going to be great. Pegg is already the young Scottie for me.