Heroes star Masi Oka may not be a Trekkie, but he plays one on TV, and he is now hooking up Star Trek co-writers on a new family adventure movie, The Defenders, about a group of MMORPG players coming together to become real world heroes. Orci & Kurtzman will be producing the project. See below for more, including comments from O & K.
Orci & Kurtzman trying to bring back the 80s family adventure
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oka approached Orci & Kurtzman at parties trying to trying to score a role in a movie (back in 2007 Oka told TrekMovie he would be "honored" to play Sulu). Oka happens to be a graphic designer who used to work for ILM and a big time MMORPG player and had come up with the idea of a family adventure film about teenagers who play an online game forced to come together for a real adventure. Oka tells THR "the question came to me: what if you had to live up to the person you created in the virtual world?"
Orci tells THR that he and Alex were looking for "the kinds of movies that Amblin used to do, that combined an innocence with the adventure." Back in the 80s Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment produced family adventures like Gremlins, The Goonies, Back to the Future, and E.T.
Oka will executive produce, while Orci & Kurtzman will produce the film. Bob and Alex have tapped DJ Caruso to direct, the same director they used for Eagle Eye. Gary Whitta, a former editor for PC Gamer turned screenwriter, will pen the script.
All sounds like fun Bob and Alex, but don’t forget that other little project you guys have, Star Trek: Something Something.
Cool. It would be great to bring that vibe back to Hollywood.
Being an MMORPG player myself, I’m LOVING this idea. Great idea, Masi! YATTA!!! ^_^
man I read that title too fast – I thought it said “Gamera”, not “Gamers”…
Sounds like a good idea. I will definitely check it out.
Awesome. Good for them. Keeps the wolf away from the door!!
Gremlins a “family adventure”? It was marketed that way, but it was actually a horror film with some rather gruesome scenes, one of the classic instances of Hollywood mismarketing a film. The sequel is a better fit to the description, toning down the horror in favor of over-the-top Looney Tunes-style humor.
Ya know I am starting to like that title Something, Something. Maybe we can shorten it to ST11SS.
This movies looks like it will be fun. I am sure there will be lots of ST references throught the film.
I don’t know. This idea doesn’t appeal that much to me, but then, I don’t take part in any MMORPG’s. They don’t seem like much fun, and I always swore that the minute gaming turned into a chore that I’d give it up. Still, more power to them to get this film made.
“a former editor for PC Gamer turned screenwriter, will pen the script. ”
Hmmmm. that wouldn’t be the VEDE would it, Greg Vederman?
Interesting idea, as ‘World of Warcraft’ has been considering doing a film for the past few years.
As far as that ‘family film’ vibe, I would add “Close Encounters” as a precursor to all of those, and add “Poltergeist.”
Who cares!
” Star Trek: Something Something.”
i think is should just be ” Something Something.”
Interesting. I think DJ Caruso is a very interestin film maker. One to watch that’s for sure.