Last week we provided an exclusive early preview from the new Star Trek issue of the UK’s SFX magazine. The issue is on newsstands now and we have more excerpts from Zachary Quinto (Spock) and executive producer Bryan Burk regarding how the film is a new take on Star Trek.
Quinto: this is my Spock
Much has been made about how Zachrary Quinto looks like Leonard Nimoy, but does that mean he will be ‘doing’ Nimoy?
SFX: Did you find yourself adapting your performance to accommodate how Leonard Nimoy portrays him?
Quinto: Never. In fact I did the opposite – to make sure my experience was my experience, It’s the only way stepping into such an iconic role is every really feasible. You have to acknowledge where it came from and Leonard was an enormous resource for me – incredibly generous with his time and his energy if ever I had a question or just wanted to talk about the experience or what he went through as an actor. But in terms of playing him? No – I think that would be a trap, to try and shade my performance with echoes of his. I got the job obviously because there is a physical resemblance between myself and Leonard when he was my age, but more than that I think I got the job because I bought a strong point of view to it, my own point of view. Merging that point of view with the echoes of where he came from and how he approached it from the beginning will hopefully add a new texture, but also have a little bit of the same fabric."
Burk: a future that is not dated
Executive producer Bryan Burk also talked to SFX about the look of the movie:
SFX: Obviously this film takes place before the classic Trek series, so your big, sexy new movie has to look quaintly retro to work in the mythology. How did you achieve that?
Burk: There were conversations with Scott Chambliss, our production designer, and Daniel Mindel, our DP, and particularly with Michael Kaplan, who was our costume designer. The idea was ‘how do you do the future but not make it dated?’ Kaplan’s first film was Bladerunner so the fact he was able to do that in that movie…he and J.J. really dug in and came up with some ideas that people are going to like.
Much more from Quinto and Burk as well as other features on the new movie in SFX issue 175, including ’50 things you need to know about the 2009 movie’. Issue is available now in the UK and should be available now (or soon) in the US at Borders, Barnes & Noble and Virgin Megastores. More info at SFX.co.uk.
Quinto is going to be great. It’s nice to hear that the actors that they picked are well-spoken and thoughtful about the whole thing.
Also, I can’t wait to see what the production/costume designers came up with.
50 things about the new movie?
JJ and paramount can’t have released anything of an value.
I guess it’s gonna be something like this.
1. Simon Pegg, a british comedian will be playing Chief engineer Mr Scott.
2. The film is directed by JJ Abrams, who came up with the TV sensation ‘lost’
etc
heh ;o)
3. Zachary Quinto (Sylar from Heroes) will play Mr Spock. apart originally made famous by Leonard Nimoy.
4. William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk, is not in the new movie.
I’m just making fun of all the hyper secrecy of the new film.
i do hope they can tell us 50 things we need to know about the new film.
I’m bouncing of the walls in anticipation of the new film and we’ve still got 7 – 8 months to wait!
*sigh*
;o)
I hope he nails it. So very few Trek actors have been able to do the Vulcan thing effectively.
This is interesting. I totally understand Pine, Urban, and Pegg bringing a point of view on the characters of Kirk, McCoy, and Scotty which is distinctly their own.
Quinto’s portrayal of Spock is the one I most anticipated being very much like Nimoy’s. Maybe it was the fact that Nimoy’s Spock (although very much evolved from the character we knew in TOS) is actually in the movie.
“I think that would be a trap, to try and shade my performance with echoes of his. I got the job obviously because there is a physical resemblance between myself and Leonard when he was my age, but more than that I think I got the job because I bought a strong point of view to it, my own point of view. Merging that point of view with the echoes of where he came from and how he approached it from the beginning will hopefully add a new texture, but also have a little bit of the same fabric.”
I am interested to see exactly how much of Spock in STXI is Quinto’s “strong point of view”, and how much is the incarnation of what Nimoy, Fontana, etc. did to establish that character. More than any other character, I hope the temptation to bring a new and different spin on Spock is somewhat curtailed.
I have felt all along that Quinto’s casting was a good one, but I wouldn’t want to see too much freedom of interpretation in anyone’s hands with regard to the most unique and fascinating character in all of Star Trek history.
I wonder what he means, exactly.
What an AWFUL cover!
in TNG they ‘greened up’ the vulcans and romulans. even spock wore some green makeup in TNG… should they ‘green up’ quinto Star Trek XI?
i think they should. after all, they have green blood.
#6—What is so awful about it?
#7—-I never liked the “greening” in TNG, but I understand the “logic” behind it.
I cannot say that it would make much dfference to me, any more than adding ridges to the Klingons in TMP did. Asthetic appearances are just window dressing to me, like the color schemes on the bridge, etc.
It is the story, the acting, and the manner in which my favorite characters are written which is most important to me. IMO, that is what will honor the ‘original’ most.
God… I just want to see it… 8 months… this will be worse than carrying a baby. Who wants to break into Paramount for a private screening…
Start your post with a “Hell Yeah” regardless of state and federal laws… those night watchmen on the Paramount lot won’t be able to catch us all…
maybe we can storm the gates on Melrose … make it a full frontal Juno Beach assault….
fyi… Juno was the Canadian deployment beach… for all our friends to the South….
# 7 & # 9 The “greening” was fine. C’mon… if the Klingon ridges in TMP can fly… so can some Quinto “highlights” – Hey, he does have green blood… that is logical. The promo poster of Quinto looks like he was given the make-up foundation treatment. imho… look for yourself… now discuss.
Im excited about Quintos version of spock. he is aying all the right things i recon. He is doing his own thing but the respect he is showing Nimoy is awesome. A great guy to have playing this role by the sounds of it.
I know we havnt seen his performance yet but it sounds very promising indeed.
Greg
UK
I thought he was greenish to begin with only it didnt show up as well using 1960’s photographic techniques, wasnt the makeup named after Nimoy :”LN1″ as in Leonard Nimoy One?, although one could argue that his blood was green when it came in contact with air as it was copper based it should be copper tined in his veins. To conced the point however they did show up a bit too green in next gen.
Which reminds me, what is the “TRUE” color of a starfleet uniform, Is it the color of the costume in natural sunlight? or is it the way it “LOOKS” on your t.v. screen, for example TOS Command division “gold” is really more of a green (see TOS dress uniform, suposedly the colors of that and the standard uniform matched but because of they way the material looked when photographed the duty uniform looks gold even though it is really green)
Or TNG Command Division “Cranberry”, the real costumes are burgundy/deep magenta but show up red, especially in “Generations” and Sciences division looks dark blue but is really what I call “Reagan-Bush” Teal (seems funnier than saying late 80-s-early 90’s)
Discuss.
#9-
‘It is the story, the acting, and the manner in which my favorite characters are written which is most important…’
As well!
NOT CANNON!
rock on! :D
#10 “This is worse than carrying a baby!”
I hope you’re a woman with kids. I know *I* can’t make that claim. ;)
I’ve actually never seen ‘Heroes’, so I have no idea what Quinto is like. But heck, yeah, he looks like Nimoy. The fact that he has Mr. Nimoy’s endorsement, though, is all I really need.
These guys have to put their own spin on the characters–all of them–or they’re just going to be screwed. For Quinto to try and do Nimoy’s Spock would just push the movie into parody.
Can’t wait…………..
#13:”and Sciences division looks dark blue but is really what I call “Reagan-Bush” Teal (seems funnier than saying late 80-s-early 90’s)”
I believe Theiss referred to the color as “Peacock.”
Not trying to mimic the original actor’s performance? Oh crap, I was planning on a scene in the movie where Kirk and Carol Marcus break up.
Carol says, “Are we together? Are we going to be? You have your world, and I have mine.”
Kirk’s face starts to turn red, and he stomps his foot on the ground in anger. After a long pause, his emotions burst:
“I . . . . have had . . . . . enough of . .YOU!”
Mystery Solved
Now we know what Kirk dared not face when offered the chance by Sybok. The abusive uncle….
#21—I always thought that what he dared not face was the fact that he was in such an awful movie…
#22—No, I always thought that what he dared not face was the fact that he was MAKING such an awful movie!!! ;)
Show me the new Enterprise.
There’s nothing else to say…
I hope they give us an updated vision technology-wise though.
Can’t stand to see an Enterprise with buttons and switches anymore, Considering the touchscreen tech we have today and the new technology coming out right now i.e; 3-mm thick OLED-screens, Touchscreens you don’t need to touch, holographic projection screens and who knows what else.
Either they have some awesome tech in this new take on Star Trek, Or they better have some damn good reason to use 20th century technology.
I don’t know, Just my opinion.
Joe#20 and Closet#21- LMAO!
#24
TPTB know what you and others continually hammer on and I doubt this gets us a nanosecond closer to your bliss.
I don’t understand how Quinto can play Spock differently than Nimoy’s take on the character…expecially since Nimoy is also Spock in the movie and they have a scene together. And Quinto’s left handed and won’t do a right-handed Vulcan hand sign? I find that lame.
Chris Pine has the Captain Kirk swagger but he can’t give us a Shatnerific pause? Stanky McFibberich…where are you?
I don’t buy this “make the roles our own” attitude that doesn’t pay even lip service to the original actors.
#24—-(sigh)…
#26—-I need my pain!!!! :)
Just as an homage to Old School: Trek was the first appearance of the Disk Drive. If they bring back the Beehive hairdos, the minis, and the phasers, let’s see them bring back the Disk Drive, just as a Tip o’ the Hat to Old Trek.
…
48. Captain Kirk’s spaceship is called the “Star Shp Enterprise”.
49. The doors in the original series were pulled by stagehands?
50. And finally… the music for the film is composed by Michael Giacchino, (who said his favourite moment was scoring the music for Spock’s death in the final scene of the film).
#17… No I’m not a woman… but I feel “pregnant” sometimes waiting for this movie… no offense … but its all I got…. ;)
#29..”I Need ..My Pain” … awesome reference… and sooo appropriate.
I think this new film is going to be extraordinary. But one tip o’ the hat I’d love to see in a future film or series would be stories and /or scripts by real and noted science fiction writers. Don’t think that’s happened since TOS.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
28. Jeffrey S. Nelson – September 29, 2008
They couldn’t find enough impersonators that looked like the original cast.
If you’ve read any of these interviews with the actors, you’d notice a trend. They are looking at what has come before and “honoring” those performances, but applying their own skills and perspective. I am not paying to see a bad impersonation of Shatner’s Kirk or Doohan’s Scott. Give it a chance or watch the old DVD’s. There’s a chance this won’t be received well by some older fans. I guess we’ll see,
I wonder if in the movie where Kirk asks for some information on something some slide comes up on the screen.
re:28. Jeffrey S. Nelson
“I don’t understand how Quinto can play Spock differently than Nimoy’s take on the character…expecially since Nimoy is also Spock in the movie and they have a scene together.”
That is indeed a mystery. Including Nimoy pretty much demands that it not be too different.
The people involved in making the movie seem to want to spew out their cliches, (“honor-what-came-before-but-make-it-my-own” type of stuff), but what that really means is anyone’s guess.
I may have mentioned once that having different actors playing those roles is a bad idea, and the more things I read about the movie, the more I believe it. There are apparently a lot of people who read this site that can be easily sucked into thinking these PR comments are anything more than spin. Maybe they are more than spin, but MAYBE they aren’t. If anyone involved did have something negative or even less-than-positive to say about it, they wouldn’t be allowed to.
Obviously there are those here that are looking forward to such a thing as a completely different fake…er, I mean take on the characters. I hope they are also ready for possible disappointment if their optimism does not pan out. I would rather not see the characters than be subjected to some odd interpretations that slightly “pay homage” to the real actors.
I’m sure when it comes down to it, this movie is made more to pander to whatever faction will bring in the most bucks than to do any true honoring of what came before. I fully understand that is the nature of the business, but I don’t care to see it.
If I end up being wrong on this, I will be the first to admit it. But I don’t think I will.
#34 – Xai
“I am not paying to see a bad impersonation of Shatner’s Kirk or Doohan’s Scott.”
Well said. These actors CANNOT try to impersonate the original actors. They have to bring themselves to the roles, or it will just come out false.
#34 #37
totally agree. I expect a similar transition visually that TOS to TMP achieved… with both performance and set/costume design.
Honor the source material… but like a modern production of Shakespeare – play with the aesthetics.
Just as long as the stubble doesn’t become a Spock standard, It’ll be fine.
The actors are not playing new roles; they are playing younger versions of old familair characters. How can they make us believe these are younger versions of the same characters, if they don’t even try a little to reference the originals? There’s a difference between imitating a charicature, and invoking a person. I wish they were at least trying to make us believe these are the characters we come to know. How this will work I don’t know… but I’m holding out hope.
Nimoy’s make-up on TOS was yellow.
You can really see it in the remastered eps.
IMO, Quinto needed to inject at least some of Nimoy’s portrayal into his. Geez, he IS supposed to be the same person!
Now I’m getting worried again…
Nimoy and Quinto, and everyone else is pushing this movie… but with all this secrecy, I sort of want to know how much of the script each of them has actually seen. I mean, they were probably only given their scenes, and none of the special effects shots or anything like that.
How much of the actual screenplay has Nimoy read? What is his endorsement based on?
36. Stanky McFibberich – September 29, 2008
“The people involved in making the movie seem to want to spew out their cliches, (”honor-what-came-before-but-make-it-my-own” type of stuff), but what that really means is anyone’s guess.”
_. Repetition (of the “cliche”) in this case doesn’t mean “bad”. There are only so many ways to state what you are trying to achieve in human speech. How would you say it?
“I may have mentioned once that having different actors playing those roles is a bad idea, and the more things I read about the movie, the more I believe it. There are apparently a lot of people who read this site that can be easily sucked into thinking these PR comments are anything more than spin. Maybe they are more than spin, but MAYBE they aren’t. If anyone involved did have something negative or even less-than-positive to say about it, they wouldn’t be allowed to.”
Stanky, you and I sit on opposite sides of the fence on this and have since the movie was green-lit. I thought that we were on a good natured “agree to disagree” basis. However, I dislike the implications of your “sucked in” comment above or the “fake” below. I think that goes beyond opinion of the movie to a poor opinion of your fellow posters.
“Obviously there are those here that are looking forward to such a thing as a completely different fake…er, I mean take on the characters. I hope they are also ready for possible disappointment if their optimism does not pan out. I would rather not see the characters than be subjected to some odd interpretations that slightly “pay homage” to the real actors.”
“I’m sure when it comes down to it, this movie is made more to pander to whatever faction will bring in the most bucks than to do any true honoring of what came before. I fully understand that is the nature of the business, but I don’t care to see it.”
All TV series and movies are made to make money. I can’t speak for the true intent of JJ Abrams and his crew, but nothing we have seen so far indicates a “sell out” on what came before just to bring in another dollar. Your statement indicates you are sure it’s different than that. In the end, you could be right, but until May, neither of us know for sure.
There are certain key personality traits that each of the characters have that should carry over, but at the same time, it seems that we will see the TOS characters at a slightly younger point in their lives, before they have fully settled into the family they will become. We may likely see these characters evolve over the course of the film, and it’s in those moments that the actors should really shine through and bring something to their roles rather than merely imitating someone else’s work from 40+ years prior. I’m going to this movie expecting to see Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty, not an overexaggerated Shatner impression, or a buffoonish Scotty copy with a faulty accent.
42. cagmar – September 29, 2008
“How much of the actual screenplay has Nimoy read? What is his endorsement based on?”
I wasn’t there and I don’t know, but…
It seems to me that he wouldn’t get onboard this project if he didn’t know the concept.
cagmar#42- Abrams gave Mr. Nimoy the entire script to read, then they discussed it and Nimoy agreed to do the movie. As for Quinto, when he appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show, Kimmel asked him if he had a copy of the whole script. Here is the dialogue:
Kimmel: So were you given a copy of the whole script? Have you read the whole thing?
Quinto: Yes, yes I do have a copy.
Kimmel: Is it at your house?
Quinto: Maybe.
It was very funny, and also clear that Quinto had read the entire screenplay.
Biff
that was old the second time you said it
I believe Nimoy & Quinto are the only ones that had a full script (at least according to everything that has been said).
As for bringing something of their own to the characters – it would be absolutely absurd to assume they wouldn’t. Otherwise they’d have hired a bunch of Frank Caliendo’s to do impersonations and we’d all cry into our popcorn or laugh ourselves out of the theatre.
Speaking of which, has anyone seen that new Direct TV ad where Caliendo does Shatner? Hilarious. ‘Go ahead, touch me.’ ‘No.’ ‘This is awkward.’
40.
Well said, Fred. If Chris Pine did a Shatnerific pause, the universe wouldn’t wind down and chaos ensue.
34.
Xai, I’m just concerned they won’t do enough of these little touches. A Shatnerific pause doesn’t have to be laughable…and a right-handed Vulcan salute is just good manners (and canon).